It’s been 11 years since John Senden teed up at the
Travelers Championship but after an encouraging week at the PGA at Baltusrol
the Queenslander will be one to watch this week.

Senden last played TPC River Highlands in 2005 and his
record is less than stellar with three missed cuts in four previous appearances
but with his game rounding into shape in recent weeks that is likely to change
this week.

Five of Senden’s last seven rounds have been under par and
after a mini slump early in 2016 things have been trending in the right
direction since a T11 at the Memorial in June.

Senden missed cuts at the Barracuda and Barbasol tournaments
but his play at both the Canadian Open and last week’s PGA Baltusrol has shown
sustained improvement, a good sign as the FedEx Cup finals approach.

The Queenslander is one of a 12 strong Australian contingent
to tee up this week, 2012 champion Marc Leishman one of four to back up from
Baltusrol.

Also making the trip from New Jersey are Aaron Baddeley,
Matt Jones and Greg Chalmers, Chalmers the only one of the nine Australians in
the field at Baltusrol not to play the weekend.

Also teeing up in Connecticut are: Cameron Smith, Cameron
Percy, Stuart Appleby, Geoff Ogilvy, Rod Pampling, Robert Allenby and Steven
Bowditch.

Leishman’s win in 2012 remains his lone career PGA TOUR
title and came courtesy of a stunning final round 62 to overtake Charley
Hoffman.

Leishman has never missed a cut here and will be keen to
make amends for a poor finish at Baltusrol where a final round 74, his worst
score of the week, dropped him more than 35 places down the standings.

Baddeley went the opposite direction Sunday posting his best
round of the week, a 2-under 68 that moved him inside the top 50.

Baddeley makes his 12^th appearance at the
Travelers this week and has a best finish of 4^th in that time, that
result coming just two years ago.

Matt Jones has also made the short journey form New Jersey
to an event that has yielded little in the way of good results for him.

Four missed cuts in six appearances with a best of T13 is
hardly Jones’ best but he recovered nicely from a poor opening round last week
and, like Senden, has shown signs of recovery recently after a slow start to
the year.

Both Cameron Percy and Stuart Appleby will walk to the first
tee Thursday with confidence after surviving Monday qualifying to earn their
starts, both needing a good result to keep playing rights for 2017.

Appleby played the last event of his major medical extension
at the Canadian Open but came up $137,621 short of regaining his card that way.

However, he as conditional status for the rest of the season
and at 146^th on the FedEx Cup standings still has an opportunity to
climb inside the top 125 and maintain his card for next year.

Percy is in a more precarious position at 170^th
on the standings and a good result this week would go a long way towards
securing at least conditional status for next year.

2006 US open champion Geoff Ogilvy is at 176^th in
the FedEx Cup to date though has a career money exemption he will be able to
use if required to tee up in 2017.

However, after a stirring final round 63 at his last outing
in Canada the Victorian will be eager to play this week.

This is just his third appearance at this event with a
missed cut in 2011 and a T22 in 2001 but an improvement on that record seems
likely this week.