CROMWELL — When you are the No. 1-ranked player in the world, you already get plenty of attention.
That the galleries at TPC River Highlands were five-deep early in Scottie Scheffler’s second round of the Travelers Championship on Friday isn’t exactly shocking. After all, the guy has two green jackets and four major championships.
But as the day progressed, the energy intensified, the buzz increased, the sea of people swelled.
Scheffler had another chance at history at the place Jim Furyk posted that magical 58 in 2016. Scheffler, thanks to a birdie barrage on a soft, defenseless golf course, needed two more at the 17th and 18th to equal Furyk’s 12-under 58.
He missed the green at 17, essentially ending the chance to tie Furyk’s best score in PGA
Tour history. But when he rolled in his par putt and went to the 18 with a chance to break 60 for
the second time in his career. In fact, the first time he did it was also in New England, when he posted 59 at the 2020 Northern Trust at TPC Boston.
That one was played in quiet because of COVID-19 restrictions. This time he chased golf’s magic
number with a loud soundtrack booming in the background.
After his approach from the fairway bunker at 18 landed on the green, a fan in one of the hospitality
suites on the right side of the green shouted “Go shoot 59!”
Scheffler tried, but his 26-footer for one last birdie missed on the right side of the hole. His 60 gave him a 36-hole total of 16-under par, which is a tournament record through two rounds. It is also good for a two-shot lead at the PGA Tour’s last Signature Event of the season.
“It would be cool to shoot 59, but somebody has already shot 58 here, so it’s not even the course
record,” Scheffler laughed. “Jim kind of takes away a little bit of the special of 59.”
Scottie Scheffler waves to the fans after shooting a birdie at the 8th hole during the second round of the 2026 Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell on Friday, June 26, 2026. (Aaron Flaum/Hartford Courant)
Scheffler opened his round with a birdie at the first, but gave it right back with a bogey at the
second. It was at the fifth, though, when he went into another gear, rattling off four birdies in a row.
He did it again on the back nine, with four consecutive circles on the card starting at the 13th. That’s
when he started thinking about sub-60.
“After birdieing 15, I was kind of like, ‘Oh, yeah, 9-under now. A few more, you could shoot 59,” he
said.
More important to Scheffler than 59 was putting himself in position to win. On a day when rain
delayed the start of the second round, a low number was required to be at or near the top of the
leaderboard.
“Going out this morning, you definitely had a feeling the conditions were going to be easier, so you
need to go out there and try and take advantage of it,” Scheffler said.
And he wasn’t alone.
Viktor Hovland posted 9-under 61 thanks to bogey-free, seven-birdie, one-eagle round. He sits
alone in second, two behind Scheffler.
Viktor Hovland watches his drive from the 6th tee during the second round of the 2026 Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell on Friday, June 26, 2026. (Aaron Flaum/Hartford Courant)
“It was awesome stuff today,” said Hovland, who had missed the cut in two of his past three events,
including last week at the U.S. Open. “Obviously been kind of battling some stuff. My golf swing had
not felt all that comfortable. I felt like things stabilized a lot more today. I was able to put the ball in
the fairway, hit some great iron shots, and the putter finally cooperated a little bit more.”
Scheffler and Hovland were not alone in going low. Akshay Bhaita fired a bogey-free 62 and sits in
third, four shots behind Scheffler.
“I feel like I hit a lot of good golf shots and putted really nice – made some long ones,” Bhatia said. “I
know how this golf course can play. You’ve got to kind of keep making birdies and try and limit
mistakes. I did a nice job of that today.”
First-round leader Eric Cole kept himself within striking distance. He has yet to make a bogey in
two rounds and followed his bogey-free 63 in the opening round with a 5-under 65 on Friday.
“Last couple of groups on the weekend is where you want to be,” said Cole, who has finished inside
the top 10 in four of past six events. “I’m just trying to do everything I can to put myself in that
position more often and see what happens this weekend.”
Defending champion Keegan Bradley shot 65 despite a double bogey at the 10th. He is inside the top the top 20, but eight shots behind Scheffler at 8-under.
Keegan Bradley watches his shot at the 8th green during the second round of the 2026 Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell on Friday, June 26, 2026. (Aaron Flaum/Hartford Courant)