Golf Glance: PGA's final signature event; LPGA major time; Bryson back at LIV

League: Golf


Posted on: 18 Jun, 2024 at 11:22 PM

Credit: Katie Goodale-USA TODAY Sports

Field Level Media's Golf Glance provides weekly news and storylines from each of the major North American golf tours.

PGA TOUR
LAST TOURNAMENT: 124th U.S. Open (Bryson DeChambeau)
THIS WEEK: Travelers Championship, Cromwell, Conn., June 20-23
Course: TPC River Highlands (Par 70, 6,835 Yards)
Purse: $20M (Winner: $3.6M)
Defending Champion: Keegan Bradley
FedEx Cup Leader: Scottie Scheffler
HOW TO FOLLOW
TV: Thursday-Friday: 3-6 p.m. ET (Golf Channel); Saturday-Sunday: 1-3 p.m. (Golf Channel), 3-6 p.m. (CBS)
Streaming (ESPN+): Thursday-Friday: 8 a.m.-6 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, 7:30 a.m.-6 p.m.
X: @TravelersChamp
NOTES: This is the final of eight signature events this year, featuring a $20 million purse and 700 FedEx Cup points to the winner. ... Rory McIlroy withdrew on Monday after finishing second at the U.S. Open. He is the only winner of a signature event this year (Wells Fargo Championship) not in the field. He is also the only player in the top 30 of the FedEx Cup points standings and the only player in the top eight of the Official World Golf Ranking not playing this week. ... TPC River Highlands underwent "course enhancements" since last year that included narrowing the fairways of four holes. ... There are four sponsors exemptions in the field: Billy Horschel, Adam Scott, Webb Simpson and former Stanford star Michael Thorbjornsen. Thorbjornsen earned his PGA Tour card by finishing first in PGA Tour University. ... There is no 36-hole cut.
BEST BETS: Scottie Scheffler (+360 at DraftKings) is the first player since Justin Thomas in 2016-17 to win at least five times during a single season on tour. His wins have come at The Players Championship, the Masters and three signature events. ... Xander Schauffele (+750) is coming off a T7 at the U.S. Open and has seven top-10s in his past eight individual starts. ... Collin Morikawa (+1200) has only made the cut in one of three previous appearances but does have three top-5s in his past four starts. ... Ludvig Aberg (+1400) is coming off a T11 at Pinehurst, where he led after 36 holes. He also finished T5 at the Memorial in his previous start.
NEXT TOURNAMENT: Rocket Mortgage Classic, Detroit, June 27-30

LPGA Tour
LAST TOURNAMENT: Meijer LPGA Classic (Lilia Vu)
THIS WEEK: KPMG Women's PGA Championship, Sammamish, Wash., June 20-23
Course: Sahalee Country Club (Par 72, 6,731 yards)
Purse: $10M
Defending Champion: Ruoning Yin
Race to the CME Globe leader: Nelly Korda
HOW TO FOLLOW
TV: Thursday-Friday, 4-6 p.m. ET (Peacock), 6-10 p.m. (Golf Channel, Peacock); Saturday, 1-2 p.m. (Peacock), 3-6 p.m. (NBC, Peacock), 6-8 p.m. (GC, Peacock); Sunday, 12-3 p.m. (Peacock), 3-7 p.m. (NBC, Peacock)
X: @KPMGWomensPGA
NOTES: The KPMG Women's PGA Championship is the third of five majors in 2024 and is the second-oldest LPGA major, having first been contested in 1955. ... Brooke Henderson won the last time the Women's PGA was held at Sahalee in 2016. Sahalee has also played host to the 1998 PGA Championship. ... All 10 winners on tour this season are in the field, while 28 players will be making their Women's PGA Championship debuts.
NEXT TOURNAMENT: Dow Championship, Midland, Mich., June 27-30

PGA Tour Champions
LAST TOURNAMENT: American Family Insurance Championship (Ernie Els)
THIS WEEK: Dick's Open, Endicott, N.Y., June 21-23
Course: En-Joie Golf Course (Par 72, 6,994 yards)
Purse: $2.1M (Winner: $315,000)
Defending Champion: Padraig Harrington
Charles Schwab Cup leader: Stephen Ames
HOW TO FOLLOW
TV: Friday, 12-2 p.m. ET; Saturday-Sunday, 3-6 p.m. (All times Golf Channel)
X: @DicksOpenGolf
NOTES: En-Joie Golf Course played host to the B.C. Open on the PGA Tour from 1971-2006. ... Harrington, recently inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame, is the two-time defending champion. ... Els is attempting to become the 10th player in Champions tour history and the first since Steve Stricker last year to win three consecutive starts. ... Lonnie Nielsen holds the 54-hole record of 195 set in 2009.
NEXT TOURNAMENT: U.S. Senior Open Championship, Newport, R.I., June 27-30

LIV Golf League
LAST TOURNAMENT: Houston (Individual: Carlos Ortiz; Team: Cleeks GC)
THIS WEEK: Nashville, June 21-23
Course: The Grove (Par 71, 7,297 yards)
Purse: Individual, $20M (Winner: $5M); Team, $4M (Winner: $3M)
Defending Champion: Inaugural Event
2024 Leaders: Players, Joaquin Niemann; Team, Crushers GC
HOW TO FOLLOW
TV: Friday, 1 p.m. ET (The CW App, LIV Golf Plus, Caffeine); Saturday-Sunday, 1 p.m. (The CW, The CW App, LIV Golf Plus)
X: @livgolf_league
NOTES: Bryson DeChambeau is coming off his second U.S. Open victory, becoming the second LIV Golf member to claim a major title (Brooks Koepka, 2023 PGA Championship). ... This is the ninth of 13 events on the 2024 schedule, which will be followed by the Team Championship in Dallas Sept. 20-22. ... Thirteen four-player teams and two wild-card players will compete in a 54-hole event with daily shotgun starts.
NEXT TOURNAMENT: Andalucia, Spain, July 12-14

--Field Level Media