CROMWELL, Conn. — Keegan Bradley has officially taken the governor off.
The New England native is putting on a show for the hometown crowd at TPC River Highlands, and they’re loving every second of it.
Bradley was born in Vermont, went to high school in Massachusetts and is a diehard Boston sports fan. It’d be hard to put into words how much winning the Travelers Championship would mean to the 37-year-old.
After a third-round 6-under 64, he’s in position to do just that Sunday afternoon. Bradley made birdies on Nos. 2, 4 and 6 on the front to go out in 3-under 32. After making the turn, he added three more, including back-to-back circles at 15 and 16.
“I’ve wanted to win this tournament forever, so the feeling of wanting to push and win is something I need to fight against and just let myself go out and play,” Bradley said after his round.
He’ll tee off Sunday with a one-shot lead over Chez Reavie.
Travellers: Photos | Sunday tee times
If you missed any of Saturday’s action, no worries, we have you covered. Here’s everything you need to know from the third round of the Travelers Championship, plus a look at Sunday’s weather forecast.
The 2019 champ is just one back
One of the great things about TPC River Highlands is that it doesn’t play favorites.
You don’t have to pummel it off the tee to win here, and the man in solo second is the perfect embodiment of that.
Reavie, who won the 2019 Travelers, birdied his final hole of the day to get to 20 under, one back of Bradley. He’s currently ranked 176th on Tour in driving distance, averaging just less than 288 yards.
But that hasn’t mattered in Connecticut, as he has put himself in position to win a second Travelers Championship thanks to the flat-stick. He’s first in Strokes Gained: Putting this week, picking up 9,091 shots on the field.
“Huge, just to get a little momentum going to dinner and sleeping tonight,” Reavie said of his closing 12-footer on 18.
If he wants to outlast Bradley, Reavie will have to keep it going on the greens.
Low scores all over the board
Rickie Fowler stood on the ninth green — his 18th of the day — with a chance to make history. Just in the first cut, Fowler had a look from 13 feet for a 59.
He didn’t make it, but a 60 will do.
After a tough Sunday at the US Open, Fowler got right back on the saddle and is inside the top five through 54 holes.
His good friend Justin Thomas didn’t have a chance for 59, but his 8-under 62 was a welcome sight after a missed cut at Los Angeles Country Club.
Patrick Cantlay, who shot a 60 at the Travelers as an amateur in 2011, posted one worse Saturday, a 9-under 61. He’s solo third at 16 under.
World no. 1 Scottie Scheffler didn’t go as low as the other three, but a third-round 63 got the job done. He’s tied for seventh, seven behind Bradley.
The atmosphere at TPC River Highlands is electric
The US Open at Los Angeles Country Club lacked juice. Public tickets were limited, and the atmosphere was overwhelming as a result.
That hasn’t been a problem at TPC River Highlands.
The Travelers Championship is annually one of the most attended tournaments on the PGA Tour. People arrive in droves to watch their favorite players, as this serves as the only tournament held in the New England area.
While walking the back nine, the gallery had a clear favorite: Rory McIlroy.
Cheers rattled through the trees as McIlroy made birdies on Nos. 9 and 10, sending energy throughout the entire course.
Every player received an ovation as they walked up to 18, a thank you for choosing to play in this part of the country.
If Saturday was any indication, Sunday will be electric.
Leaderboard, odds to win
|
Position |
Player |
Score |
Odds to win |
|
1 |
Keegan Bradley |
21 under |
(-120) |
|
2 |
Chez Reavie |
20 under |
(+250) |
|
3 |
Patrick Cantlay |
16 under |
(+850) |
|
T-4 |
Rickie Fowler |
15 under |
(+3500) |
|
T-4 |
Adam Scott |
15 under |
(+4000) |
|
T-4 |
Denny McCarthy |
15 under |
(+5000) |
|
T-7 |
Justin Thomas |
14 under |
(+7500) |
|
T-7 |
Scottie Scheffler |
14 under |
(+2500) |
|
T-7 |
Alex Smalley |
14 under |
(+13000) |
|
T-7 |
Brian Harman |
14 under |
(+9000) |
|
T-7 |
Min Woo Lee |
14 under |
(+8000) |
Sunday’s weather forecast
According to Weather Underground, Sunday morning will be beautiful, but there’s a chance of thunderstorms starting at 12 pm ET until 6 pm The temperature is expected to reach 82 degrees with eight mph winds coming from the south.
Story originally appeared on GolfWeek