The First Look: Travelers Championship

Regardless of who lifts the trophy Sunday, it’s set to be a special week in Connecticut.

FIELD NOTES: Xander Schauffele, who was tied for third through 36 holes at the U.S. Open, will return to try to successfully defend his title at the Travelers Championship. Schauffele hasn’t missed a cut this season and has seven top-5 finishes… World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, winner of this year’s THE PLAYERS, and FedExCup leader Jon Rahm, who counts the Masters among his four wins in 2023, are also in action at TPC River Highlands…The top eight in the world ranking will all be in Connecticut… There will be six former champions teeing it up, led by Schauffele and 2021 winner Harris English. English finished T8 in the U.S. Open after sitting in fifth place at the halfway point… Sahith Theegala will return as he looks to avenge last year’s loss. He double-bogeyed the 72nd hole after leaving his approach shot in a fairway bunker, finishing two shots behind Schauffele. The second-year TOUR member is looking for his first TOUR title… Rickie Fowler, who was tied for the lead at the U.S. Open through 54 holes, is one of the many notables set to tee it up at the Travelers. In all, the tournament will have 14 of the top-20 ranked golfers in the world. Fowler finished T5 at Los Angeles Country Club after holding the lead through three rounds.

HIGHEST-RANKED PLAYERS IN THE FIELD

SPONSOR EXEMPTIONS: Ludvig Aberg will make his second start as a TOUR member after finishing first in this year’s class of PGA TOUR U graduates. He finished tied for 25th at the RBC Canadian Open in his debut… Sam Bennett, the only golfer to be inside the top 10 at the halfway point of both this year’s Masters and U.S. Open, is back in action. Bennett, who won the 2022 U.S. Amateur, turned professional after the NCAA Championships. He has made the cut in his first three starts as a pro, including a T20 at the RBC Canadian Open and T43 at the U.S. Open… Ben James, this year’s NCAA freshman of the year, will tee it up for the second time at his home-state event. James, who hails from Connecticut, was the game’s top junior golfer before joining the University of Virginia last year. He was the only freshman in the final Haskins and Nicklaus awards watch lists this year… Stanford’s Michael Thorbjornsen returns to the Travelers Championship after finishing fourth a year ago… Charley Hoffman and Dylan Wu round out the sponsor invite list. Hoffman has three top-25…