Slow Horses at the Travellers
- oshea2707
- Jun 16
- 5 min read
Well what a week at Oakmont. I am beyond confused as to how there has been so much criticism of the event and the course. The complaints about the rough and the hardness of the course are utterly pathetic and indicative of a modern society where people don't want to see things that look difficult and unfair. The US Open is THE test in golf and that is the spectacle it should always be. Only Shinnecock, Merion and that one time the wind blew at Carnoustie do we get to see players suffer. It is a break from the norm, from birdie golf, players driving it 350 and wedging it in and some 2 inch rough. Bayhill, Muirfield, Augusta when it's firm and PGA National when the wind blows can test players, but Oakmont broke them. What a spectacle, and 2 players who I have written more about that any player other than Cam Young, in JJ and Bob showing the chops I knew they both had. Bob will win multiple majors and although 18 months on from my writing about JJ and my expectancy that he would break through into the world elite, he got there eventually, and after hitting the flagstick on 2 and getting a dreadful break, starting with five 5's and 5 bogeys in the first 6 holes, to fight back, after the scar tissue from the players, showed immense grit, what a worthy winner and a great guy. Cam is back in the good books again, at 150/1 I felt he and Russell Henley were dramatically overpriced, and Russ missing a 5 footer on the last also cost us a few quid, but a profitable week and some playing money for the TPC event at River Highlands, a signature event in Connecticut on the PGA Tour starting Thursday.
71 players head to the Travellers this week, and this Pete Dye renovated layout is much shorter and toothless in comparison to where we have been recently. Apart from the driveable 15th and the testing 17th, this has to be one of the dullest, most insipid, pitiful layouts on tour. It may be home for Keegan Bradley, and who doesn't love him, but if American golf courses had an image, then TPC River Highlands is it. A few trees, a few bunkers, a bit of water and a whole host of empty, nothingness await us, and I'm under pressure this week to get people to tune in, as this place is shite. Let's hope we can get players in position, otherwise watching will be a real grind for me, it's ok for you lot you can switch off if the investments aren't making it!
So a Par 70, 6844 Yards, 71 of the best players on tour, cut at 50 and ties and 6 places on offer with all selections, we go 30pts and 4 players this week.
If you want to be entertained, then you will have to be patient this week, as our first 2 selections are THE dullest and slowest players on tour, but I'm not writing a shortlist for a personality contest, it's all about the benjamins, and cash is king.
You will struggle to find any player who likes it here more than our first selection, and our Open hero BRIAN HARMAN is the obvious selection. Like hot cakes, get him whilst he's hot as Paddy Power are 80/1 with him, and for good reason. Brian has been slogging his guts out on beast golf courses since his win at Valero, and despite a 3rd at the RBC Heritage where he wasn't overpowered by the layout, he has still made a host of cuts in events he had next to zero chance of contending. This is home from home for him and his record here is phenomenal. 9th, 2nd, 8th, 5th, MC, 8th, 6th, in the last 7 years, so at his price we go 3pts e/w and get on quick with Paddy Power the price will not last!
Now Brian is slow, but at least he is likeable. The same cannot be said for our other course specialist and all round bell end PATRICK CANTLAY next. He was disappointing last week, but he is trending to the eye, and his record here is very impressive. 5th, 4th and then 5 top 15 finishes in a row here, he plays Pete Dye courses well, he plays short Par 70 courses well and he has a good record on these Bent/Po greens, so one good putting week, with no battle scars from last week, his 25/1 with Paddy Power is huge, 7pts ew on him.
The easy picks over it then gets tricky as quite a few have a shout. Cam was close, but this isn't a test that will bring his driving advantage out, so he just misses, and Russell Henley who is also close, doesn't have a great record here but I always worry when I bypass him because he is a winner, and Tom Kim has shown some signs of improvement and he lost in a play off to Scottie here in 24!
A biggy next and a hunch for JACOB BRIDGEMAN. Although not as good as these 2 courses, the similarities TPC RH has with PGA National and the Valspar is glaringly obvious. It's a tight course that rewards straight hitting, and Bridgeman has finished 2nd and 3rd at both courses respectively this season. In signature events, 15th at Bayhill, 4th at the Truist and 31st at Memorial JB has been racking up points in his first season playing big boy events, and the 25 year old South Carlolinan putts like god. So in an event where 20 under plus will win, he is cracking value 150/1 all over and we go 1.5pts e/w on him with Paddy Power.
It's been a while, but 10 years ago my golfing hero was this man. For 4 years this lad was the greatest wedge player and putter the world had ever seen in my opinion, and the last 3 weeks have shown glimpses of the old JORDAN SPIETH. A winner here in 2017, Jordan has 4 top 10s in the 2025 season, and remarkably one of those was at Memorial and he came 23rd at Oakmont. I'm not sure there could be 2 less Jordan type courses, yet he scrapped and has played some good stuff at both, and given his prowess on Po/Bent grass, and his wedge play returning to something like top level, he is such a play this week, I can feel it in my bones. His record here since 2017 is appalling, but then again so is his record at most places since then, it seems he is playing his best golf in 4 or 5 years now and at 45/1 with Paddy Power I'm going 3.5pts e/w on him.
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