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There were plenty of complaints from the complainers, but for my money, that was a pretty damn good U.S. Open.

The course was as tough as predicted, the leaderboard coming down the stretch was packed, and we have a new major winner with an electric winning moment to top it off.

Big swing in the course set up this week, but as it’s the final signature event, still a pretty damn good field. This, like the other four non-hosted siggys, does NOT have a cut. Everyone plays 72 unless they cheat or quit.

Shorter, easier, less diabolical. If you missed seeing guys going low, the Travelers should quench that thirst. But, I’ll let Ron’s preview take you into it:

TPC River Highlands

Situated about 120 miles northeast of New York City and around 30 miles from the Atlantic coast, TPC River Highlands is located just outside of Hartford in the town of Cromwell, Connecticut. Beautifully carved into slightly rolling terrain, the course gets its name from being situated on a bluff high above the Connecticut River. It meanders over 148 acres with an assortment of trees framing its gently rolling fairways.

It is a par-70 course and is the 3rd shortest on Tour at only 6,835 yards. Immaculately maintained, the course features numerous subtleties that enhance both its strategic demands and overall challenge. The routing of the holes demands certain shot types and shapes. This style of course design has produced a diverse range of champions over the years. Past winners include bombers and shorter fairway finders, Tour veterans and course “first-timers”, and even a blend of favorites and longshots. Any style of play can have success at TPC River Highlands, which is one of the reasons so many elite players return each year.

Said 2017 winner, Jordan Spieth, “You’ve got to work both ball flights. You’ve got to kind of be fearless in playing different shots. You can’t get out there and just step and hit just draws the whole day. It forces you to hit different shots.”

The agronomy for this week features 4-plus inch Bluegrass/Fescue rough and a Bentgrass/Poa annua mixture on the greens and fairways. Numerous lakes and ponds add to the course’s beauty, although only five holes have water in play. In Pete Dye fashion, the course (mostly on the back nine) does entice players into taking shots over some of these water hazards. The penal rough stands out as the course’s best defense. Players who end up off the fairway and in trouble will be forced to lay up instead of going for the green with their approach shot.

Though TPC River Highlands tends to produce low scores and generous birdie chances, it remains a demanding test that offers little without precision and discipline. A perfect example of this occurred in 2018. In the first round, Jordan Spieth shot a 63 and then followed it up with a 73 the very next day. Quality shots have always been rewarded, as this is the course where Jim Furyk shot a Tour record low 58 in 2016. Patrick Cantlay (2011) and Mackenzie Hughes (2020) both shot 60. And last year, Cameron Young shot a 59 in the third round.

Taking advantage of birdie opportunities, staying out of the rough, and minimizing mistakes is the name of the game at TPC River Highlands. Shot-making and creativity are two other traits that matter here. With four combined titles here, Bubba Watson and Jordan Spieth embody the blend of imagination, precision, and fearlessness that TPC River Highlands tends to favor.

Key Stats for the Travelers

1. SG: Approach - Close Range Wedge Play

   • Most critical stat for success, with emphasis on proximity from 75-150 yards due to nearly half of approaches coming from this range. WEDGE FEST

   • Small greens (5,000 sq. ft., 5th smallest on Tour) and tough pin placements demand pinpoint iron and wedge play for birdie opportunities.

2. SG: Putting - Spike putting & Bent/Poa Skills

   • Hot putting is key on Bentgrass/Poa annua greens. It’s not a true “putting contest,” but close enough. Smaller greens reduce 3-putts, but it’s still a place where you need to make the mid-range stuff to compete.

3. SG: Off-the-Tee - Accuracy

   • Precision trumps distance on this short course (6,835 yards, 287-yard avg. drive, 60% driver usage). Fairways are 12th narrowest, with 4+ inch rough and 8% penalty strokes for missed fairways, requiring strategic clubbing down and accuracy.

4. SG: Around-the-Green 

   • Second-toughest course on Tour for SG: Around-the-Green, with a 52% scramble rate (Tour Average is 60%) from thick rough and tricky tiered greens. Scrambling from rough is vital due to penal green-side areas and tight lies

   • While less predictive than approach or putting, strong around-the-green play supports bogey avoidance on this low-scoring track.

Betting

J.J. Spaun was third in my course fit model on the site last week, so I’m not exactly sleeping well right now (didn’t bet him).

But, I had a little luck with some placement bets, and I think the cold streak is coming to an end this week with some plays a bit further down the board.

OUTRIGHTS

Sam Burns +4394
Sungjae Im +6000
Akshay Bhatia +7000
Luke Clanton +13798

You can also take a look at what Noonan’s betting this week here:

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Weather

Two weather-related notes: the course will be soft to start the tournament. There’s been plenty of rain and more to come on Wednesday. We may have some guys on 59 watch at the turn.

Secondly, there is likely a decent chance for a wave advantage for the early rounds on Thursday. With the smaller field, there’s not a big spread of tee times, but early rounds will still have great conditions to play in to start the week.

Friday looks very windy all day long before we get to a calmer weekend of golf.

News and Notes

• This checks out, it looked miserable putting from long distance.

• This is funny, but also gets me even more pumped for Bethpage.

• Finally, an early look at next month’s major.

As always, bet responsibly, have fun, and enjoy the Nutmeg State.

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