In 2022, Xander Schauffele won a tournament with a score of 19-under par. A year later, Keegan Bradley lit up the course with a 23-under par. Then in 2024, Scottie Scheffler shot 22-under and still forced a playoff. What scores are these? Well, these are the winning scores at the Travelers Championship, which is hosted at TPC River Highlands every year. With birdies stacking up on the scorecard, it’s no surprise the course has earned a reputation for being a ‘scoring paradise.’ But with recent claims of scoring being too easy on the PGA Tour, Scottie Scheffler pushed back on the narrative. And he wasn’t alone.

Scottie Scheffler hits back on ‘easy’ remark

Speaking at a press conference a day before the first round, Scheffler was asked about a narrative that declared the course at Cromwell was too easy to score. And most of us believe so. Since the tournament has been played at this course since 1984, the average winning score has been 15-under par, and only three times has it been below 10-under par. Scheffler immediately shut down that narrative with a calm, confident response.

“As much as some people want us to feel like them, professional golf is different than amateur golf. We get a lot of time to prepare to go out and play. The guys out here are really good at golf. If you stand here on the driving range and watch a range session, that ball doesn’t go off the line very often,” the world #1 said, pointing out the fact that most fans forget that players spend hours on the driving range, prepping before each round. Players even go to the range once their round is over to brush up their skills, just like Scottie went at Oakmont (we all remember his heated exchange with Randy Smith, right?).

Scheffler also added that when the scores go low, it does not imply that the course is too easy or is flawed. “I think sometimes, especially in this day and age, people get way too caught up in the winning score being what is a proper test. I think a proper test is good shots being rewarded and bad shots being punished. I think this is one of the best golf courses for that,” he said, implying that the winning score just means that the talent is exceptional, but it doesn’t account for everything. While his words sent a strong message to fans and media alike, they also resonated with fellow player Justin Thomas.

Thomas posted on his IG story the interaction between Scheffler and the media, with a caption: “Very well said, @Scottie. Scheffler. I fall victim to this too…respect the low scores and appreciate them.” Thomas admits that he has been a victim of being too caught up in the winning scores and has been accused of playing on the easy course; he also concurs with Scheffler’s words. He agrees with the fact that scores going incredibly low at a tournament do not in any way imply that players have it easy and they can just show up and shoot that.

Players work incredibly hard, often going unnoticed by fans and the media. And like Scheffler said, players would like their hard work to come to fruition when they see good shots being rewarded on the golf course. That is what makes a true test on the golf course, and it’s not always about keeping the winning scores low. Justin Thomas, acknowledging him, is only an indication of how he echoes the same mindset as Scheffler’s. And we know Thomas looks up to him and has also expressed his desire in the past to emulate Scheffler’s mental approach to the game.

And while Scheffler’s comments resonated with Thomas, we can only hope the message is loud and clear even to the rest of the golfing community. As they tee it up on Thursday, let’s hope the best finishes come to the pros who can earn them on this course.

A glimpse into the 2025 Travelers Championship

Being the last signature event of the season, players like Scheffler will have an opportunity to display their creativity and skill on the course. It is one of the shortest tracks, playing par 70 at just 6,844 yards. It comes like a ray of sunshine after last week’s U.S. Open. Talking about the course, Scheffler said, “Across the board, the way we get tested in professional golf is very good. We play different types of golf courses, different types of grass, and different types of winning scores. We just see different tests, and I think not one is better than the other,” indicating that while it may be a short track, it does not necessarily imply it’s easier than the rest.

While the course may be short, it demands precision off the tee and for approach shots into the greens. Players will need to use their imagination to the best and also be wary of their putting. The course boasts a tough finishing stretch from the 15th hole onwards and is known as the most exciting group of finishing holes anywhere in the world.

With 72 players in the field, including 18 of the top 20 players on the OWGR, we can expect an epic battle during the week for the $20 million purse. While the record for the lowest score in a round is Jim Furyk‘s 58 (2016, round 4), Cameron Young came incredibly close when he shot 59 in the third round last year. In contrast to Scheffler’s words, a 65 here is considered normal, but a 71 will raise eyebrows. With $3.6 million going to the winner, it’s indeed tempting to ask, Who can go low enough to win on Sunday?