Eight of the top 10 players in the world make their way east after an emotional U.S. Open crowned a first-time major champion. Headlining the flights out of Los Angeles to Cromwell, Connecticut, for the 2023 Travelers Championship are the three men atop the Official World Golf Rankings.
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler continues a torrid year during which he's finished no worse than T12. The Texan is inching closer and closer to the winner's circle for the third time this season as he arrives with four straight top-five finishes including podium results at the PGA Championship and the U.S. Open.
Jon Rahm, world No. 2, still holds the title of most victories this season (4), but the Spaniard has been shutout in the trophy department since his triumph at Augusta National at the Masters in April. Like Scheffler, Rahm persists despite some perceived troubles on and around the green.
Then we have Rory McIlroy. The world No. 3 lays claim to one win this season but also a number of close calls, the latest coming at Los Angeles Country Club with his runner-up finish to Wyndham Clark. It was McIlroy's 18th top-10 finish on the big stage since his last major championship victory in 2014.
Patrick Cantlay and defending champion Xander Schauffele look to break through for their first victories of the season while Matt Fitzpatrick, Tony Finau, Max Homa, Viktor Hovland and Clark all hope to add to their totals.
2023 Travelers Championship schedule
Dates: June 22-25 | Location: TPC River Highlands — Cromwell, Connecticut
Par: 70 | Yardage: 6,852 | Purse: $20 million
2023 Travelers Championship field, odds
Odds via Caesars Sportsbook
- Scottie Scheffler (13/2)
- Patrick Cantlay (10-1)
- Rory McIlroy (11-1): How do I put this eloquently? McIlroy drove the crap out of the golf ball at LACC. Gaining +2.25 strokes off the tee per round, McIlroy's tee-to-green game shined only to be let down by his putter. He will need to put those woes aside as he travels to TPC River Highlands for the fifth time in his career. In four prior trips, he cashed in on top-20 finishes but failed to contend on Sunday. He's been in the mix on three straight Sundays on the PGA Tour, so maybe this year will be different.
- Jon Rahm (11-1)
- Xander Schauffele (14-1): Schauffele carded the lowest round in U.S. Open history and entered the weekend at 132 (the third-lowest total in championship history). That is as good as the week would get for the world No. 6 as he dropped five shots to par across the last 36 holes to finish T10. He continues to play incredibly consistent and returns to the site of the tournament that kicked off a sizzling summer a season ago.
- Viktor Hovland (20-1)
- Collin Morikawa (25-1)
- Tommy Fleetwood (25-1): The Englishman remains without a PGA Tour victory, but he's close. Fleetwood booted away a golden opportunity at the Canadian Open when he failed to birdie the accessible par-5 finisher and later fell to Nick Taylor in a playoff. He bounced back with the second final-round 63 in his U.S. Open career to finish T5 at LACC. Fleetwood just needs a break here or there to entering the winner's circle, and it may very well happen this week.
- Tony Finau (28-1)
- Tom Kim (33-1)
- Russell Henley (33-1)
- Matt Fitzpatrick (40-1): Fitzpatrick won the RBC Heritage the last time the PGA Tour traveled to a Pete Dye design the week following a major championship. He has found some consistency since then as the early-season neck injury is officially a thing of the past. He rides three straight top-20 finishes into Connecticut for what will only be his second appearance in the Travelers Championship.
- Rickie Fowler (40-1): Fowler's return to the spotlight is now on everyone's radar. His final-round 75 at the U.S. Open may have disappointed fans, but he remains in good spirits and very much on an upward trajectory. Fowler has connected on 13 top-20 finishes in just 18 starts this season. If the season ended today, it would represent the best of his career in terms of approach play. The 34-year-old is as well-rounded as ever, and recent title runs at the U.S. Open and the Memorial should only serve him well moving forward.
Travelers Championship expert picks
Odds via Caesars Sportsbook
| Winner (13/2): It's time. It is time to put his putting issues aside and take a tournament by the reigns. The tee-to-green metrics suggest a massive run coming, and the slight uptick on the greens at LACC — thanks to a new wand in the bag — may be the catalyst. Over the last six months, he ranks first in total strokes gained, first in strokes gained tee to green, first in strokes gained off the tee, first in strokes gained approach and a measly fifth in strokes gained around the green. His last win came on another Pete Dye design at TPC Sawgrass. | |
| Contender (33-1): Put some respect on his name. Henley comes off a nice weekend at the U.S. Open that saw him finish inside the top 15 and continued a stretch of play that is not being appreciated. Over the last three months, Henley ranks sixth in driving accuracy, seventh in total strokes gained and fourth in strokes gained approach. He has notched top-20 finishes in seven of his last eight tournaments, and the iron play that has served him well throughout his career is beginning to peak in a major way. He has three top-20 efforts here in five trips including a T6 in 2018. | |
| Sleeper (225-1): He continues to hover on these big-time leaderboards. Putnam ranks 13th in driving accuracy, 21st in strokes gained approach and 24th in strokes gained putting over the last three months. He's already collected a pair of top-10 finishes in designated events with a T9 result at the WGC-Match Play and, more recently, a top-five finish at the Memorial Tournament. The yardage buckets where competitors will be hitting their approach shots from play to his favorite clubs. | |
Who will win the Travelers Championship, and which longshots will stun the golfing world? Visit SportsLine now to see the projected leaderboard and best bets, all from the model that's nailed nine golf majors and is up over $10,000 since June 2020.
