2026 Travelers Championship: Power Rankings, Sleeper Picks, and Who to Watch
The 2026 Travelers Championship, the PGA Tour’s final Signature Event of the season, is under way at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Connecticut, running June 25–28. With a $20 million purse and a no-cut field of 72 of the world’s best, it’s one of the summer’s marquee events — headlined by world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, reigning U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark, and defending champion Keegan Bradley. With play already in progress, here are the power rankings of the leading contenders, the sleeper profile worth watching, and what makes this course tick as the weekend unfolds. (This is a preview for fans, not betting advice.)
When and where is the 2026 Travelers Championship?
The tournament runs Thursday through Sunday, June 25–28, 2026, at TPC River Highlands.
As the eighth and final Signature Event of the PGA Tour season, it carries a $20 million purse with $3.6 million and 700 FedExCup points going to the winner. It uses the no-cut Signature Event format, so all 72 players compete over four rounds with no halfway cut. The opening rounds aired on Golf Channel, with weekend coverage on NBC and Peacock and early streaming via PGA Tour Live. One notable absentee is world No. 2 Rory McIlroy, who has opted to skip the event.
What makes TPC River Highlands unique?
Understanding the course is the key to understanding who’s likely to contend. TPC River Highlands is a par 70 measuring just 6,844 yards, making it considerably shorter than many modern Tour venues. That changes the type of player it rewards: success here depends far less on raw distance and far more on accuracy, precise approach play, and a sharp short game. Short par 4s tempt players into aggressive lines, while water hazards and tight landing areas punish anything loose. The drivable 15th, at under 300 yards with water lurking left, is the tournament’s signature risk-reward hole and often produces late drama. In short, this is a shot-maker’s course, which shapes both the power rankings and the sleeper picks below.
Power rankings: the top contenders
Based on current form and course fit, here’s how the leading contenders stack up.
Scottie Scheffler tops the list as the clear favourite: he’s the world No. 1, won this event in 2024, and has been remarkably consistent with eight top-10 finishes in his starts this season, even if the wins haven’t piled up at his usual rate. Wyndham Clark ranks second, arriving in scorching form after capturing his second U.S. Open title and winning twice in his last four starts. Keegan Bradley sits third as the ultimate course specialist — he’s the defending champion and also won here in 2023, and he thrives in front of the New England crowd. Russell Henley and Tommy Fleetwood round out the top five, both elite ball-strikers whose precision suits the course and who each finished as runners-up here last year, falling just short.
Sleeper picks: who could surprise?
A “sleeper” is an under-the-radar player outside the headline favourites who could outperform expectations — and at a course like this, the profile is specific. The ideal sleeper isn’t a long hitter but an accurate one: a player with excellent iron play, a reliable short game, and ideally some positive history at TPC River Highlands. Because the course rewards precision over power, it tends to let skilled shot-makers who don’t always overpower bigger venues hang around the leaderboard. When scanning the field for a sleeper, look for players ranked outside the top tier who excel in strokes-gained approach and putting, and who have quietly contended at this event before. Those are the names capable of riding a hot putter to a surprise weekend, especially given the low scoring this venue typically produces. Rather than betting on any one of them, it’s smarter to watch for that profile as the leaderboard takes shape.
Who is favoured to win?
Scottie Scheffler is the deserved favourite, combining his world No. 1 ranking with a strong record at the course. Wyndham Clark is the hottest player in the field and a serious threat, while Keegan Bradley’s course history makes him dangerous despite a quieter season. That said, this is a no-cut Signature Event with enormous depth, played on a short course that invites low scoring and aggressive play — conditions that keep more of the field in contention and leave the door open for an unexpected name. In other words, the favourites are favourites for good reason, but surprises are far from rare here.
The bottom line
The 2026 Travelers Championship offers a stacked finish to the PGA Tour’s Signature Event slate, with Scheffler, Clark, and Bradley leading a deep field at a course that prizes precision over power. As the weekend plays out, keep your eyes on the top contenders in the power rankings, but don’t be shocked if an accurate, sharp-ironed sleeper makes a run on a venue famous for low numbers and late drama.
For more golf, see our 2026 US Open leaderboard; and for more sport, our World Cup 2026 player rankings.
This article is a preview for fans and is not betting or financial advice. Details reflect information confirmed during the week of June 25–28, 2026; the tournament was in progress at the time of writing, so the leaderboard and outlook will change.