This article is part of our PGA Tour Stats Review series.
The PGA Tour begins the post-U.S. Open period in Connecticut at the Travelers Championship, which has a history of fantastic finishes. Who is prime to rise up this week and take the title? Here's our stats preview.
History Lesson
Ken Duke is the defending champion, as he beat Chris Stroud in a playoff. In 2012, Marc Leishman shot a hot Sunday round to beat Charley Hoffman and Bubba Watson by one, and in 2011 Freddie Jacobson beat Ryan Moore and John Rollins by one.
Our pick this week is Leishman, who has had a quiet but solid season, racking up a second, a third and more than $1 million. He ranks fifth in eagles per hole and fourth in greens in regulation percentage from 125-150 yards.
Who's Playing
The field includes Erik Compton, Sergio Garcia, Keegan Bradley, Matt Kuchar, Angel Cabrera, Dustin Johnson, Hunter Mahan and Patrick Reed. It also includes four players who have made waves on the college scene recently and are now professionals: Oliver Goss, Patrick Rodgers, Cameron Wilson and Bobby Wyatt.
Our of that group we like Compton, who finished T2 last week at the U.S. Open and is riding a positive wave of energy entering this week. Compton is quietly 22nd in strokes gained-putting this year on the PGA Tour. One minor concern is whether he can keep his energy up after what had to be an exhausting week.
Our other pick is Johnson, who didn't have the greatest of weekends at Pinehurst but has
The PGA Tour begins the post-U.S. Open period in Connecticut at the Travelers Championship, which has a history of fantastic finishes. Who is prime to rise up this week and take the title? Here's our stats preview.
History Lesson
Ken Duke is the defending champion, as he beat Chris Stroud in a playoff. In 2012, Marc Leishman shot a hot Sunday round to beat Charley Hoffman and Bubba Watson by one, and in 2011 Freddie Jacobson beat Ryan Moore and John Rollins by one.
Our pick this week is Leishman, who has had a quiet but solid season, racking up a second, a third and more than $1 million. He ranks fifth in eagles per hole and fourth in greens in regulation percentage from 125-150 yards.
Who's Playing
The field includes Erik Compton, Sergio Garcia, Keegan Bradley, Matt Kuchar, Angel Cabrera, Dustin Johnson, Hunter Mahan and Patrick Reed. It also includes four players who have made waves on the college scene recently and are now professionals: Oliver Goss, Patrick Rodgers, Cameron Wilson and Bobby Wyatt.
Our of that group we like Compton, who finished T2 last week at the U.S. Open and is riding a positive wave of energy entering this week. Compton is quietly 22nd in strokes gained-putting this year on the PGA Tour. One minor concern is whether he can keep his energy up after what had to be an exhausting week.
Our other pick is Johnson, who didn't have the greatest of weekends at Pinehurst but has two top-10s in the last month and is fourth in scoring average.
Sunday Surgers
Keegan Bradley - The New England native - Bradley said this week that the Travelers was the first PGA Tour event he ever attended - shot a Sunday 67 at the U.S. Open to gain 19 spots on the final leaderboard and finish T4. Bradley is 28th in scoring average.
Louis Oosthuizen - Oosthuizen's Sunday 67 helped him move 21 spots higher to a T40 finish at Pinehurst. He ranks eighth in total driving this season on the PGA Tour.
Jason Day - Day, who always seems to finish around the lead in majors, leaped 12 spots higher after a Sunday 68 that got him a T4 finish in the U.S. Open. Because of his injuries, Day doesn't have enough rounds to be ranked in many statistical categories on the PGA Tour but is 27th in FedEx Cup points.