with Bryan Angus
Thanks for joining me today. I look forward to your comments . They are always welcome here on FairwaysPlus.
Bryan Angus bryanangus4@gmail.com
Travelers Championship final scoreboard https://www.pgatour.com/competition/2020/travelers-championship/leaderboard.html
If you tuned in late last night after the weather delay that had been threatening all afternoon, and saw MacKenzie Hughes make a 47 foot, downhill curler for birdie, followed by a 43 footer from off the green at 18, you'd have thought this is easy !
In fact, though he putted well all week, especially with his 60 on Thursday, those two bombs were just too little, too late as he finished with 67 T3 at -17, just 2 shots behind Dustin Johnson's winning 67 -19 at the Travelers Championship on TPC River Highlands.
It's been 2 very good weeks for Mac Hughes. He had struggled mightily MC on 6 of his last 7 events, however at the Honda Classic in January before the COVID break he finished 2nd 71 72 66 66 -5 and said this week "everything finally fell into place"
Last week he was right in contention at the RBC Heritage 66 68 69 -10 until he blew out a Sunday 78. This week he flirted with 59 on Thursday and while he made everything that day, I noted his swing is so good right now, completely on plane, and that never changed all week. 60, 68 68 67 -17. Just a couple of putts falling here and there would have seen him holding the trophy. Apart from that 78 he played 7 rounds at -27 and he only made 2 bogeys here all week.
He made $436,600 and think of this, one more putt meant $806,600 and two more meant $1.332m. https://www.golfdigest.com/story/here-is-the-prize-money-payout-for-each-golfer-at-the-2020-travelers-championship
DJ was in the untouchable Dustin mode this weekend, powering his way to an easy 61 on Saturday, and was cruising with 4 birdies 32 on Sunday, before he went walkabouts on 13,15 and 16 with 2 bogey's and a save from the water. However he stood up and parred 17 then smashed a 350 yarder dead center on 18, leaving just a wedge to prevail at -19 for his 21st tour win, this time with only a few officials and players on the course to see it. (69 64 61 67)
Brendon Todd lost all that was working for the previous 3 days, slipping to 75 without a birdie T11.
A nice story for a young American Will Gordon who was in on a sponsors invite, and was supposed to be playing on our MacKenzie Tour here in Canada before it was cancelled, who fought back from a Saturday 71 with 64 on Sunday to finish T3, and qualify for special PGA Tour exemption.
Next week its quietly up to Detroit for the Rocket Mortgage Classic over the July 4th weekend with the COVID-19 virus just exploding over USA, particularly in Florida and the SW.
Bryan Angus
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Travelers Championship weather forecast https://www.pgatour.com/tournaments/travelers-championship/weather.html
Travelers Championship tee times https://www.pgatour.com/tournaments/travelers-championship/tee-times.html
Travelers Championship leaderboard https://www.pgatour.com/competition/2020/travelers-championship/leaderboard.html
Weather : There is a hot muggy day ahead at TPC River Highlands for the final round of the Travelers Championship, cooler in the morning but by the time the leaders tee off at 2.10pm it will be 86*f with 96% humidity.
There are thundershowers in the forecast starting around 1pm, which is when the rain started yesterday. Click on my weather forecast link above.
Tee Times : Ian Poulter and Greg Chalmers are first off at 8.35am. The field has been paired in two's all off the 1st. Interesting choice with a similar forecast as Saturday when they moved tee times up and played threesomes off split tees. Either they are confident the weather forecast is wrong, or CBS who had to broadcast a tape delay yesterday wants it live today. Click above
MacKenzie Hughes and Kevin Streelman are off at 1.55pm with Dustin Johnson and Brendon Todd the final pairing at 2.10pm
Roger Sloan is off at 8.55am with Rafa Cabrera Bello
Leaderboard : Tall lanky Brendon Todd was nearly out of this game 18 months ago, so bad was his form both mentally and physically. His recovery at the end of 2019 was remarkable and without missing a fairway in 3 rounds, his 66 65 61 -18 has spread the leaderboard a little. He is 2 ahead of DJ (-16), 3 ahead of Streelman (-15) and 4 ahead of Mac Hughes (-14).
Then there are 7 within 6 shots including Phil Mickelson who says he'll throw caution to the wind today ("bombs!!") and Bryson DeChambeau.
There will be another day of low scoring for sure, and as Rory said yesterday " it's all about making putts to win here this week with the course so soft. "
Todd is the odds on favourite to start, but that's why they play the game.
Bryan Angus
Travelers Championship leaderboard https://www.pgatour.com/competition/2020/travelers-championship/leaderboard.html
Sir Nick Faldo summed up MacKenzie Hughes 3rd round -2 68. "He's played well, but just didn't make a score out of it"
Hughes is 4th alone at -14 and will be in the penultimate group on Sunday with Kevin Streelman -7 63, -15. The leader is Brendon Todd who hit every fairway on his way to -9 61 -18 total. Dustin Johnson who also had 61, has a-16 total and will be in the final pairing with him.
So, Mac opened up with that -10 60 on Thursday when everything went his way. As usual the following round is a battle, and he did, making a -2 68 to keep him right in contention.
Today he went out in -2 33 with birdies at 2 and 9. He came back with 9 straight pars with excellent birdie chances at 12 and 13 that had him muttering to himself, but then again he made at least 4 par savers from 6 foot or less. He is T3 in scrambling.
Apart from a distracted approach to the 18th when something made a noise in his backswing, Mac drove the ball well all day, his swing is beautifully on plane. He ranks 2nd this week with only 2 bogeys in 3 rounds. None again today.
With the rain pouring down to soften the greens for tomorrow, his opening 60 and steady play since, ( 68 68 ) have kept him right in it. He is due to make some putts, while the leaders will have a tough time re producing the 61's they shot today.
I like his chances tomorrow and remember he will have learned from his final round 78 last week.
We'll see how it all unfolds in the silence at TPC River Highlands tomorrow. Expect some low scores early from guys like Rory McIlroy 69 -10 and Phil Mickelson +1 71 -12 but there is an 80% chance of rain and thunder storms tomorrow and Monday.
Bryan Angus
Travelers Championship round 3 leaderboard https://www.pgatour.com/competition/2020/travelers-championship/leaderboard.html
With severe thunderstorms due to roll through TPC River Highlands starting around 1pm this afternoon the field at the Travelers Championship has been sent out at first light off split tees in threesomes.
Mac Hughes is in the final group with Will Gordon and Phil Mickelson and as they approach the 10th green he is -2 -14 tied for the lead.
Dustin Johnson is hot, -8 through 15 holes on his round in eerie silence. He will soon have a share of the lead as round 3 proceeds in the muggy air. Brendan Todd is also going well, -6 (-15) through 12. It's dead calm right now, ideal scoring conditions as they try to beat the weather. Remember if there is lightning within 20 miles they will call the players in.
Weather forecast https://www.pgatour.com/tournaments/travelers-championship/weather.html
Roger Sloan made the cut and is at -3 late in round 3.
As you can see from my customized leaderboard above Corey Connors and David Hearn missed the cut which fell at -4.
As I post this at 11.54am est, the lead is at -15 with Mac Hughes and the final group playing #11 at -14. Let's see if they can beat the weather into the clubhouse.
The lead will probably end up around -18, maybe -19.
Bryan Angus
Travelers Championship round 2 scoreboard https://www.pgatour.com/competition/2020/travelers-championship/leaderboard.html
Mackenzie Hughes will start off the 1st tee at 1.40pm today with Sam Ryder and Fabian Gomez, his playing partners from yesterday when he posted that career best -10 60 after leaving a 45 footer short by 4 feet on the 18th to become the 12th player to shoot 59. He leads this Travelers Championship by 3 shots..
Jim Furyk fired a 58 at TPC River Highlands four years ago. " I kinda joked walking off there that 59 wasn't even the record because of Jim's 58. It's probably not even that special around here. But as a personal milestone it would have been neat." said Hughes.
Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele and Viktor Hovland all had -7 63. As I mentioned yesterday the morning wave had calm conditions so scoring was very low.
106 players broke par 70 with the record being 111 in 2011.
Canadians: Roger Sloan -3 67, David Hearn +2 72, Corey Connors +3 73.
Notables: Phil Mickelson, Sergio Garcia, Louis Oosthuizen all -4 66, Bryson DeChambeau -5 65, Dustin Johnson -1 69, Jordan Spieth -3 67.
The cut is projected at -2. For live scoring click on my link above.
Weather forecast https://www.pgatour.com/tournaments/travelers-championship/weather.html
Bryan Angus
Travelers Championship scoreboard https://www.pgatour.com/competition/2020/travelers-championship/leaderboard.html
Early this morning I talked here about the day dawning perfectly still at TPC River Highlands for the Travelers Championship, and to expect low scoring for the early wave.
Well Mac Hughes who was in contention for 3 rounds last week at the RBC Heritage before blowing up to a 78 on his final round, has had it all go his way today, playing the back nine first in 29 strokes including 5 birdies in a row, and came home in 31, with a 45 footer for 59 on his last hole the par 4 ninth, a career best bogey free -10 60 to take the clubhouse lead.
Rory McIlroy is next with -7 63, and there are a slew of golfers currently at 64 including Sergio Garcia.
Adam Hadwin became the first Canadian to shoot 59 at the Career Builder Challenge in Palm Springs in 2017. He had 13 birdies on the par 72.
The late wave are now on course with Roger Sloan and Corey Connors. David Hearn shot a +2 72 this morning.
Bryan Angus
PGA Tour Travelers Championship leaderboard https://www.pgatour.com/competition/2020/travelers-championship/leaderboard.html
This week the PGA Tour has taken over TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Conn., with growing concerns as COVID_19 is making a big surge in America, recording the highest total of positive cases today, over 36,000 with the virus surging in Florida, Texas, Nevada, California, South Carolina and counting.
Brooks Koepka and his brother Chase, Webb Simpson, Graeme McDowell and Cameron Champ have all W/D with COVID related issues.
With the pandemic raging again in USA and around the world, many who supported the no fan return of the PGA Tour are questioning the validity of it's wealthy stars playing amongst themselves while the nation is facing this crisis. Respected Golf columnist @AlanShipnuck, wrote today " with a heavy heart its' time to pull the plug on the PGA Tour http://golf.com/news/pga-tour
Round 1 is well underway, click my live scoring link above for all the scores and features.
Their are 4 Canadians in the field Mac Hughes, Roger Sloan, David Hearn (in for Koepka) and Corey Connors.
The early wave arrived to perfectly calm weather, not a breath of wind so expect low scoring.
Bryan Angus
