Event: PGA Tour – The Travelers Championship
Where: TPC River Highlands (Cromwell, CT)
When: June 19th – June 22nd, 2025
Watch: The Golf Channel, CBS
Purse: $20 Million
If you’re looking for the perfect cure after watching the brutal U.S. Open at Oakmont, you’ve found it. The Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands is basically golf’s equivalent of comfort food – familiar, satisfying, and guaranteed to put on a show. While J.J. Spaun was grinding out his unlikely major victory in Pennsylvania last week, the tour’s best players were already dreaming about Connecticut, where birdies flow like wine and the crowds know how to party.
This tournament has everything you want in a signature event: a loaded field, a course that actually lets guys go low, and some of the most electric crowds you’ll find anywhere on tour. Trust me, TPC River Highlands in June is a vibe. The place comes alive with over 250,000 fans throughout the week, and when these guys start making moves on the back nine Sunday, it gets absolutely electric.
Here’s something that’ll make your ears perk up – three of the last five winners here had strong U.S. Open showings the week before. So while everyone’s talking about post-major hangovers, the smart money knows that momentum from Oakmont often carries right into Cromwell. Let’s dive into what makes this place special and where the value lies this week.
Why TPC River Highlands is Different
- Par: 70
- Distance: 6,835 yards (one of the shortest on tour)
- Designer: Pete Dye (with Bobby Weed touches)
- Greens: Bentgrass/Poa mix
- Course Record: 58 by Jim Furyk (yes, really)
Don’t let the yardage fool you – this place can bite. Pete Dye squeezed the fairways down to just 30 yards in spots, and the greens are among the smallest on tour. It’s like playing darts with driver. You’ve got to be precise, but if you are, this course will reward you big time.
The 15th Hole: Here’s where things get spicy. A 296-yard par-4 that’s completely drivable, but with water left and sand right. I’ve seen guys make eagle here, and I’ve seen guys walk off with double bogey. It’s pure theater.
The 17th Hole: Now we’re talking about a proper test. At 433 yards with water covering the entire right side, this hole separates the men from the boys. Miss the fairway, and you’re hitting your approach over water from a bad lie. Good luck with that.
The 13th Hole: This par-5 kicks off the fun on the back nine. The tee shot is all about threading the needle between water right and OB left. Get it in the fairway, and you’ve got a legitimate eagle chance. Miss it, and you’re just trying to make par.
Where the Smart Money’s Going This Week
Scottie Scheffler – To Win (+300)
Look, I get it. Betting Scottie at +300 doesn’t exactly scream “value play,” but sometimes the obvious choice is obvious for a reason. This guy has been absolutely unconscious lately, and his improvement at TPC River Highlands tells a story that’s hard to ignore.
Check this progression: missed cut (2020), T47 (2021), T13 (2022), T4 (2023). That’s not luck – that’s a guy figuring out how to play a golf course. And now he’s playing the best golf of his life. We’re talking about a dude who’s averaging +1.30 strokes gained approach this season, which is somehow even better than his ridiculous 2024 numbers.
But here’s the kicker – his putting used to be a liability, and now it’s a weapon. Since switching to that Spider putter, he’s gone from losing nearly half a stroke per round on the greens to gaining 0.3. That’s a three-shot swing per tournament, folks. When the best ball-striker in the world suddenly becomes a good putter? Yeah, that’s game over.
He’s won three of his last four starts by a combined 17 shots. Seventeen! That includes an eight-shot win at Byron Nelson and a five-shot win at the PGA Championship. The guy is playing video game golf right now.
Shane Lowry – Top 5 Finish (+475)
Here’s where things get interesting. Shane Lowry is quietly having one of his best seasons, and somehow nobody’s talking about it. The Irishman is 6th on tour in strokes gained approach with a 0.912 average, which is exactly what you want to hear for a course like TPC River Highlands.
Lowry’s got that sneaky good recent form with seven top-20 finishes in his last ten starts, including a runner-up at the Truist Championship. More importantly, he’s got the right game for this track. When the greens are small and the premium is on precision, Lowry thrives. He’s also third among this field in approach play over the last 24 rounds, which tells you everything you need to know about his current ball-striking.
The value here is real. At +475 for a top-5, you’re getting odds on a guy who’s playing some of the best golf of his career and has the exact skill set this course demands. Plus, major championship guys know how to handle the week-after grind better than most.
Russell Henley – Top 10 Finish (+200)
If you want to talk about a course specialist, Russell Henley is your guy. The numbers don’t lie: 6-of-7 cuts made with four top-20 finishes at TPC River Highlands. That’s not a coincidence – that’s a guy who gets it.
Henley’s game is built for Pete Dye courses. He’s methodical, he positions himself well off the tee, and his iron play is consistently excellent. He’s also been on fire lately with top-20 finishes in seven of his last eight starts. When a guy’s in form and playing a course where he has a track record? That’s easy money.
The beauty of this bet is that you’re not asking Henley to win – you’re just asking him to do what he’s done here before. At +200 for a top-10, the odds are basically saying he’s got a 33% chance. Based on his history here and current form, I’d put it closer to 50%.
The course demands exactly what Henley does best: position off the tee, precision with irons, and solid putting. It’s like this place was designed for his skill set. At these odds, it’s one of the best values on the board.
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