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Weather Catches PGA Tour Golfers 'Off Guard' at Travelers Championship on Friday

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Sahil Goswami | Last updated Jun 20, 2025 1:13 PM ET

The 2025 Travelers Championship, the final signature event of this PGA Tour season, is well underway at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Connecticut. With defending champion and current World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler still in contention after Thursday’s opening round, all eyes are on the leaderboard heading into a critical Friday. Big names like Rory McIlroy, Viktor Hovland, and Collin Morikawa are all scheduled to tee off throughout the day, hoping to make a move in the second round.

But as the action picks up on Friday, so has the wind, throwing a surprise element into the mix. The course, typically known for low scores, is battling nature’s interference. Gusty northwest winds have taken over TPC River Highlands, with sustained speeds around 15 mph and gusts reaching up to 40 mph.

The breezy conditions are a result of a storm system that passed through the region Thursday night and are expected to continue throughout the day.

Even the pros weren’t prepared. Justin Thomas, who teed off at 10:15 a.m. alongside Hideki Matsuyama, was taken aback by the severity. “Wow … I saw Akshay on TV and his divots were flying all over the place,” he said, reacting to Akshay Bhatia’s early-round battle with the gusts.

☢️ @NUCLRGOLF Gusty northwest winds are being observed at TPC River Highlands behind yesterday's departing storm system. This will continue throughout the day with wind gusts of up to 40 mph possible.
— Michael Anand (@NUCLRGOLFWX) June 20, 2025

What was expected to be another low-scoring Friday now looks uncertain. The wind has already caught both players and caddies off guard, making club selection and course management trickier than usual.

With big names like Cantlay, Homa, Day, and Fleetwood lined up for later tee times, the rest of the field will need to adjust quickly or risk falling behind in one of the year’s most pivotal events.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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