2025 Travelers Championship Best Bets: PGA Picks, Predictions and Tournament Outlook

The 2025 Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands demands pinpoint precision off the tee and sharp iron play, setting the stage for our Best Bets selections. We analyze key contenders whose games align with narrow fairways, fast Bentgrass/Poa annua greens, and subtle contours, highlighting value plays like Xander Schauffele, Viktor Hovland, and Collin Morikawa. By examining recent form, course fit, and statistical trends, we aim to pinpoint wagers that can thrive amid River Highlands’ unforgiving yet rewarding layout.

Travelers Championship TPC River Highlands Course Outlook

TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Connecticut, may play short at 6,852 yards, but its narrow 30-yard fairways and tree-lined layout demand precision. Despite only five water hazards, errant drives are punished by dense rough and well-placed bunkers. Bentgrass/Poa annua greens around 5,000 sq ft with a stimpmeter near 12 require a deft touch. With minimal elevation change, this par-70 course ranks among the Tour’s tougher tracks, rewarding players who excel in iron precision and scrambling. In this week’s Travelers Championship, those who manage trajectory control and crisp approach shots will thrive amid River Highlands’ subtle but unforgiving challenges.

Xander Schauffele Win Only +1700

While we are still waiting for Xander Schauffele to fully break out of his season-long slow “start," he’s shown signs of late. After taking him as a top-five finish as one of our best bets for last week’s US Open, Schaffele was competitive and ended up just outside our prediction with a T-12 showing at Oakmont.

After an acute intercostal strain, cost Schauffele the first few months of the season, it certainly seems like it has slowed him down, with just one top-10 finish on the year. But that top 10 did come at the Masters in a very stacked field. He’s had his opportunities to crack top tens very frequently, as the former Olympic gold medalist has made the cut in every tournament he’s suited up for this season. We can always count on having Xander around on Sunday with an insane streak of making 66 straight cuts. Schauffele’s streak is the longest since Tiger Woods’ raucous run of making 142 cuts in a row.

While not known for his driving accuracy, Schauffele can knock ’em, averaging over 308 yards per drive this year. With that kind of power, the 31-year-old has consistently set himself up for a look at the green. With accuracy needed on this course, Schauffele’s strokes gained: approach the green number of 0.690, ranking eighth on the PGA Tour, helps keep him in play and on birdie watch regularly.  

Schauffele has had past success on this track, winning the 2022 Travelers Championship. He came out firing in at River Highlands in 2022 with an opening round of 63, so first-round leader at +2200 is not a bad play either. Xander has never finished worse than top-20 at this course, aside from his only missed cut here in 2018.

I expect Schaffele to come out swinging this week in Cromwell. While you can make this play straight up, I prefer going E/W (+1600), so a top-five finish still nets us a quarter of the potential payout.

Viktor Hovland Top 10 Finish (Including Ties) +225

Viktor Hovland is coming off his best performance of the season. Sure, Hovland won this year’s Valspar Championship, but a third-place finish at a ruthless course like Oakmont in the US Open trumps his early-season victory. Hovland was in contention all weekend, but saving his worst round for last, still a respectable 73, left him three shots back of winner, JJ Spaun.

The 27-year-old Norwegian has the game to play at River Highlands. At a course where accuracy off the tee is heavily rewarded, Hovland’s 62.07% driving accuracy (46th on Tour) will come in handy. His precision with irons will also help as Hovland ranks sixth in the PGA, gaining 0.748 strokes, approach to green, and 13th from inside 200 yards. Most approach shots come from inside 175 yards here, so Hovland’s skill from that distance is a huge advantage for the No. 9-ranked golfer in the world. 

On this shorter track, putting also becomes a huge factor. Hovland has that covered, averaging 1.742 putts, putting him 54th on Tour, well above the majority of the field.

After missing three straight cuts earlier this season, Hovland has turned a corner and is competitive nearly every time out. Finishing in the top 25 in five of his past seven tournaments, I like Slick Vik getting his third top 10 finish of the year this week.

Collin Morikawa Top American +850

Much like Viktor Hovland, Collin Morikawa has the skill set that should play well on this course. The Cal-Berkeley alum is extremely accurate off the tee and throws darts with his irons. Morikawa is the third-most accurate driver on Tour with an elite 72.42% of his tee shots finding fairways. The No. 4-ranked golfer in the world ranks fourth in strokes gained, 12th in strokes gained off the tee, and fourth in strokes gained: approach to green, showing his formidable irons play.

As mentioned earlier, approach play is very important at River Highlands, and Morikawa has it. The six-time PGA tournament winner ranks 34th, hitting 68.31% of greens in regulation and 62nd from inside of 200 yards, exactly where this course frequently plays. Golfers who typically dominate short par-4s fare well here, and Morikawa ranks 29th, averaging a score of four on par-4s this season.

While on the green, a sharp flatstick is essential for success at the Travelers, and Morikawa has shown he can hang with anyone on Tour in that category. The 28-year-old Californian sits 21st with a putting average of 1.728 strokes per hole this year.

While Morikawa hasn’t excelled at River Highlands, missing the cut twice here, he is coming off his best showing at Cromwell. Last season, Morikawa ended up placing 13th at the Travelers, with three rounds of 66 or better heading into the Championship Sunday.

Besting defending champion and tournament favorite Scottie Scheffler (+300) will be Morikawa’s biggest challenge to place as the top American, but it is well within his capabilities. With nine top 25s, three top 10s, and two runner-up finishes this year, Morikawa is poised for a strong showing in Connecticut.

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