CROMWELL – World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler headlines a very strong field which includes six of the Top-15 players in the Official World Golf Ranking; Scottie Scheffler (1), Rory McIlroy (2), Patrick Cantlay (6), Sam Burns (9), Jordan Spieth (11) and Xander Schauffele (15).
A would-be seventh of that group, Justin Thomas (5), withdrew from the tourney.
Longtime Travelers favorite and former champion, Bubba Watson, is not in the field as he’s still recuperating from surgery.
With a win (RBC Canadian Open) and T-5 (U.S. Open) in his last two starts, McIlroy moved to No. 2 in the Official World Golf Ranking, his highest ranking since July 25, 2020.
Harris English returns to TPC Highlands as the defending champion as he defeated Kramer Hickok in an eight-hole playoff to win his fourth PGA Tour title at the 2021 Travelers Championship. After playing in the West Coast Hawaii swing earlier this year, English underwent right hip surgery in February but returned to action in June at the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday (MC). In his most recent start, he finished T-61 at the U.S. Open.
Remember this? After matching pars with Kramer Hickok on the first seven extra holes of the 2021 Travelers Championship, Harris English made birdie on the eighth hole of sudden death (No. 18) for the win. The 2021 playoff is tied for the second longest playoff in Tour history.
While the TPC River Highlands annually attracts an amazing field, no matter if it’s positioned before or after the U.S. Open, this year the tournament comes smack in the middle of a newfound controversy as both Abraham Ancer and Brooks Koepka announced this week that they will switch to the LIV Golf circuit. The two players were suspended by the Tour.
To counter the lure of the LIV, the PGA TOUR announced it will undergo significant changes, including staging and additional six tournaments with $20 million-plus purses.
“These changes will further strengthen the FedExCup and create a strong, coordinated global schedule,” Monahan wrote, detailing a condensed FedExCup season that will run from January to August, “offering a more compelling product for our players, fans and partners.
“While different than it’s been in the past, I think it’s going to be very exciting for fans and I think will create great energy in the fall,” said Monahan, who added that he expects the fall events to be “very consequential, very meaningful.”
“There is more work to be done and details to confirm,” Monahan said in a lengthy press conference at TPC River Highlands, “but implementing substantial changes to our schedule gives us the best opportunity to not only drive earnings to our players, but also improve our product and create a platform for continued growth in the future.”
In his pre-tournament press conference at the Travelers Championship, two-time FedExCup champion Rory McIlroy reflected on the impact that the PGA TOUR has on the communities it plays in while also reflecting on the organization’s future.
“I think it’s not lost on me what PGA TOUR events … can do for the communities that they’re played in,” he said. “I think that’s not lost on the players that when they come and play PGA TOUR events they’re helping to do something really good in the community … and I think that’s important.”