2026 Travelers Championship preview and predictions: Can Scottie Scheffler win without Rory McIlroy in field? | Africa Front
Via CBS Sports
2026 Travelers Championship preview and predictions: Can Scottie Scheffler win without Rory McIlroy in field?
<h2>The final signature event of the PGA Tour season takes place this week in Connecticut</h2>
<p>And just like that, the final signature event of the PGA Tour season is upon us. Fresh off the third major championship of the year, players will dust themselves off and make a short trip to Cromwell, Connecticut, for one of their favorite tournaments, the 2026 Travelers Championship.</p>
<p>Amid a run in signature events that has seen 15 unique winners in a row dating back to the start of the 2025 season, the Travelers Championship has a way of catering to those who have conquered it in the past. Defending champion Keegan Bradley has two wins at this event. That's something Scottie Scheffler will hope to accomplish this weekend.</p>
<p>The four-time major champion has yet to pick up a victory since The American Express, but it has not been for a lack of trying. Scheffler gave himself a look at the career grand slam at Shinnecock Hills, although he was ultimately unable to apply pressure on the <a href="https://www.cbssports.com/golf/news/wyndham-clark-us-open-2026-winner-leaderboard-results/live/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">eventual champion Wyndham Clark</a>.</p>
<p>The two-time U.S. Open winner will be in the field after some fun-filled celebrations after what can only be described as a stressful week. Clark raised the U.S. Open trophy for a second time as Sam Burns applied serious pressure on Sunday. Burns will hope to brush off the close call with other U.S. Open contenders like Tommy Fleetwood, Justin Thomas and Xander Schauffele all in the field.</p>
<p>Rory McIlroy will be missing the festivities as the world No. 2 has chosen to skip out on yet another signature event. In his place, McIlroy's Ryder Cup teammates like Matt Fitzpatrick, Ludvig Åberg and Viktor Hovland hope to pick up the pieces for one of the longest running events on the schedule.</p>
<h2>2026 Travelers Championship schedule</h2>
<p><strong>Dates:</strong> June 25-28<br /><strong>Location:</strong> TPC River Highlands — Cromwell, Connecticut<br /><strong>Par:</strong> 70 | <strong>Yardage:</strong> 6,844 |<strong> Architect:</strong> Robert J. Ross/Maurice Kearney<br /><strong>Purse:</strong> $20 million</p>
<h2>2026 Travelers Championship odds</h2>
<p><em>Odds via <a href="https://www.cbssports.com/betting/news/draftkings-promo-code/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">DraftKings</a> Sportsbook</em></p>
<li><strong>Scottie Scheffler (9/2):</strong> The world No. 1 has just one victory so far in 2026 as <a href="https://www.cbssports.com/golf/news/2026-us-open-scottie-scheffler-finish-leaderboard/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">he outlined the close but not quite there nature</a> of his game at last week's U.S. Open. Scheffler <a href="https://www.cbssports.com/golf/news/2026-us-open-results-takeaways-shinnecock-hills-scottie-scheffler/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">pointed to the razor thin margins</a> and how he feels like he is playing from behind a lot more this season (because he is!). No one should be surprised if he comes out firing on Thursday. As for those concerned about a major championship hangover, he has done this before. Scheffler went out and won at Hilton Head the week after his win at the 2024 Masters.</li>
<li><strong>Xander Schauffele (14-1):</strong> Schauffele extended his top-15 finish streak at the U.S. Open, but he disappointingly fell off the pace over the weekend. It has been a lot of floor performances from the two-time major champion in 2026 as he is just missing a piece here or there throughout the course of a 72-hole golf tournament. A prior winner at TPC River Highlands, he should relish the return knowing his iron play is starting to trend in the right direction again.</li>
<li><strong>Ludvig Åberg (17-1):</strong> Finished a quiet T17 at the U.S. Open for another good-looking result in a major championship. Åberg continues to showcase his skillset, but the season is fast approaching its end and his strong play has not been met by a victory quite yet. After finishing T23 in his tournament debut a few seasons ago, the Swede is without a top-25 finish in his last few efforts.</li>
<li><strong>Tommy Fleetwood (18-1)</strong></li>
<li><strong>Cameron Young (20-1):</strong> Young fired a 59 at TPC River Highlands a couple seasons ago, which was good enough to join the PGA Tour's sub-60 club but not good enough for the course record. The Players Championship winner has cooled in recent weeks as those pesky short-game woes have started to creep into his bag. He's been able to flip those on a dime this season -- look at his Cadillac Championship win -- but the world No. 3 has been slightly off for the last month.</li>
<li><strong>Matt Fitzpatrick (22-1)</strong></li>
<li><strong>Sam Burns (23-1):</strong> He has shown this season that he is a player to be trifled with on golf's most demanding golf courses. The runner-up result at the U.S. Open marked his second straight year in contention at the event. This coming after close calls at both the Masters and the Memorial Tournament in 2026. Known for his putting, Burns looks to have complete control of his golf ball with the full swing now as well. The <a href="https://www.cbssports.com/golf/news/us-open-2026-sam-burns-bounces-back/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">heartbreak was real at Shinnecock Hills</a>, but let's see if he can make amends at a golf course he is without a top 10 at in his career.</li>
<li><strong>Si Woo Kim (24-1)</strong></li>
<li><strong>Patrick Cantlay (27-1)</strong></li>
<li><strong>Wyndham Clark (28-1)</strong></li>
<li><strong>Justin Thomas (29-1)</strong></li>
<h2>2026 Memorial Tournament picks</h2>
<p><strong>Who will win the 2026 Travelers Championship, and which longshots will stun the golfing world? <a href="https://www.sportsline.com/insiders/2026-travelers-championship-odds-picks-proven-golf-model-reveals-projected-leaderboard-surprising-predictions/#ttag=SL26_lk_cbs_TravelersChampionship" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Visit SportsLine now to see the projected leaderboard</a>, all from the model that's nailed 17 golf majors heading into the weekend, including the past five Masters, and find out. </strong></p>
<li><a href="https://www.cbssports.com/watch/general/video/scottie-scheffler-falls-short-in-1st-attempt-at-career-grand-slam" title="Copy the video link" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"></a></li>
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