LEANING LEFT
Does The Travelers Championship Course Set Up Better For Left-Handed Players?
When Bubba Watson completed a six-shot comeback to win the 2018 Travelers Championship, he firmly cemented himself in the annals of tournament history as one of the all-time champions. With his third victory, only one person — Billy Casper with four — has more wins in Connecticut than Watson. He also brought to the forefront a question that’s been whispered about for years: Is TPC River Highlands — the tournament’s home since 1984 — especially friendly to left-handed players?
Watson, a big-hitting lefty who also won the Travelers Championship in 2010 and 2015, joins Phil Mickelson, a southpaw who is returning to the event for the first time since 2002, as left-handed players who have multiple wins in Cromwell. In fact, they account for five of the last 17 championships. Is it just a coincidence? Or does TPC River Highlands really set up better for left-handed players than their right-handed counterparts? It’s not as unlikely as you may think. Just ask Watson.
“I just think that the way the golf course is set up, the way the holes shape, a lot of the holes shape from right to left, easy for me to hit my driver, being left-handed, wanting to cut it,” Watson said at Travelers media day in May.
It’s a theory with which Ron Scheyd, the course’s head teaching professional, tends to agree. Scheyd, a left-handed player himself, feels there’s some truth to that thought process.
“Obviously it’s all opinion,” he said. “I certainly believe it does.”
Approach shots also tend to favor left-handed players, according to Scheyd. Specifically, he says that left-handed players are able to hit a greater number of cut shots into the greens, which affords them more
control when it comes to landing the ball close to the pin.
“If you look at the way the players on tour play golf, they’re concerned a lot about control into the greens. And to have more control, typically for them a cut shot works a bit better,” Scheyd said. “Because it comes in at steeper angle and has a little bit more spin and stops as soon as it hits the green.”
In particular, Scheyd points to hole No. 2 as one that sets up nicely for left-handed players. Righties typically have to play a draw into the green, which makes it a bit harder to control the distance. But players like Bubba and Phil? A high cut and they can drop it in close to the pin.
“Those approach shots into holes like No. 2, where they can hit a little cut shot in there — a right to left shot that has a little bit more control,” Scheyd said.
No surprise — Watson birdied the second hole on two of the four rounds in 2018.
It isn’t just the second hole, of course. Watson also points to the par 4 10th and par 5 13th as holes that fit his eye, as well as his swing and shot shape.
“When I go to No. 10, a lot of the guys will hit 3-woods off that hole, but I hit driver because it’s the only one in the trees, but it’s tree-lined and it curves to the left,” Watson said. “So for me, it’s a perfect driver.”
Scheyd backs up Watson’s assessment. He also points to holes No. 4 and No. 6, which can benefit greatly from length off the tee — and if a lefty can hit a big draw, like Mickelson and Watson can, they have a good chance at making birdie.
“When you think about how the holes play out, especially the tee shots, it starts to make sense as far as why the lefties have a little bit of an advantage here,” Scheyd said.
TPC River Highlands is one of multiple courses that has the distinction of being particularly friendly to left-handers. Another such venue? Augusta National Golf Club, the erstwhile home of The Masters.
Since 2003, six Masters champions
(Mike Weir, Mickelson three times and Watson twice) have been left-handed.
Holes 9, 10 and 13 at Augusta play right-to-left, which is ideal for left-handed players that hit a cut.
Although Mickelson and Watson have both ended up in the winner’s circle multiple times at River Highlands, another lefty, Brian Harman, has played some of his best golf there. Harman, the 96th-ranked golfer in the world, has had some success in Cromwell, including a sixth-place finish in 2018 and a third-place finish in 2015. It’s also where he had some of his earliest memories on tour.
“I love it. I made a cut there when I was 15 years old,” he said. “So for me it’s always great to go back. That was the first time I made a cut on the PGA Tour.”
But does Harman think being left-handed helps playing TPC River Highlands?
“I wouldn’t know — I’ve never played it right-handed,” he joked.
Prognosticating in golf is always tough, but Scheyd had one prediction for what to expect on June 24.
“I think you’re going to see one of the left-handed players in the top two,” he said. “Whether it be Harman, Mickelson or Watson. You’re going to see them contending for the win in my mind.”