Kevin Streelman. Seriously? Sorry, couldn’t resist.
But seriously, Kevin Streelman? Seven birdies in a row to win? By now you know no one had ever done that before, as Streelman’s run broke the record set 58 years ago by Mike Souchak at the 1956 St. Paul Open. Streelman’s weekend total of 128 (after consecutive 64s) matched the lowest final 36-holes by a winner this season. His 26 birdies were the most by a winner since Patrick Reed made 30 at the Humana Challenge.
Most consecutive birdies to win in regulation on the PGA Tour
| Birdies | Player | Tournament |
| 7 | Kevin Streelman | 2014 Travelers Championship |
| 6 | Mike Souchak | 1956 St. Paul Open |
| 5 | Jack Nicklaus | 1978 Jackie Gleason Inverrary |
| 5 | Russell Henley | 2013 Sony Open |
Lowest final 36-hole score by a winner in 2013-14
| Score | Player | Tournament |
| 128 (64-64) | Kevin Streelman | Travelers Championship |
| 128 (64-64) | Bubba Watson | Northern Trust Open |
| 128 (62-66) | Jimmy Walker | Frys.com Open |
Most birdies by a winner in 2013-14
| Birdies | Player | Tournament |
| 30 | Patrick Reed | Humana Challenge |
| 28 | Webb Simpson | Shriners Hospitals for Children Open |
| 27 | Harris English | OHL Classic at Mayakoba |
| 26 | Kevin Streelman | Travelers Championship |
Streelman’s streak can be credited to some outstanding approach shots, steely putting and the quirkiness – some might say ease – of the TPC River Highlands back nine. He one-putted every hole (he takes a streak of 10 straight one-putts, two shy of the Tour’s season best, into his next tournament). Here’s a shot-by-shot look at Streelman’s streak.
Kevin Streelman holes 12-18
| Hole | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 |
| Par | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 |
| Yardage | 411 | 523 | 421 | 296 | 171 | 420 | 444 |
| Shot 1 | 262 yds. to fwy. | 292 yds. to fwy. | 315 yds. to fwy. | 284 yds to fwy. | 181 yds. to green | 271 yds. to fwy. | 335 yds. to fwy. |
| Shot 2 | 132 yds. to green | 253 yds. to back of green | 106 yds to green | 21 yds. to green | 37 ft., 1 in. putt | 124 yds. to green | 106 yds. to green |
| Shot 3 | 7 ft., 6 in. putt | 17 yds. to green | 20 ft., 8 in. putt | 12 ft., 2 in. putt | 3 ft. 3 in. putt | 8 ft., 9 in. putt | |
| Shot 4 | 4 ft., 7 in. putt |
It was one of the best putting weeks of Streelman’s career. The Travelers is his fourth-best week in strokes gained-putting (1.948), tied for fourth in one-putt percentage (50 percent), first in birdie-conversion percentage (49.06 percent), and first in putts per GIR (1.547). Streelman’s putts per GIR total is the fifth-best on Tour since the end of the West Coast Swing.
Best single-event putting average on Tour since March
| Putting avg. | Player | Tournament | Finish |
| 1.419 | Aaron Baddeley | Memorial | T-37 |
| 1.512 | Mike Weir | Byron Nelson | 2 |
| 1.523 | Jason Bohn | Wells Fargo | 4 |
| 1.529 | Richard H. Lee | Memorial | T-57 |
| 1.547 | Kevin Streelman | Travelers | Won |
That Streelman would win in Connecticut must be a surprise to anyone who was paying attention. He struggled mightily at the U.S. Open at Pinehurst with rounds of 75-79 to miss the cut. In fact it was his fourth straight missed cut on Tour, and outside of a 72-69 finish at Memphis, where he failed to advance to the weekend at the FedEx St. Jude Classic by a stroke, none of his recent starts were worth mentioning. Since a T-3 at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions, his first event following the Boxing Day birth of his daughter, Sophia, Streelman had played 13 times and only finished in the top 20 once. Streelman is the first player to win a PGA Tour event after four or more straight missed cuts since Ted Potter Jr. won the 2012 Greenbrier Classic after failing to play the weekend in his previous five tournaments.
Streelman wasn’t the only noteworthy performer in the Nutmeg State. Fifty-year old Jeff Maggert finished T-7 and had his first top-10 finish on Tour since a T-9 at last year’s Travelers. He is the fourth Champions Tour-eligible player to finish in the top 10 on the PGA Tour this season.
Players 50+ with top-10 finishes on Tour in 2013-14
| Player | Finish | Tournament |
| Vijay Singh | 2 | Frys.com Open |
| Miguel Angel Jimenez | 4 | Masters |
| Jeff Maggert | T-7 | Travelers Championship |
| Bernhard Langer | T-8 | Masters |
Singh was also in Connecticut and finished T-31 (along with fellow senior Joe Durant). They finished two strokes better than Patrick Rodgers, who was one of five players making their PGA Tour professional debut. Rodgers, T-46, was the only one who made the cut.
Players making their PGA Tour professional debut at the Travelers
| Player | Finish | Scores | Earnings |
| Patrick Rodgers | T-46 | 66-69-71-70—276 | $17,186 |
| Bobby Wyatt | MC by one | 72-68—140 | |
| Oliver Goss | MC by two | 70-71—141 | |
| Joey Garber | MC by five | 72-72—144 | |
| Cameron Wilson | MC by nine | 73-75—148 |
Lastly, Streelman’s winning score of 64 extended the tournament streak of champions shooting a final round in the 60s to 19 consecutive years. Of active PGA Tour events, only the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open has a longer streak. The Las Vegas winner was in the 60s in the final round for 23 straight years.
Most consecutive years with the winner shooting a final round in the 60s
| Years | Tournament | 2014 winner | Score |
| 23 | Shriners Hospitals Open | Webb Simpson | 66 |
| 19 | Travelers Championship | Kevin Streelman | 64 |
| 11 | Deutsche Bank Championship | Henrik Stenson (2013) | 66 |
| 11 | Wyndham Championship | Patrick Reed (2013) | 66 |
| 8 | Memorial Tournament | Hideki Matsuyama | 69 |
| 7 | Hyundai T of C | Zach Johnson | 66 |