Based on Bubba Watson’s history at the Travelers Championship, you can understand the question.
Watson has won the tournament at TPC River Highlands three times since his 2010 triumph, which also was his first career PGA Tour victory. Watson will enter Sunday’s final round in Cromwell, Conn., tied for the lead with Kramer Hickok at 10-under.
Thus, the question posed to him after he shot 68 Saturday in the third round to position himself to tie the great Billy Casper for the most victories in this event at four: “You’ve won this tournament three times before. … Does part of you feel like this tournament is yours?’’
Watson seemed taken aback by the question, surely not welcoming any more exterior pressure on himself than he may already feel internally.
“I would word it a little different,’’ Watson said. “I expect to play good here. Now, [expected to be] winning it, that’s Tiger Woods level. I’m nowhere near Tiger Woods level. You know what I’m saying? That’s a Jack Nicklaus-Tiger Woods saying.
“No, to play good is one thing. And play good to you guys or the internet or the fans out here, I don’t know what y’all think playing good is, but I think a top-25 is playing good, right? These guys are really good at golf.’’
Make no mistake, though: A top-25 finish for Watson considering his history at the tournament and his position entering the final round would be unsatisfactory.
That said, though, there are some players with pretty strong pedigrees trailing Watson and the 29-year-old Hickok, who has played 67 tournaments and is still searching for his first PGA Tour win.
Watson and Hickok have a one-shot lead over Jason Day, Cameron Smith and Russell Henley, all of whom are 9-under. They have a two-shot lead over Harris English, K.H. Lee and Brice Garnett.
Then there’s the parade of players at 7-under — eight of them, including defending champion Dustin Johnson, who shot 65 on Saturday to make a big move, and Bryson DeChambeau.
There are 26 players within four shots of the lead and 38 within five of Watson and Hickok. With TPC River Highlands known as a park that yields its share of birdies and eagles, particularly on the back nine, the final round has potential to provide an epic show.
“It’s about just giving yourself the opportunities, and it’s crucial to have a good back side [Sunday],’’ Day said. “If you can hole the 10- to 15-footers out there, someone from three, four back could win this. I feel like this tournament yields a lot of winners that way.’’
As the third round unfolded, Hickok looked as if he was going to take the outright lead into Sunday when he birdied Nos. 14 and 15 to take a two-shot lead at 12-under. But he wobbled home, making a difficult par save from behind the green on the par-3 16th and then bogeying 17 and 18 to drop him out of the lead.
“I’m just learning from past experiences and trying to use them,’’ Hickok said. “I’ve been in contention before. I’ve won on the Mackenzie Tour and Korn Ferry Tour. I know the nerves are going to be there. It’s all about embracing those nerves.’’
The adrenaline will be pumping for a lot of the players near the top of the leaderboard. Hickok wants his first win. Watson wants another. Day, a former major champion and world No. 1, whose game has sagged and whose world ranking has dipped so low that he wasn’t even qualified for the U.S. Open last week, wants back in.
“Obviously, I wanted to be at the U.S. Open,’’ Day said. “I mean, it was nice to be at home with the birth of my son, spending quality time. [But] it was killing me to watch the U.S. Open sitting at home. I said that to my wife. I’m just trying to slowly work my way back to where I need to be.’’
A win and he’ll be back to where he needs to be.