CROMWELL, August 7 — History was made in multiple ways at the Travelers Championship on Sunday. Jim Furyk broke the PGA Tour single-round scoring record after shooting a 12-under-par 58.
Six players in PGA Tour history have shot 59, including Furyk, who was the last man to do it, in 2013. But by making 10 birdies and an eagle, hitting all 18 greens in regulation and needing only 24 putts at TPC River Highlands, Furyk now stands alone in the scoring record book.
“There’s a lot of rounds by a lot of great players ahead of me that have never reached 58,” Furyk said. “I know a young gentleman just did it on the Web.com, but to hold it here on the PGA Tour is phenomenal. To have a little small place in history is simply a dream.”
Furyk didn’t win the tournament; that honor went to Russell Knox, a 31-year-old from Scotland who broke free from a three-player tie for the lead on the back nine with birdies at No. 13 and 14. Knox closed with a 2-under-par 68, winning by one shot over former University of Hartford golfer Jerry Kelly after making a 12-foot putt for par on the 18th hole. It’s the second career tour win for Knox and the second this season.
Knox finished with a tournament total of 14-under-par. Kelly had a final-round 64 to claim second. Justin Thomas shot 62 and finished in third place at 12-under, tied with Patrick Rodgers, who shot 68. Third-round leader Daniel Berger, who led by three shots heading into the final round, shot a 74 and tied for fifth at 11-under.
“Everybody dreams of making a putt on the last hole to win a tournament,” Knox said. “I just kept telling myself, this is your chance to make a putt, to have a great celebration and hear the roars, and I’m glad it went in.”
Kelly, who is from Wisconsin, soaked up the significant applause from the fans as he walked up the 18th fairway.
“The people were fantastic. They showed me more love than they ever have throughout my career here. They always have, but that’s probably the best I’ve also played for them. It was really fun. I loved hearing the chants. Everybody was so great and so positive,” he said. “I consider this a hometown tournament for me. There’s no Milwaukee anymore. There’s no tournament in Wisconsin. So this is the closest I have to a hometown event now. This has kind of taken the mantle of (my) hometown (tournament), and I tend to play well.
Furyk punctuated his historic round with a two-putt par at the 18th hole.
“I’m still a little stunned and a little flabbergasted,” he said. “I played pretty well in Canada (RBC Canadian Open, 13th) but really struggled through the week at the PGA (Championships last week). I think I finished around 70th for the week. I was in that position starting this morning (Sunday).”
His previous experience shooting a 59 helped.
Yeah, having that experience in the past was comforting for me,” Furyk said. “You don’t wake up on Sunday morning with an 8:41 tee time thinking that anything exciting is going to happen. To get out there and make a bunch of birdies and get the juices flowing and feel like I was in the hunt in a golf tournament was kind of cool.”
More than $2.8 million was raised for charity at this year’s Travelers Championship, a new tournament record. The primary beneficiary was the ALS Clinic at the Hospital for Special Care in New Britain, but more than 100 local charities and organizations will benefit.
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