2025 Travelers Championship: Best Ball-Strikers to Bet at TPC River Highlands
⛳️ Birdies. Ball-striking. Bold plays. That’s the winning formula at TPC River Highlands, one of the most electric scoring venues on the PGA TOUR. As the 2025 Travelers Championship tees off in Cromwell, Connecticut, bettors and fans alike are zoning in on the players who know how to go low — and do it often.
Welcome to "Horses for Courses" — where we spotlight proven course performers and pinpoint why they’re built for success on this short but tricky Par 70 layout.
🏆 The Favorites That Fit
🔹 Scottie Scheffler (+300)
The defending champion has been unstoppable here: 22-under in 2024 (a playoff win), T4 in 2023, and seven of his last eight rounds at 65 or better. Scheffler leads the field in consistency, ranks 5th in birdie average, and thrives on bentgrass greens. Expect another charge.
🔹 Keegan Bradley (+4000)
The New England native set the course record at 23-under in 2023, dominating with a wire-to-wire style. With 12 paydays in 14 starts and a victory under his belt, Bradley’s local roots and elite ball-striking make him dangerous once again.
🔹 Xander Schauffele (+1600)
The 2022 champ (19-under) hasn’t posted worse than 64 in his last four rounds here. He ranks among the TOUR’s best in bogey avoidance and thrives when precision matters — as TPC River Highlands often demands.
📊 Top Ball-Striking Sleepers
🔹 Patrick Cantlay (+2200)
This guy’s history here is unmatched: 10 starts, two top-5s, and a former course record 60 as an amateur. In 2023-24, he went 37-under total. He’s a grinder who avoids bogeys and owns one of the best scoring averages at this track (67.39).
🔹 Justin Thomas (+3000)
JT has quietly played his last seven rounds here in 35-under. With three top-10s in nine starts and the highest birdie average on TOUR this season, he’s tailor-made for a shootout.
🔹 Brian Harman (+9000)
The Open Champion hasn’t won here but owns seven top-10s in 14 starts, including co-runner-up in 2023. With 43 of 48 rounds at par or better, Harman is a proven horse for this course.
🚨 Stats That Matter at TPC River Highlands
✅ Par-4 Scoring: Recent champs ranked top 10 in this stat.
✅ Birdie Average: The winning score is trending around -21. You can’t just go low — you have to go lower.
✅ Bogey Avoidance: With two par-5s offering few opportunities, mistakes are costly.
🐎 Longshots Worth a Look
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Tom Kim (+10000): 66.00 scoring average over 8 rounds and nearly beat Scheffler last year in a playoff.
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Sepp Straka (+3500): Ranks 2nd in birdie average and has quietly been climbing the ranks.
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Ryan Gerard (+220) (Top 20): Ranked 17th in adjusted scoring and owns 33 rounds in the 60s this season.
📌 Final Thought:
At TPC River Highlands, course history and elite iron play matter more than raw distance. Don’t just follow the stars — follow the stats and back the players who’ve proven they can turn approach shots into birdies.
