Travelers Championship Power Rankings: Top 10 Players To Watch

June 15, 2025

TourPicks ranks his top-10 Players to watch for at the 2025 Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands. His insights on the top-10 golfers for the week and reasons why they are primed to win.

After a borderline sadistic and grueling test at the U.S. Open, players will make their way Northeast to Cromwell, CT, for the final Signature Event of the 2025 Season, the Travelers Championship. TPC River Highlands will present a much more forgiving and familiar examination for players as they get back in birdie-making mode at this 6,844-yard Pete Dye design.

In this article, given the historical context and data, I'll break down my Top 10 Power Rankings for players based on recent form and specific player profiles that I believe are the best data-driven fits for TPC River Highlands. With ample amounts of course history for most players in the field, we should be able to isolate certain skill sets that have been a proven commodity at this course over recent years.

Let’s get right into my Top 10 Power Rankings for the 2025 Travelers Championship:

No. 10 - Rory McIlroy

• Borderline disrespectful positioning in the Power Rankings, but I just couldn't leave him out altogether. McIlroy does not appear to be motivated and looks discontent on the golf course.

• The Driver consistency was a positive sign at the U.S. Open. He looks to be back in a configuration that fits his swing speed, where he can control the club face.
• McIlroy still ranks #1 in Approach proximity to the hole from 120-180 yards, where most shots come from at TPC River Highlands. What's going on with Rory? We hope to learn more this week, because he most certainly won't tell us what's really going on.

🚨🛩️🏡 #WATCH: Rory McIlroy is looking forward to going home, with his media availability ending on this note regarding his goals for tomorrow: “Hopefully a round in under 4 and a half hours and get out of here.”

(Via @golfdigest) pic.twitter.com/NSUOoppnYD

— NUCLR GOLF (@NUCLRGOLF) June 14, 2025

No. 9 - Russell Henley

• TPC River Highlands features thick greenside rough and challenging bunkers. Henley ranks #1 in the field in SG: ARG on courses that feature these conditions around the greens.

• Henley hits a ton of greens in regulation with his mid-irons. He is 3rd best in the field in GIR from 150-175 yards on Approach.
• T5 at the Memorial Tournament and a good finish at the U.S. Open, but this is a much better course fit for Henley's game.

No. 8 - Shane Lowry

• Maybe the only person who appeared more annoyed with conditions at Oakmont than McIlroy was Shane Lowry, who's frustration was palpable throughout the week.

• His iron play will be much better suited at this course. Lowry has been a top 3 iron player for the majority of 2025. He'll need to stick it close and make some putts.
• T9 and T19 results in the past two years at this tournament. He understands the layout and has had his fair share of success here.

No. 7 - Sam Burns

• Still doubting the Sam Burns comeback? You shouldn't. Statistically, he is excelling, and it's more than just a hot putter.

• Lost in a playoff at the RBC Canadian Open and played in the final pairing on the weekend at the U.S. Open. Burns is built for this.
• Burns gained +4.5 on Approach in Canada and ranks 2nd best in the field in Approach at the U.S. Open through three rounds. If he can hit his irons close, we know he'll make plenty of putts.

The opportunity to become a U.S. Open champion is something special.

Sam Burns has the outright 54-hole lead in a major championship for the first time in his career. pic.twitter.com/pHq1C0U1uM

— U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 15, 2025

No. 6 - Keegan Bradley

• Bradley loves the layout at TPC River Highlands, routinely calling it his favorite course on Tour. He won this tournament in 2023.

• His game is finely tuned from tee to green. Bradley ranks 3rd in the field in SG: T2G over the past 36 rounds played.
• Top 5 course history and checks the current form box as well. He's making a strong push toward deserving to be a player-captain at the Ryder Cup in two months.

No. 5 - Collin Morikawa

• Morikawa has been doing everything we expect. He hit a ton of fairways at Oakmont CC, ranked 3rd in Approach, but 67th in putting is still his kryptonite at the moment.

• We've seen a strong correlation between Driving Accuracy and success at TPC River Highlands. Morikawa is the 3rd best in the field in Driving Accuracy over the past 30 rounds.
• Worthy of a look at most short courses that typically give an added benefit to precision. This feels like a tournament that he wins before his career his over at some point.

No. 4 - Corey Conners

• Corey Conners is an absolute stripe show at the moment. He's hitting his golf ball as well as anybody in the field.
• Conners ranks 2nd in Driving Accuracy and 3rd in SG: OTT over the past 30 rounds played.
• A T9 in 2023 is his best finish here in the past five years, but all things are trending toward this year being his best performance yet. I'm just hoping he didn't injure himself at Oakmont in the rough...

Corey Conners deserves a full page on his own today. The dude STRIPES it. Little draw, didn’t miss a shot on the front nine and he missed a short one on 3 so could have been even lower. Pretty easy 3 under.
But then he plugged his bunker shot and while trying to hit out of it,…

— Michael S. Kim (@Mike_kim714) June 14, 2025

No. 3 - Xander Schauffele

• Schauffele rates out surprisingly well when looking at long-term putting data on similar greens. He ranks 1st in the field with those putting filters turned on.

• His iron play is fully back. Schauffele has gained strokes on approach in six of his last seven tournaments.
• 2022 winner of the Travelers Championship. He's yet to threaten winning contention in 2025 fully...this feels like the week that we see that change.

No. 2 - Viktor Hovland

• Hovland showcased exceptional Ballstriking prowess at the U.S. Open. He leads the field in SG: Approach through three rounds.

• He has been dominant OTT at TPC River Highlands in his career. Hovland has gained +18 strokes on the field in his last four appearances at the Travelers Championship.
• In a great mental headspace. Hovland is putting in the necessary work, and it is paying off. He sees it. We see it.

Viktor Hovland had a fascinating answer when he explained how he can put his swing thoughts/development to the side and just find a way to get the ball in the hole...and contend for a US Open. pic.twitter.com/vH5NvobVu0

— Ryan Ballengee (@RyanBallengee) June 15, 2025

No. 1 - Scottie Scheffler

• Here's the deal. When Scheffler figures out the recipe for a golf course, it may be over before it starts. That's the case with TPC River Highlands.
• Won the Travelers Championship in 2024 and finished T4 in 2023. He's back on top of his game, and this just isn't a course that is going to frustrate him with unforeseen variables like Oakmont was able to do.
• The boogeyman is back to win another TPC layout and Signature Event. Place your without Scottie Scheffler bets to win accordingly. He'll likely get another notch in the belt this week in Cromwell.

Enjoy the Travelers Championship, and thanks for reading! Good luck, RotoBaller family!

If you read my articles @RotoBaller or listen to @TheTurnGolfPod I’ve been telling y’all it was #WinningSeason when golf came back! Shoutout to the entire @RotoBallerPGA squad and all you guys that support my work for all the ❤️ pic.twitter.com/07a4ynvbSU

— Joe Nicely (@JoeNicely) June 28, 2020

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