After a grueling week at Pinehurst No. 2, the PGA Tour’s top-of-the-crop will head to TPC River Highlands. The par 70 course plays at 6,835 yards, one of the shortest on the tour. Rory McIlroy has withdrawn from a possible birdie festival. But a handful of the big names have enlisted for the Travelers Championship. Defending champion Keegan Bradley will also return but without the favorite tag.

The scoring average will likely be low, certainly lower than Muirfield Village and Pinehurst No. 2, both of which played at over par. Jim Furyk set his record-breaking 58 in this very course. With that being said, the final stretch of four holes has often provided late drama. And the firm greens mean the ones with more grip on their game will prevail. Here are the five players who can do that.

Collin Morikawa

Collin Morikawa has looked solid since the Masters. Since April, the six-time PGA Tour winner has knocked off four top-10s, including a solo second at the Memorial. His true strokes gained of +3.00 are the fourth-best in the world right now. This will be his fourth appearance at Travelers. The last two didn’t go his way. He missed the cut in 2023, despite going bogey-free in the second round. But Morikawa’s trend in the last few tournaments gives hope of a top-10 finish. 

Patrick Cantlay

Patrick Cantlay is back in contention again. The eight-time PGA Tour winner has three top-fives this season. But all have come sporadically. However, Cantlay looked solid at the Pineurst in terms of carding his best finish in a major, a T3. His biggest advantage would be his record at the Travelers Championship. In his last six appearances, Cantlay has finished inside the top 15 every year. It’s about time for the 32-year-old to convert those chances, and he certainly looks poised to do so.

Scottie Scheffler

It’s fair to say that Scottie Scheffler looks somewhat shaken. Whether it’s the puzzle that accompanies fatherhood or the ten days of mental roller-coaster rides in Louisville, it can be argued. Yes, Scheffler won the Memorial, a taxing 72-hole climb at Muirfield Village. But he almost blew his 4-shot lead on Sunday. 

Nevertheless, Scheffler’s T41 at the U.S. Open can turn out to be an anomaly. The world no.1 needs to find his groove off the tee. He hit only 34 of 56 fairways at Pinehurst No.2. But the 27-year-old is 4th in strokes gained: off the tee throughout the season. In a course, that’s short and more generous than Pinehurst No.2, the two-time major winner can absolutely dismantle the field with a slightly better form than U.S. Open. 

Ludvig Aberg

The T12 at the U.S. Open was his 8th top 15 of the season. In his debut, Aberg grabbed the outright lead after 36 holes. Although, scrambling cost him a top-five finish, the one-time Tour winner is steadily trending in the right direction. He didn’t miss a fairway till the 8th hole in the third round and was 1st in reaching the greens in regulation (72% against the field average of 53%). 

The 24-year-old has shown he can quickly shake off a major disappointment. Ludvig Aberg netted a T10 right after the Masters and a T5 after the PGA Championship. Aberg showed restraint, which is rewarded on the firm greens at the TPC River Highlands. The Swedish International ranks 9th in bogey avoidance.

Xander Schauffele

The newly minted major champion hasn’t rested on his laurels. He followed the Valhalla triumph with a T8 at Muirfield Village and a T7 at Pinehurst No. 2. Xander Schauffele already has a victory at the Travelers Championship on his resume. A second one won’t be too surprising, considering his steadiness with all the clubs. He is second in strokes gained: tee-to-green, 5th in approaching the green, and 9th in off-the-tee. Schauffele is also 17th in strokes gained: putting. 

The $20 million purse Signature event kicks off on June 8. 700 FedEx Cup points are on offer for the winner. Last year, 156 players teed off at the designated event. This time, thanks to its elevated status, the field is restricted to 71 without any cuts.