Travelers Championship 2025 Preview, Picks & Analysis

What a difference a year makes. Or in some cases perhaps not!

Twelve months ago, Scottie Scheffler defeated Tom Kim in a playoff to win the Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands. 

It was his sixth victory during what turned out to be a remarkable year for the world number one. And you do not need me to tell you that the American has simply picked up where he left off, sweeping all before him as he continues his utter domination of men’s professional golf.

Featured Content

Scheffler carded five birdies in a bogey-free 65 to finish on 22 under alongside overnight leader and playing partner Kim, who holed a 10-foot birdie on his final hole to force the playoff, after play was briefly halted when multiple protesters ran onto the 18th green and put coloured powder on the putting surface before being removed by police.

The green was cleared ahead of the playoff, where Kim was unable to get up and down from the sand and Scheffler made a winning par to become the first player since Arnold Palmer in 1962 to win six times before July on the PGA Tour. Victory followed wins at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, The Players, The Masters, RBC Heritage and Memorial Tournament.

While Scheffler has gone from strength to strength, Kim has endured something of a struggle in 2025.

Still only 22, he made a sensational start to his professional career.

But this year has been a disappointment, with five missed cuts ahead of the US Open, including the Amrican Express, the Arnold Palmer Invitational and the Canadian Open. He was a disappointing tied 52nd at The Masters and 71st at the US PGA and has managed a solitary top-10 finish, claiming tied seventh at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am way back in February. So if anybody needs a good week it is Kim.

Jordan Spieth enjoyed one of his finest moments when he won this tournament in 2017 by holing a bunker shot in the most dramatic of fashion. It was good enough to beat Daniel Berger and secure his 10th PGA Tour title. At the age of 23, he became the second youngest player after Tiger Woods to reach the landmark total since 1945.

The following month he would head to Royal Birkdale and win The Open Championship in the most sensational fashion.

It looked like he had the golfing world at his feet but the wheels came off and he had to wait until 2021 for his next victory at the Texas Open. He then added the RBC Heritage in 2022 but hasn’t won since. He battled through 2024 with a persistent wrist injury and finally decided to have surgery at the end of the season.

And there have been some encouraging signs in 2025. He finished tied fourth at the Phoenix Open, tied ninth at the Cognizant Classic, tied 14th at The Masters, fourth at the CJ Cup and tied seventh at The Memorial. 

This is a Signature Event and that guarantees another world-class field. However, it will be interesting to see how many players decide to take the week off after having their brains beaten in by Oakmont at the US Open.

TPC River Highlands is a course that generally rewards a strategic approach. It is no surprise that Xander Schauffele is a former winner here. He claimed the title three years ago and looks like he is coming back to something approaching his best form.

It is also a course that should be made to measure for Collin Morikawa, who needs to win soon after a series of bitterly disappointing near-misses. 

He finished second at The Sentry behind Hideki Matsuyama despite finishing the week on 32 under par but harder to take was his runner-up finish at the Arnold Palmer Invitational when he looked set to win until Russell Henley holed an unlikely recovery shot to pip him yet again. It is well recorded that Morikawa is one of the best iron players in the game but 2025 has seen his accuracy from the tee improve hugely. A six-time winner, including two majors, he has not picked up a title since the Zozo in October 2023 but remains fourth in the world rankings on account of his remarkable consistency.

Tournament Winners:

It was won in 2015 and 2018 by Bubba Watson, in 2016 by Russell Knox, in 2017 by Jordan Spieth, in 2019 by Chez Reavie, in 2020 by Dustin Johnson, in 2021 by Harris English, in 2022 by Xander Schauffele, in 2023 by Keegan Bradley and last year by Scottie Scheffler.

The Course:

TPC River Highlands is a par 70 designed by Robert Ross in 1928 and updated by Pete Dye in 1982 and Bobby Weed in 1989. The course record is 58, achieved by Jim Furyk in 2016. It measures just 6,841 yards and you can be certain that the winning score will be low. It features plenty of trees and gently rolling terrain.

Form Guide:

Collin Morikawa is ready to win again, and this is a golf course that rewards good iron play - the strongest part of the American’s game.

Prize Money:

The total prize fund is $20m, with around $3.6m going to the winner, as well as 700 FedEx Cup points.

How to Watch:

Thursday, June 19, Friday, June 20, Sky Sports Golf, 8pm; Saturday, June 21, Sunday, June 22, Sky Sports Golf, 6pm.

To Win:

Collin Morikawa. Brilliant iron player

Each Way:

Scottie Scheffler. He can’t win again, can he?

Each Way:

Xander Schauffele. Course is made for him

Five to Follow:

Collin Morikawa. Seventh win long overdue

Scottie Scheffler. Sure to be there or thereabouts

Xander Schauffele. Wonderful temperament

Tommy Fleetwood. Horror show at Oakmont

Ludvig Aberg. Will want to put miserable US Open behind him