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Scheffler looking to rebound, DeChambeau’s victory lap lead golf’s biggest stories

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6 months ago

June 22, 2024

As summer heats up, there’s only one major championship left in men’s professional golf — next month’s Open Championship at Royal Troon Golf Course in Scotland.

There’s also just one signature event left on the PGA Tour schedule — this week’s Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Connecticut.

And the LIV Golf League has hit the second half of its season, heading to its 12th different state for this week’s tournament outside Nashville, Tennessee.

Rory McIlroy won’t be playing in the Travelers Championship, as he’s taking a few weeks away from the game after his gut-wrenching finish at the U.S. Open. All of the PGA Tour’s other stars are in the field, as well as rookie Michael Thorbjornsen, who is making his pro debut.

After missing the U.S. Open with a left foot injury, two-time major champion Jon Rahm will be back in action at the LIV Golf tournament. So will U.S. Open winner Bryson DeChambeau, who is probably still catching his breath after his stunning finish.

Here’s what to watch in men’s professional golf this week:

What’s next on the PGA Tour

Scheffler’s streak

In the span of four days at Pinehurst No. 2 last week, Scottie Scheffler went from being the hottest golfer on the planet, having won in five of his past eight starts, to one who hasn’t broken par in his past five rounds, including all four at the U.S. Open.

It’s simply the nature of the game, according to Scheffler. In retrospect, the world No. 1 golfer said he didn’t have his best stuff at an unforgiving course. Pinehurst No. 2’s native areas left him in too many difficult spots off the tee.

“When I’m not playing my best, I feel like one of my skills is kind of managing my way around the golf course, knowing where the misses are,” Scheffler said Tuesday. “When you have pretty much a coin flip on whether or not you’re going to have a swing or not, there’s not really a side of the fairway to miss it on, there’s not really areas you can play to, you just have to hit great golf shots.”

The U.S. Open was the first time in Scheffler’s pro career that he didn’t break par in a tournament. He carded 71-74-71-72 and tied for 41st at 8-over 288.

Scheffler hasn’t fared better than fourth at the Travelers Championship, but his caddie, Ted Scott, was carrying Bubba Watson‘s bag when he won at TPC River Highlands three times.

“He always reminds me of that,” Scheffler said.

Making the course tougher

After Keegan Bradley nearly set the PGA Tour scoring record with a 72-hole total of 23-under 257 at the Travelers Championship last year, McIlroy called TPC River Highlands “obsolete” and said improved equipment had “passed it by.”

With heavy rains softening the greens, Bradley set 54- and 72-hole scoring records for the tournament. There were 44 players at 10 under or better, and only one golfer who made the cut finished over par.

TPC River Highlands ranked as the 40th-most difficult course on tour last season with a scoring average of 68.401. There were only 10 courses with lower averages.

In response, the club made several changes, including reducing the fairway widths on Nos. 1, 6, 12 and 13 and adding primary rough to a downhill slope on No. 12. Mounding was added to the right rough on No. 6, right side of the No. 9 green and the left side of No. 13. The Nos. 9 and 11 greens were also reduced in size.

“Usually, there’s some courses that people try to redo and they make them worse,” said Xander Schauffele, the 2022 Travelers Championship winner. “So that’s just kind of how it goes, unfortunately, just trying to cater to modern golf and, you know, putting bunkers 350 yards and turning.

“Any time you turn a par-5 into a par-4 it makes the hole worse because the hole was designed to be a par-5 and then you’re hitting a 4-iron into it. So out here it seems like visually it’s a little bit more intimidating, some of the fairways are tighter on 1 and 6, but the course looks the same for the most part. The green on 11 is a little bit smaller, which is fine because it’s a wedge or 9-iron or something of that nature. So, overall, I think the course is still outstanding and the small upgrades to it are a good thing.”

Thorbjornsen’s pro debut

Michael Thorbjornsen, a former Stanford All-American, earned his PGA Tour card through the 2025 season by finishing first in the PGA Tour University pathway for college golfers. He will make his pro debut this week.

It’s not the first time Thorbjornsen, from Wellesley, Massachusetts, has competed in the event. In 2022, while playing on a sponsor exemption, Thorbjornsen finished fourth at 15 under, 4 strokes behind Schauffele. Since he was playing as an amateur, he couldn’t collect the $406,700 he would have won.

“This is definitely my home, I would say, on the PGA Tour,” Thorbjornsen said. “Obviously, I made my first PGA Tour start here two years ago as an amateur. Love this place. It’s close to home. Love the golf course.”

Thorbjornsen, 22, won the 2018 U.S. Junior Amateur and made the cut and finished 79th at the 2019 U.S. Open. He made the cut in three of eight starts in PGA Tour events as an amateur, most recently tying for 17th at the John Deere Classic in July 2023.

“Whenever I see Massachusetts on the hometown, I am hyperfocused on whatever they’re doing,” said Bradley, who graduated from high school in Hopkinton, Massachusetts. “So, I’m so proud of what he’s done. The rumors of what type of player he is are strong. That he’s, you know, very, very good. I love that.

“I can relate to what he’s gone through to get to this point — winters and stuff like that. So I’m always pulling for players from around here.”

Related Topics:Entertainment Games Golf Lifestyle Scottie Scheffler Sports Travel World

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