TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Connecticut hosts the Travelers Championship this week, the next elevated event for the PGA Tour in 2023.
Playing Through: SB Nation staff reveals Travelers Championship picks
The PGA Tour shifts back to the east coast as the Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands marks the season’s next elevated event.
Jack Milko has been playing golf since he was five years old. He has yet to record a hole-in-one, but he did secure an M.A. in Sports Journalism from St. Bonaventure University.
Eight players currently in the top ten of the official world golf rankings will tee it up in New England, and they will do so on the shortest course on the tour this season. TPC River Highlands is only 6,852 yards, one of the only courses below 7,000 on the schedule.
This course also yielded the lowest score in PGA Tour history, as Jim Furyk carded a 58 in the final round of the 2016 Travelers Championship, won by Scotsman Russell Knox.
Xander Schauffele won the 2022 edition by two strokes over J.T. Poston and Sahith Theegala—last year’s tournament marks the last time Schauffele won on American soil.
So let us take a look at who Playing Through picked to win the 2023 Travelers Championship:
Kendall Capps, Editor
I am going with Tony Finau this week, as the Utahan will win his third tournament of the 2022-23 season. Finau ranks ninth on tour in strokes gained overall and fifth in strokes gained: approaching the green. TPC River Highlands puts a premium on being in position and terrific ball striking, and Finau has done just that this season.
After missing three consecutive cuts from 2019-2021 at the Travelers Championship, Finau tied for 13th in Connecticut last year. He has played this tournament three other times, finishing in the top 25 each instance.
Although he has not recorded a top-ten finish since he won in Mexico at the end of April, Finau has had a strong season overall. He bounces back after the U.S. Open, where he tied for 32nd, and begins the summer on a high note.
Jack Milko, Writer
Last week, I picked Cameron Smith to win the U.S. Open. Although the Aussie did not win, he played well and finished in fourth. This week, I am going with another Australian as Adam Scott will win the 2023 Travelers Championship.
Scott has recorded three top-tens since the beginning of May, with his best finish coming at the Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow. He finished eight strokes behind Wyndham Clark, who won by four shots.
The Adelaide, Australia native does not have much experience at TPC River Highlands as he has only played there twice: in 2010 and 2021. He missed the cut there in 2010, but tied for 13th in Connecticut two years ago.
Despite his lack of experience there, Scott is due for a victory. He missed the cut at the U.S. Open at the Los Angeles Country Club, marking the first time he did not make the weekend this season.
Alas, Scott missing the cut at LACC will be a blessing in disguise. He will use the extra rest as an advantage and win for the first time since the 2020 Genesis Invitational.
Savannah Richardson, Writer
Harris English will win the 2023 Travelers Championship, marking the second time he has won at TPC River Highlands. English defeated Kramer Hickok in an 8-hole playoff two years ago to win his fourth career PGA Tour event.
English does not hit the ball far, but he does rely on his nifty short game. He is a terrific putter and will lean on the flat stick to get the job done again in Connecticut.
Last week at the U.S. Open, English tied for eighth, marking the third time he finished in the top ten at a major. The Valdosta, Georgia native has had a solid 2022-23 season as he has logged five top-15s since the Genesis Invitational in late February. English will ride the momentum coming off the U.S. Open and win for the first time this season.
Luke Robitaille, Social Producer
I have a feeling that Cameron Young will win this week, despite his lackluster play as of late. He has not finished in the top 10 at the Masters, but he made the cut at both the RBC Canadian Open and the U.S. Open.
Young hits the ball a country mile, ranking third on tour in driving distance at 319.3 yards. Since TPC River Highlands is a shorter course, Young will use his length as an advantage and win for the first time on the PGA Tour.
Plus, after watching him hit his tee shot into a golf ball holder within a golf cart at the U.S. Open, anything is possible. Young is ready to win on the PGA Tour, and he does so in Connecticut, not too far from where he grew up in Scarborough, New York.
Who do you think is going to win the 2023 Travelers Championship? Let us know in the comments below or @_PlayingThrough.
Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. You can follow him on Twitter and Instagram @jack_milko for more golf coverage. Be sure to check out @_playingthrough too.
