Finally feeling at home

Driscoll shines in friendly confines

By Michael Whitmer, Globe Staff  |  June 29, 2009

CROMWELL, Conn. - Playing in front of perhaps 20 family members and friends, James Driscoll of Brookline, Mass., had his best score of the week, overcoming a double bogey on the 13th hole and a closing bogey to shoot a final-round 67 and tie for 34th yesterday at 8 under par.

“Ball striking was slightly better than average this week and putting was below average,’’ said Driscoll, who took only 24 putts in the final round and made six birdies.

“I was coming off a two-week break, and usually when I come back my ball striking is off and my putting is on. It’s definitely something to build on.’’

Two balls in the water on the par-5 13th - he pushed his drive into the lake on the right, took a penalty drop, then sent a 3-wood into the pond fronting the green - led to the double bogey, but Driscoll responded with birdies on the next two holes.

He’ll play in the next two PGA Tour events before flying to Scotland for his first British Open.

The proximity to Boston made the Travelers feel like a home game for Driscoll: “It was cool, it’s fun to see family and friends come out.’’

Realistically, Kyle Stanley’s professional debut couldn’t have gone much better. He tied for 19th and earned $75,300. It also taught him a few lessons.

“My putting wasn’t very good this week, especially from midrange. I gave myself a lot of opportunities,’’ said Stanley. “But that’s why you play, so you can identify some of your weaknesses and start working to make them better.’’

Stanley, the 2009 Hogan Award winner (the nation’s top collegiate player) from Clemson, doesn’t have a PGA Tour card, but he can accept seven sponsors’ exemptions. The Travelers was No. 2, with the goal to make enough money from those seven exemptions to skip qualifying school. It was an impressive start.

“At the end of the day, that golf ball doesn’t know you’re a pro, your clubs don’t, and neither does that golf course,’’ said Stanley, whose next start is expected to be the John Deere Classic in two weeks. “You just have to play the best you can. It’s just golf.’’

Sergio Garcia, making his second appearance here, shot a 4-under 66, his low score of the week. Garcia, who finished at 7-under 273, was looking forward to flying home to Spain and taking a few weeks off prior to the British Open.

“It would have been great to play [TPC River Highlands] fast and firm, which is the way it’s supposed to play,’’ said Garcia, who tied for 20th in his only other Travelers start, in 2002. “When it gets this way, we get into that range of 20, 22 under is going to win it, and that’s not too much fun for me.’’

Garcia said that almost an hour before the final group teed off. The winning score? Kenny Perry at 22 under.

Lucas Glover ended a long, emotional, productive week with a final-round 65. Last Monday, Glover won the US Open. Yesterday, his third 65 of the Travelers Championship - only a second-round 71 kept him from threatening the leaders - sent Glover into a tie for 11th. Showing how mentally draining winning the US Open was, Glover - who said he read four books on Long Island - was asked how many he read since arriving in Connecticut. “None,’’ he said . . . John Merrick, who also tied for 11th, started his round bogey-eagle-bogey. He holed out from 62 yards on the 346-yard second hole . . . Michael Allen, winner of the Senior PGA Championship in his Champions Tour debut, is still looking for his first PGA Tour victory. The 50-year-old, still playing a full PGA Tour schedule, shot 67 and tied for 14th . . . Matt Bettencourt tied for 34th, but only two players (Perry, Hunter Mahan) made more birdies than Bettencourt’s 23 . . . Greg Chalmers of Australia, who tied for 19th, was the highest-finishing international player . . . Vaughn Taylor and Marc Leishman, sent out in the first twosome, needed only 3 hours 5 minutes to complete their round.

Michael Whitmer can be reached at mwhitmer@globe.com