{"id":15124,"date":"2025-06-17T17:25:02","date_gmt":"2025-06-17T17:25:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/api.betspertsgolf.com\/raw-forum\/?post_type=article&p=15124"},"modified":"2025-06-17T17:29:12","modified_gmt":"2025-06-17T17:29:12","slug":"2025-travelers-championship-noonans-outright-picks-and-preview","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/api.betspertsgolf.com\/raw-forum\/article\/2025-travelers-championship-noonans-outright-picks-and-preview\/","title":{"rendered":"2025 Travelers Championship- Noonan\u2019s Outright Picks and Preview"},"content":{"rendered":"

Much was made about the unique test that Oakmont Country Club would present the world’s best golfers at last week’s 125th playing of the U.S. Open, and <\/span>I think<\/span> it lived up to its hype.<\/span> Others may disagree, but I wanted the event to look and feel different from a standard PGA Tour setup, and it delivered.<\/span><\/p>\n

While this week’s track, TPC River Highlands, isn’t nearly as demanding, it requires a strategic game plan and precision from the 72 golfers in the field.<\/span><\/p>\n

The 2025 Travelers Championship brings us to the last Pete Dye course and the last no-cut Signature Event of the season. The par-70 layout stretches out to 6,841 yards from the tips, the third-shortest course on Tour this season. In past years, we’ve seen a wide array of skill sets show up to Cromwell, Connecticut, and win, which is what Pete Dye sets out to do in all of his designs. Play the best for four days, and you win. What a concept. Success at TPC River Highlands has come in many different shapes and sizes, so handicapping this week can be a bit challenging because the <\/span><\/p>\n

With fairways being the 10th narrowest and many holes being tree-lined doglegs, many players opt to club down and play “less than a driver” off the tee. Last year’s driver usage was down below 60%, which is notably lower than the 68.9% average across all PGA Tour stops. <\/span>Perhaps the<\/span> bigger reason players club down is some of the most penal rough that has been grown to 4+ inches long for this week.<\/span><\/p>\n

To prevent a complete birdie-fest, the pin positions on the greens are typically in tougher locations. A Pete Dye course is not just going to give away birdies. Many of the green complexes, which are a combination of “northeastern” Poa annua and bentgrass, are also angled away from the directional path of the hole. <\/span>The “competitive enhancements” made to the course <\/span>prior to<\/span> last year’s event <\/span>didn’t have<\/span> a <\/span>significant<\/span> impact on the overall scoring.<\/span><\/p>\n

For more course details, check out\u00a0<\/span>Ron’s<\/span><\/a>\u00a0<\/span>course preview<\/span><\/a>. It’s the best in the business, bar none. Also, don’t forget to check out our new research tools, the course <\/span>stats page<\/span><\/a>, along with the\u00a0<\/span>Tournament Cheat Sheet.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

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Podcast:\u00a0<\/span>Apple<\/span><\/a> |\u00a0<\/span>Spotify<\/span><\/a><\/h3>\n

YouTube:\u00a0<\/span>Betsperts Golf<\/span><\/a><\/h3>\n

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Key\u00a0<\/span>Rabbit Hole<\/span><\/a> Stats This Week:<\/span><\/h2>\n