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Something is going on at the 2025 Travelers Championship. But what exactly? Look at the astonishing number of withdrawals, for one thing. A fresh round of chaos began when the Florida native, Eric Cole, announced his withdrawal ahead of the Sunday round – the first withdrawal of his PGA Tour career. Before the golf world could fully process the news, Viktor Hovland followed suit with his own withdrawal. And as per the latest update from the PGA Tour, Matt Schmid has joined Cole and Hovland in pulling out of the tournament.

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Just like Cole, Hovland’s trouble started ahead of the final round. After showcasing mixed results of 66-75 before bouncing back on Saturday, Hovland felt great during his warm-up on the range. However, after hitting one shot, he sensed something was off in his neck. Now, with just five minutes until his tee time, he had someone examine his neck, and when it became clear he couldn’t play, Hovland made the tough decision to withdraw. But is Schmid dealing with something similar?

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As per the PGA Tour updates, “no.” According to the PGA Tour, Matti Schmid withdrew from the event due to “illness.” Given that Schmid has yet to address the press or his fans through his social media, it is likely we will have to wait a little longer on this matter. However, at the time of his withdrawal, the German golfer had played four holes and shot one double bogey on hole 4. So, does Schmid’s withdrawal add up to the ongoing trend?

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What trend? Well, of the Tour pros slipping out of TPC River Highlands. Before the Sunday round, Jordan Spieth withdrew after his tee shot on the 13th hole of his opening round due to a back injury. Si Woo Kim also exited after reaching the 12th hole of the second round with a back issue.

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While the mid-round withdrawal might be surprising, it’s worth noting that two other golfers, Corey Conners and Brian Campbell, also withdrew from the 2025 Travelers Championship due to injuries. The only difference? They pulled out of the 2025 Travelers Championship even before it began. Conners suffered a wrist injury from the U.S. Open, and Campbell dealt with a shoulder issue, both pulling out before the tournament even began. The result?

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The result and impact on the 2025 Travelers Championship? As a result of these withdrawals, only 67 players will finish the tournament, down from the original 72. Despite the worrying withdrawal updates, the golfers at TPC River Highlands look like they’re ready to give their all, given the purse.

What’s going on at TPC River Highlands amid heavy WDs?

As per the prize money payout at the 2025 Travelers Championship, the winner will take home $3,600,000, while the second-place finisher will earn $2.16 million and the third-place finisher will claim $1.36 million. Fourth place will bring in $960,000, and fifth place will earn $800,000. Even players finishing outside the top 30 will leave Connecticut with a six-figure payout, as those ranked as low as 36th are expected to earn over $100,000. Furthermore, all golfers will benefit financially since this event features no cut. And if there’s any indication, it looks like Tommy Fleetwood is finally ready to clinch his first PGA Tour title.

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However, Tommy Fleetwood’s hopes for his first PGA Tour victory took a hit after a slow start in the final round of the Travelers Championship in Connecticut. The Englishman built a three-shot lead with a flawless 63 on Saturday, sitting at 16-under par. However, he struggled at TPC River Highlands, facing pressure from the chasing pack, which included American Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley and Russell Henley.

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Despite the setbacks, Fleetwood managed to regain his position at the top of the leaderboard. Meanwhile, Scottie Scheffler, who had a rough start with a triple bogey at the first hole, began to recover by making a birdie on the first and another on the par-three eighth. Rory McIlroy, starting tied for eighth, also made progress with two birdies in the opening six holes, while Jason Day closed in on the co-leaders after five straight pars following a birdie on the first.

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Written by

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Sudha Kumari

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Sudha Kumari is a Golf Writer at EssentiallySports, where she has filed over 700 bylines covering the sport's biggest stages. She holds a Master's in English Literature, which shows in how she turns a day's leaderboard movement into a clear, readable story. Her live coverage of the 2025 Masters, when Rory McIlroy faltered on the brink of the career Grand Slam, is among her best-known work. She follows both the sport's history and its week-to-week shifts, and her writing gives readers the context behind a result rather than only the score. A lifelong golf fan, Sudha believes today's dark horses are tomorrow's legends, and she splits her coverage between the established names and the players starting to break through. When she isn't tracking tournament trends, she is digging into player backstories, working from the view that the game is as much about the resilience behind a shot as the number on the card.

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Ridhiman Das

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