Championship.
Final Round Preview
As the final round of the 2023 Travelers Championship approaches, Keegan Bradley finds himself in a favorable position to secure his second win of the season. The 37-year-old golfer, who previously won the Zozo Championship this year, currently holds the lead at 21 under par. If he maintains his strong performance, Bradley will join the ranks of Scottie Scheffler, Jon Rahm, Max Homa, Tony Finau, and Wyndham Clark as multiple-time winners this season.
Bradley faced some challenges during the third round, briefly falling behind Chez Reavie on the back nine. However, he showed resilience and regained the lead with back-to-back birdies on the 15th and 16th holes. Reavie remains a strong contender, trailing Bradley by just one stroke at 20 under par.
Notable players like Patrick Cantlay, Adam Scott, Rickie Fowler, Justin Thomas, and Scottie Scheffler are also within striking distance of the lead. Cantlay, who fired an impressive 61 on Saturday, will need another exceptional performance to secure his first win of the year. Meanwhile, Fowler narrowly missed shooting a sub-60 round but still recorded the lowest round of his PGA Tour career.
Scheffler, the current world No. 1, has been consistent throughout the season, finishing within the top 12 in every tournament since October 2022. Although he may not be in contention for the win, another strong round could solidify another high-quality result for him.
Bradley’s success can be attributed to his solid game plan and exceptional performance in various aspects of the game. He ranks second in strokes gained tee to green, first in strokes gained approach, and first in strokes gained putting. With 22 birdies and only one bogey in the tournament, Bradley is on the verge of breaking the PGA Tour record for the first 54 holes.
The final round promises an exciting battle as Bradley aims to secure his second victory of the season. However, with strong contenders like Reavie, Cantlay, and the chasing pack of Scott, Fowler, Thomas, and Scheffler, anything can happen on Sunday. Golf fans can expect an intense and thrilling conclusion to the 2023 Travelers Championship.Bradley, who made a run at the PGA Tour’s 54-hole record, is in position to pick up his second win of the season Sunday
Jun 24, 2023 at 7:30 pm ET • 1 min read
The season of resurgence has trickled into the 2023 Travelers Championship, and this week’s candidate is 54-hole leader Keegan Bradley. Having already won this season at the Zozo Championship, Bradley is in prime position at 21 under to become just the sixth multiple-time winner this year joining Scottie Scheffler, Jon Rahm, Max Homa, Tony Finau and Wyndham Clark.
The 37-year-old led for the majority of Saturday’s third round but fell behind Chez Reavie in the middle portion of the back nine. Entering the 15th hole one off the lead, Bradley faced adversity with a sense of ferociousness and parlayed back-to-back birdies on 15 and 16 into a two-stroke lead. Reavie remains firmly in the mix, just one stroke adrift at 20 under thanks to a closing birdie and will go for his second Travelers Championship title while a large presence lurks a handful behind.
Now 12 years removed from firing a 60 as an amateur at this event, Patrick Cantlay nearly matched this effort with a Saturday 61. The world No. 4 will start the final day on the peripherals of contention and will need another massive effort should he enter the winner’s circle for the first time this year. Adam Scott, Rickie Fowler, Justin Thomas and Scottie Scheffler all find their names on the first page of the leaderboard and remain eager to pounce should Bradley trip up in the final round.
The leader
1. Keegan Bradley (-21)
Bradley has employed a very sound game plan with the Travelers Championship turning into a birdie barrage. He currently ranks second in strokes gained tee to green, first in strokes gained approach and first in strokes gained putting. Bradley looks extremely comfortable on the greens and should this continue into the final round, his second win of the season will be imminent. Through three rounds, the five-time winner has totaled 22 birdies, but maybe more importantly he has carded just one bogey and zero in his last 49 holes. At 189 for the tournament, he finished just one shot shy of the PGA Tour record for first 54 holes of 188 set by Justin Thomas at the 2017 Sony Open and Steve Stricker at the 2010 John Deere Classic.
Other contenders
2. Chez Reavie (-20)
3. Patrick Cantlay (-16)
T4. Adam Scott, Rickie Fowler, Denny McCarthy (-15)
T7. Justin Thomas, Scottie Scheffler, Alex Smalley, Brian Harman, Min Woo Lee (-14)
After gaining +4.21 strokes gained tee to green on Friday, Thomas was at it again Saturday. He once again led the field from tee to green and gained 5.38 strokes en route to a stellar 62. Thomas will need to continue this form over the final stretch of the 2023 season as he entered the Travelers Championship outside the top 70 in the FedEx Cup standings. With a decrease in the number of players gaining entry into the first playoff event, Thomas requires a fast finish, and this week looks to be the start of that.
“I’m not in a position right now where I can’t play,” Thomas said. “I’m very, very fortunate this many years into my career I’ve never had to add events at the end of the year for Playoff purposes, but that’s where I’m at, and I’m just trying to make the most of it. So, I also feel like I got to keep plugging, keep going. I’ve felt very close for a while. Just have had literally nothing to show for it. And you never know. I’m one round away tomorrow from kind of completely changing my focus and outlook on the year and the rest of the year. Yeah, just got to kind of stick with that.”
Rickie’s run at history
A week after making history at the U.S. Open with an opening 62, Fowler nearly added another chapter. The 34-year-old came one stroke shy of becoming the 13th player on the PGA Tour to shoot a sub-60 round. After turning in 30, Fowler added two quick birdies on the front side at TPC River Highlands to get to 7 under through his first 11. Three straight pars preceded an unlikely eagle before Fowler stole another with a birdie on the par-3 8th. He entered the last needing a birdie to join the sub-60 club but settled for par and the lowest round of his PGA Tour career.
“Making the turn [I began to think about shooting 59],” Fowler said. “After birdieing 18 I knew I could potentially get six on the front, and especially after birdieing 1 and 2, my 10th and 11th. You know, 7-under through 11 is a pretty good spot to be in. So, yeah, I mean, I would say between the turn and obviously after those 10th and 11th holes, yeah.”
Scheffler’s streak
Rounds of 63 have sandwiched an even-par 70
1) How has Scheffler’s consistent performance throughout the season positioned him for a potential title run in the tournament?
The tournament if he hopes to make a run at the title. Scheffler, the current world No. 1, has also been consistent throughout the season and sits just seven shots off the lead. A strong final round could solidify another impressive result for him.
As the final round approaches, fans can expect an intense and thrilling battle for the championship. Bradley has put himself in a favorable position with his exceptional performance and solid game plan. However, with strong contenders like Reavie, Cantlay, and the chasing pack of Scott, Fowler, Thomas, and Scheffler, anything can happen on Sunday.
Overall, the final round of the 2023 Travelers Championship promises excitement and a thrilling conclusion. Golf fans can look forward to witnessing the battle for the championship and finding out if Bradley can secure his second win of the season.
