The Power Fade: 2025 Travelers Championship
The Approach for Key fades at the 2025 Travelers Championship
We are the Nation.. The TJ Nation!
Welcome again folks to another edition of The Power Fade: The Fades You Need to Win All the Cheese In Your GPP's!
After a dramatic finish at Oakmont that saw J.J. Spaun become a major champion, we now head up the east coast to Cromwell, CT. TPC River Highlands plays host to the final Signature Event of the year. A pitch and putt course at it finest, TPC River Highlands, a Par 70, tipping out at 6,844 yards will yield birdies at rates Oakmont C.C. would cringe at.
Per usual at TPC River Highlands, SG Approach and putting will be the key stats to look at. SG Approach from 125-175 yards will be especially important.
After the carnage of last week, expect a winning score in this no cut event to reach upwards of -20. This will be a great warm up for these boys as we are in "Summer Birdie-fest Season" for the next 3 weeks.
With our third major in the rearview mirror, let us dive into who our Power Fades are for the Traveler's Championship!
Robert MacIntyre ($8,400)
Our first Power Fade of the week is a painful one for yours truly. If you have been in the Wednesday Night Live Nut Hut Chats with our very own Pat Perry, you may recall I said this man was the darkhorse to win the US Open.
Robert MacIntyre came damn close to pulling this off, but after a near legendary comeback the masses may be creating a chalky Scotsman, and at $8,400 it may be time to sell high on one of my favorite PGA TOUR players.
Why The Fade Works:
From an ownership perspective, I believe fading Bobby Mac makes a ton of sense. Reason number one is that I believe he will be a popular second man in Scottie Scheffler builds.
Statistically, MacIntyre does struggle compared to the field in the key approach stats. Ranking 44th in Strokes Gained Approach 150-175 yards and 57th SG Approach 125-150 yards is somewhat concerning considering the limited field size.
Even with his recent good form, Bobby Mac has never been one to light up a birdie fest. Last year in his debut at Travelers, MacIntyre was very putting dependent en route to T15 that saw him well back of the leaders.
Keep in mind last year he was cheaper than what he is this week. If the -3 strokes approach shows up again this year, I'm just not sure we can rely on gaining 3 strokes putting from the Scotsman to bail him out again.
Collin Morikawa ($10,200)
We are running it back with our second Power Fade of the week. For whatever reason, Collin Morikawa actually got a price bump this week. At $10,200 on DraftKings, fading Kawa is yet again the prudent play.
Why The Fade Works:
When it comes to Morikawa, one could argue this is the most middling version of him we have seen since he has been on the PGA TOUR.
In terms of finishes, Morikawa hasn't sniffed a Top 10 since THE PLAYERS. These results are hardly worthy of a 10K price tag.
Statistically, Morikawa's putter has been brutal. Coming into the week ranking 68th is not what you want to see. In a week where you have to make birdies in bunches to win, I'm not even sure Morikawa can knock his irons close enough to the hole for easy putts.
That's it folks for this week's edition of the Power Fade! We will return to you next week for my local event: The Rocket Classic from Detroit, MI. I am hoping to have boots on the ground intel for you in the Nut Hut!
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Until Next Time.... Be Bold, Be Brave, and Let's Ride the Power Fade!
"Even with his recent good form, Bobby Mac has never been one to light up a birdie fest. Last year in his debut at Travelers, MacIntyre was very putting dependent en route to T15 that saw him well back of the leaders."
— AK
Meet the Author:
Allen Klutts
A long time Tour Junkies fan and Nut Hut Member, Allen has always been an enthusiastic PGA DFS player and is looking to bring that passion to his writing. A frequent participant on the Wednesday Night Live Stage Chat, who DB once compared to Norm from the TV show "Cheers" for always kicking off the live stage segment, Allen lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan with his wife and two year old son.
Disclaimer: The views, opinions, and commentary in this post belong to its author and do not necessarily represent the Tour Junkies as a whole.