Horse For The Course: PGA DFS Course History - 2025 Travelers Championship

Todd McGill's DraftKings, FanDuel PGA DFS picks for the 2025 Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands. Picks for daily fantasy golf based on course history

What a week it was in Oakmont, PA, for the 125th U.S. Open. Rain and chaos ruled the week, as J.J. Spaun overcame five bogeys in his first six holes to win his first major championship in what was an all-time classic. Even with questionable decisions down the stretch that arguably decided the outcome, it was a treat for golf fans on a nice Father's Day weekend.

The PGA Tour is back to its regularly scheduled birdie-fest program for the Travelers Championship this week in Cromwell, Connecticut.  The last remaining Signature Event on the 2025 schedule is at one of the easiest tracks these players will/have seen all season. TPC River Highlands will feel like a walk in the park for these guys after getting punched in the face at Oakmont Country Club, with many prominent names having solid course history.

Horse For The Course is an article highlighting players in this week's field with elite course history and is part of our free PGA DFS content here at RotoBaller. For some of the favorite DFS plays of the week, check out the Core Four article written by my buddy, Joe Nicely, here at RotoBaller every Wednesday. It's part of our amazing PGA Premium package that includes an all-new PGA Research Station, Lineup Builder & Optimizer, and some of the best articles in the PGA DFS industry! You can sign up now using the Promo Code TDG for an extra discount at checkout!

2025 Travelers Championship

As the last remaining Signature Event, this is the last gasp for guys on the bubble to accrue elevated FedEx Cup points before the playoffs. It could be expected that many of the game's top players may use this week to catch their breath before jumping across the pond for The Open, but seeing as how many of them failed to make the weekend in Pennsylvania, expect a stacked leaderboard.

Regardless of what happens inside the ropes, one thing is certain: the people outside of them will be there. This is one of the most attended events on the PGA Tour, with only the Phoenix Open consistently boasting more patrons year to year. Scottie Scheffler will look to defend his title from last year, after besting his good friend, Tom Kim, in a playoff.

With many U.S. Open favorites struggling last week, and even more unexpected names showing incredible skill, the outcome in the Constitution State could go several ways. Did I mention that it will be a birdie-fest? Because you can expect a winning score north of -18 under par.

You can find out who the smart money is on by checking out Spencer Aguiar's PGA DFS: Vegas Report weekly. And be sure to read our other top-notch weekly PGA DFS articles and Player News/Matchup Outlook Posts to help you win big!

TPC River Highlands

Par 70 - 6,844 | Greens: Poa annua | Designed By: Pete Dye

After the hardest rounds of golf these players will see all year, they get a bit of a reprieve by coming to the shortest course on the PGA Tour Schedule. TPC River Highlands bears no fruit to guys who try to overpower courses with length. It is one of those courses that forces everyone to play from similar spots from tee to green, which generally condenses the leaderboard unless someone goes nuclear.

The opposite of most tour venues, approach play really takes a backseat this week, unless you're the Scheffler type that can do so much damage with ball striking that other parts of his game are null and void. At this level, everyone should be fairly proficient at hitting shots from 150 yards and in, which made up 44% of approach shot distribution last year. Another 23.5% came from 150-175 yards; something most of the top 50 in the world should be pretty darn good at.

Accuracy off the tee and sound play on and around the greens is what gets the job done here. The top three total strokes gained earners over the last five seasons here also lead the field on this layout in strokes gained putting. Statistical considerations include driving accuracy, strokes gained putting on poa anna surfaces, proximity to the hole from 125-175 yards, and greens in regulation.

Recent Memorial Tournament Winners

• 2024: Scottie Scheffler (-22)
• 2023: Keegan Bradley (-23)
• 2022: Xander Schauffele (-19)
• 2021: Harris English (-13)
• 2020: Dustin Johnson (-19)

The Horse

Xander Schauffele

• Notable Finishes: 1st ('22)

Xander Schauffele finally makes an appearance in this article, and it comes at no better time for the two-time major champion, who has had a poor 2025 from the elevated standards that last season imposed. The game has been showing small glimpses for weeks, and it seems like a fine time to start believing in the X-Man again after coming off a T12 at the U.S. Open.

Approach play is the first thing that comes to my mind for Schauffele, but his putting is no slouch either, especially at TPC River Highlands. The 31-year-old ranks second in the field in strokes gained putting (+1.338) over the last five seasons. Short game has kept him from serious contention hopes in other years, but that part of his game has drastically improved over the last 18+ months.

The Ponies

Patrick Cantlay

• Notable Finishes: T4 ('23), T5 ('24)

Inside the ropes at Oakmont: Walk the 17th and talk shot strategy with @patrick_cantlay and @Thejessicakorda. @USGA | @Cisco pic.twitter.com/If951RvRhf

— GOLF.com (@GOLF_com) June 11, 2025

After a disappointing U.S. Open appearance, Patrick Cantlay will surely be looking forward to returning to a place almost guaranteed to grant him a top 20 finish at worst. He hasn't finished worse than T15 since 2018, so I'm lowballing it a little. The 33-year-old doesn't do anything special, but everything he does from the tee-box to the hole gains him significant strokes.

It's quite baffling that he hasn't managed to win here yet. And given the turbulent season thus far, a place that resonates so highly for the eight-time PGA Tour winner could be the thing that wakes him up for a late-season push. For Cantlay, it's all about the putts falling.

We need Patty Ice for Bethpage in September!

Brian Harman

• Notable Finishes: T2 ('23), T5 ('21), T8 ('22)

Golf shot 👏

A clutch save to remain at 9-under for Brian Harman.

📺 NBC pic.twitter.com/I9W20qvcxF

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) April 6, 2025

It's been a poor run of golf lately for Brian Harman, but his comfort level around TPC River Highlands can't be overlooked. The left-hander churns out top 10 finishes here better than anyone in the field, with seven to his credit. His exceptional short to mid-iron game mixed with his general accuracy off the tee is a deadly combination on this layout, and like Cantlay, Harman is just steady all the way around.

Putting will seal the 38-year-old's fate, as it tends to most weeks. But he's also been struggling with the irons over the past couple of starts, which need to improve ahead of Thursday's opening round.

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Rory McIlroy

• Notable Finishes: T7 ('23), T11 ('20)

Ok, it’s time to talk about Rory McIlroy.

After winning the Masters, everyone thought he’d play with less weight on him. He said so himself.

Since then, he’s been a baby with the media and seemingly is angrier than ever.

What the f is going on?pic.twitter.com/jZiJ1AefN9

— Rick Golfs (@Top100Rick) June 14, 2025

Fresh off the heels of looking like the biggest prima donna in professional golf since pre-LIV Bryson Dechambeau, Rory McIlroy feels like gracing us with his golfing ability this week in Cromwell, where he's consistently produced decent finishes in five previous starts. He is one of the few who have been able to continually play well here through ball-striking efforts, averaging +0.871 strokes gained off the tee and +0.705 on approach over his last 12 rounds.

It remains to be seen if this event is big enough to pull McIlroy's ballooned head out of the clouds, but if a chance at a U.S. Open couldn't do it, I doubt a measly $20 million purse will do the trick either.

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