GolfDigestME.com
At 17-under, Xander Schauffele held a one-shot edge entering the final round of the Travelers Championship, which sounded like a good thing. The problem, however, was that sticking the landing at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Connecticut, on Sunday is often a challenge.

For starters, Schauffele’s track record when holding a 54-hole lead on the PGA Tour is poor. All four previous occasions he’s been in this position, he has failed to convert, finishing T-2 three times and T-3 once.

More interesting perhaps than Schauffele’s past finishes are the tournament’s. In the last 10 years of the event, only two 54-hole leaders had won (Jordan Spieth in 2017 and Chez Reavie in 2019). And four of the eight who rallied on Sunday did so from at least three shots from behind.

Enter Sahith Theegala, a 24-year-old PGA Tour rookie who started the day three shots off the lead, but came to the 72nd hole at 19-under, one ahead of Schauffele after making five birdies over the first 17 holes. But Theegala hit his tee shot on the last into left fairway bunker off the tee, the ball coming very close to the front lip. And he got aggressive with the second shot, trying to get it to the green only to have it hit the lip and move just four inches.

Theegala played this third out of the bunker short of the green, and hit his fourth to 12 feet, but failed to make the bogey putt.

Enter (again) Schauffele, who made birdie on the last hole to finish with a two-under 68 and a two-stroke win at 19-under 261. And it was a big win, his first individual PGA Tour title since the 2019 Sentry Tournament of Champions and the sixth of his career. No one questioned Schauffele’s talent — 35 top-10 in his 133 career starts, with five wins, 10 runners-up and six thirds — but being on top after 72 holes is difficult for anybody, including the 28-year-old Californian.

MORE: Xander ends his PGA Tour drought

With the victory, Schauffele claimed the $1.494 million first-place prize money payout. The overall purse the Travelers is $8.3 million. Below is the prize money payout for each golfer who made the cut at TPC River Highlands.

Win: Xander Schuaffele, -19, $1,494,000
T-2: Sahith Theegala, -17, $738,700
T-2: J.T. Poston, -17, $738,700
4: Michael Thorbjornsen, -16, Amateur
5: Chesson Hadley, 266/-14, $406,700
T-6: Kevin Kisner, 268/-12, $320,587.50
T-6: Keith Mitchell, 268/-12, $320,587.50
T-8: Nick Hardy, 269/-11, $243,605
T-8: Brian Harman, 269/-11, $243,605
T-8: William McGirt, 269/-11, $243,605
T-8: Chez Reavie, 269/-11, $243,605
T-8: Scott Stallings, 269/-11, $243,605
T-13: Patrick Cantlay, 270/-10, $159,775
T-13: Tony Finau, 270/-10, $159,775
T-13: John Huh, 270/-10, $159,775
T-13: Martin Laird, 270/-10, $159,775
T-13: Scottie Scheffler, 270/-10, $159,775
T-13: Webb Simpson, 270/-10, $159,775
T-19: Keegan Bradley, 271/-9, $106,101.67
T-19: Luke List, 271/-9, $106,101.67
T-19: Rory McIlroy, 271/-9, $106,101.67
T-19: Matthew NeSmith, 271/-9, $106,101.67
T-19: Harris English, 271/-9, $106,101.66
T-19: K.H. Lee, 271/-9, $106,101.66
T-25: Ryan Armour, 272/-8, $61,835
T-25: Bill Haas, 272/-8, $61,835
T-25: Lee Hodges, 272/-8, $61,835
T-25: Mackenzie Hughes, 272/-8, $61,835
T-25: Nate Lashley, 272/-8, $61,835
T-25: Adam Long, 272/-8, $61,835
T-25: Seamus Power, 272/-8, $61,835
T-25: Brendan Steele, 272/-8, $61,835
T-25: Kevin Streelman, 272/-8, $61,835
T-25: Adam Svensson, 272/-8, $61,835
T-35: Wyndham Clark, 273/-7, $43,243
T-35: Christopher Gotterup, 273/-7, $43,243
T-35: Charles Howell III, 273/-7, $43,243
T-35: Sam Ryder, 273/-7, $43,243
T-35: Robert Streb, 273/-7, $43,243
T-40: Michael Gligic, 274/-6, $36,105
T-40: Aaron Rai, 274/-6, $36,105
T-40: Matthew Wolff, 274/-6, $36,105
T-43: Hayden Buckley, 275/-5, $31,125
T-43: Conrad Shindler, 275/-5, $31,125
T-43: Harold Varner III, 275/-5, $31,125
T-46: Tyler Duncan, 276/-4, $23,678.72
T-46: Ben Silverman, 276/-4, $23,678.72
T-46: Matt Wallace, 276/-4, $23,678.72
T-46: Tommy Fleetwood, 276/-4, $23,678.71
T-46: Mark Hubbard, 276/-4, $23,678.71
T-46: Andrew Novak, 276/-4, $23,678.71
T-46: Andrew Putnam, 276/-4, $23,678.71
T-53: Paul Barjon, 277/-3, $20,003
T-53: Stewart Cink, 277/-3, $20,003
T-53: Matthias Schwab, 277/-3, $20,003
T-56: Jonas Blixt, 278/-2, $19,007
T-56: Joseph Bramlett, 278/-2, $19,007
T-56: Cam Davis, 278/-2, $19,007
T-56: Luke Donald, 278/-2, $19,007
T-56: Kelly Kraft, 278/-2, $19,007
T-56: Hank Lebioda, 278/-2, $19,007
T-56: Taylor Moore, 278/-2, $19,007
63: Austin Cook, 279/-1, $18,343
T-64: Patton Kizzire, 280/E, $18,011
T-64: Peter Malnati, 280/E, $18,011
T-64: Davis Riley, 280/E, $18,011
67: Kevin Tway, 281/+1, $17,679
68: Morgan Hoffmann, 282/+2, $17,513
69: Joel Dahmen, 284/+4, $17,347
T-70: Lucas Glover, 285/+5, $17,098
T-70: Harry Higgs, 285/+5, $17,098

You may also like:
Xander ends his PGA Tour drought
In Gee holds on to win KPMG
Dubai’s Chiara Noja continues to dominate on LET Access Series
Abu Dhabi-based 12-year-old wins in Scotland
All the latest news from around the UAE and beyond
Wolff among latest names rumoured to be joining LIV Golf
DP World suspends LIV Golf players
LIV Golf: Top stars set for Portland
WATCH: Highlights of the Ladies European Tour Czech Open

WATCH: Highlights from the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship
WATCH: The monster putt that won on DP World Tour
UAE champions to the fore at BMW International Open

Take a look at how Rory outdrove playing partners
Rory calls LIV players’duplicitous’
JT shuts down LIV rumour mill
LIV players permitted to play in Open
PGA plans tour series to rival  LIV
LIV Golf announces latest major signing
Brooks Koepka set to make his move to LIV
Report: Ancer is the latest LIV Golf recruit