Travelers Championship - Golfers to Bet
By: StatFox.com
After an exciting U.S. Open, some of the world’s top golfers will be right back out there for the Travelers Championship on Thursday. Brooks Koepka is the guy that came away with the win last weekend, shooting a 16-under to convincingly win his first major. Koepka tied Rory McIlroy’s record for best score under par in a U.S. Open, and the 27-year-old will be taking a much-deserved week off now. Still, this field is going to be pretty awesome. Jordan Spieth, Jason Day, and Rory McIlroy are all expected to be out there on Thursday. That makes three of the top six golfers in the OWGR, which is more than there usually are at the Travelers Championship. One other big name to keep an eye out for is Bubba Watson. Watson has won this tournament twice in his career, and he’ll definitely be hoping for a third on Sunday. A victory would get him one away from tying Billy Casper’s record of four Travelers Championship wins. With that out of the way, let’s take a look at who might emerge victorious on this 6,844-yard course:
Jordan Spieth (9-to-1) - Jordan Spieth was definitely hoping to contend at the U.S. Open, but he just could not get some of his putts to drop. He usually rolls it a lot better, and an impressive performance at the Travelers Championship should not be ruled out. While Spieth might have disappointed a week ago, he did end his tournament on a positive note. The 23-year-old shot a 69 in the final round, likely helping him build momentum heading into this one. It’s also worth noting that he has won just one event this season, which is not likely to stick. This could very well be the weekend he wins, so don’t be afraid to take a shot on him at 9-to-1.
Patrick Reed (28-to-1) - Patrick Reed is coming off of a very good performance at the U.S. Open, as the 26-year-old finished tied for 13th with a score of six-under on the tournament. Reed is one of the most underrated golfers on the TOUR, as he has one of the most complete games of any golfer. There really are not many weaknesses or holes in his game, and that is going to come in handy at the Travelers Championship. Reed has the type of game that plays well on this golf course, and for that reason is a good value at 28-to-1. He has a legitimate shot to win, and it would give his backers a big payday.
Brendan Steele (40-to-1) - Steele is yet another golfer that is coming off of a strong outing last week, as he actually tied Reed with a score of six-under. Steele now has two top-15 finishes in the past three tournaments, and he should be able to make plenty of noise in Connecticut this weekend. Steele’s strengths are his ability to hit his irons, and also his ability to make putts. He might not be as strong off the tee as some of his opponents, but that shouldn’t matter this weekend. Look for him to do what he needs to be a factor come Sunday, and don’t be afraid to jump on him at 40-to-1.
David Lingmerth (80-to-1) - When looking for a dark horse to win this event on Sunday, Lingmerth definitely stands out. Like Reed and Steele, Lingmerth also played well at the U.S. Open last week. The 29-year-old shot a four-under to finish tied for 21st, and he has now finished inside the top-25 at each of the past three tournaments he’s played in. Obviously winning is a whole other animal, but Lingmerth’s odds are worth taking a shot on. He’s getting 80-to-1 odds this weekend, and a quarter-unit would make for a nice payday if he wins. Crazier things have happened, as he is really in a groove right now.
Travelers Championship Predictions
By Adam Burke
Bangthebook.com
A pretty strong field will tee it up this week at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Connecticut for the 2017 version of the Travelers Championship. This event was played in early August last year, so it moves back to its rightful place in late June as the follow-up to the US Open. With just about a month until The Open Championship at Royal Birkdale Golf Club, we’ve got a solid field looking to stay sharp over the time between majors.
The Quicken Loans National at TPC Potomac is next weekend, followed by the return of the Greenbrier Classic after flooding wiped it out last year, and the John Deere Classic comes next before the players go across the pond for the third major of the year. Those not eligible for The Open will play the accompanying Barbasol Championship on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail at Grand National in Auburn, Alabama.
This is one of the more popular events on the PGA Tour calendar in terms of spectators. Only the Waste Management Phoenix Open draws a biggest crowd annually, which could be part of the reason why a stronger field tees it up. Also, there are some sponsorship obligations with an event like this. This is a short par 70 that checks in around 6,900 yards and wraps around the Connecticut River. The shorter length, after playing a bomber’s course at Erin Hills, opens up a lot of possibilities this weekend.
Five of the top 15 players in the Official World Golf Ranking will give it a go, including Rory McIlroy, Jason Day, Jordan Spieth, and Justin Thomas, who fell apart last week at Erin Hills after setting the course ablaze with a 63 on Saturday to set the tournament record for a round. This week, those players will attempt to conquer a Pete Dye re-design that features a drivable par 4 15th, a very challenging par 3 16th over water, and a par 4 17th over that same water. This course is small, but it is chock full of hazards and accuracy off the tee is extremely important.
Jordan Spieth is favored to take the crown this week according to the oddsmakers at 5Dimes Sportsbook. Spieth checks in at +875 this week. By no means is Spieth a short hitter, but this course certainly sets up better for him than some of the lengthy courses that have been played recently. This will be Spieth’s first career start at TPC River Highlands, so we’ll have to see how he takes to the course. Since his win at Pebble Beach, Spieth only has one other top 10, at the Dean & DeLuca Invitational, and has three missed cuts. He shot a final-round 69 at the US Open to move into 35th.
Rory McIlroy, who drew more headlines for his Twitter beef with Steve Elkington than his performance at Erin Hills, is +935 this weekend. This also isn’t a regular stop for McIlroy, so we’ll have to see how he fares. He’s been very picky about his PGA Tour events this season. Rory missed the cut last week at Erin Hills in his seventh PGA Tour event of the year. The others are the PLAYERS, Masters, Arnold Palmer Invitational, and the three WGC events. He had four top-five finishes in his first four stroke play events, but was 35th at TPC Sawgrass and missed the cut last week, so Rory isn’t in great form. It’s a little surprising to see him in this event, but maybe he needs some reps to get ready for Royal Birkdale.
Jason Day is +1100 this week. Day hasn’t played this event since 2013, when he tied for 18th at 9-under. He shot 70-69-67-65 that weekend, so he got progressively better as the tournament went on. He did finish six shots back of Kevin Streelman, who went 64-64 over the weekend that year to secure the $1.116 million first-place prize. Day also missed the cut last week. He only has two top-10 finishes out of 12 events this year, but he was 15th at Muirfield Village after finishing second at the Byron Nelson.
Justin Thomas is back on everybody’s radar after his 63 at Erin Hills. Thomas got off to a white-hot start to the 2016-17 PGA Tour season and then fell off the pace, with odds in the 30/1 or 40/1 range. This week, he’s +1400. It’s fair to wonder if he’s a good pick at that price, given how inconsistent he’s been of late. You may want to think twice, though, as Thomas tied for third the last time he played here in 2015. He missed the cut at 1-under in 2014, so the cut line could be tough this weekend as well.
A lot of quality players are between 20/1 and 40/1, including Paul Casey, the runner-up two years ago, at +2200 and Brian Harman, last week’s runner-up, at +3500. Erin Hills seemed to be built for his left-handed ball flight. We’ll see if TPC River Highlands plays the same way. It certainly could, since reigning champion Marc Leishman is one of a handful of lefties on tour. Leishman finished ninth two years ago when Russell Knox won. Leishman is +3500 to defend his title. Harman was third back in 2014.
Looking down the board, 2015 champion Russell Knox is sitting at +7500. Because this course doesn’t require a lot of length, a “slow and steady” player like Zach Johnson at +6000 could be worth a look. Johnson was sixth in 2014. Similarly, a guy like Robert Garrigus, who was fifth two years ago, could make some noise at +30000. It feels like this is a wide-open tournament coming out of a major. Bubba Watson is a two-time winner, but Russell Knox, Kevin Streelman, Ken Duke, and Kenny Perry have won recently. This event has marked the first career win for six of the last 11 champs, so don’t be afraid to fire on a long shot.
Golf Channel and CBS will have coverage of this weekend’s Travelers Championship.
Golf DFS Picks: The 2017 Travelers Championship
By Adam Burke
Bangthebook.com
A pretty strong field for this week’s Travelers Championship features a few players at the top of the board that haven’t played this event in a while or don’t even make it part of their regular rotations. It’s a short par 70 of less than 6,900 yards, so we won’t be looking for big bombers like we have been for recent events. That really makes for a wide-open field at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Connecticut. We’ll try to help with your roster decisions for this week.
Value Picks
Chez Reavie ($6,900) – Chez Reavie gets us started this week because he stands out in one very important metric. Because this is a shorter course, it’s a narrower course, so accuracy off of the tee is likely to be the most important handicapping element for this one. There are some challenging greens at TPC River Highlands as well, but Reavie shouldn’t waste too many drives. He ranks fifth on tour in driving accuracy with nearly 71 of fairways hit. It should come as no surprise that Reavie tied for 11th last year and also cracked the top 25 in 2014. He’s made each of his last four cuts at this event.
Kyle Stanley ($8,600) – We normally go lower with prices in this article, but Kyle Stanley could be a surprise contender on Sunday. Then again, given his betting odds and his DFS price, “surprise” might be the wrong word. Stanley is second on tour in greens in regulation this season, trailing only the great Dustin Johnson. Stanley also ranks 17th in driving accuracy. He hasn’t played all that well the last two years, but did finish 20th in 2014 with four rounds under par.
Jim Herman ($7,300) – There may not be a whole lot of upside with Jim Herman, but he’s a solid option that allows you to save some important dollars to roster the favorites. Herman has finished in the top 20 in two of his last three events, with a 19th at the Memorial and an 18th at the Valero Texas Open. Herman’s 14th in driving accuracy this season and fourth in greens in regulation. He’s had some scrambling issues, but this is a short course, so that may help him. Herman hasn’t played this event since 2014 when he finished at even par.
Charley Hoffman ($7,300) – Perception is an interesting thing. Brian Harman has gotten a huge bump this week after finishing second at the US Open last week. We haven’t seen the same for Charley Hoffman, who finished eighth at the US Open. Hoffman has made 13 of his 17 cuts this season and has been a little bit inconsistent, but he rated as a top-10 player in a lot of key categories last week, including strokes gained tee-to-green, greens in regulation, and he was second in birdies. Hoffman finished tied for second last year with Bubba Watson, just one shot back of Marc Leishman, who posted a 62 on Sunday to win. Hoffman isn’t just a great value buy here, but he could be a long shot to bet on.
Byeong Hun An ($7,100) – Byeong Hun An was really rolling along until he ran into trouble at the US Open. Prior to his MC at Erin Hills, An had finished 25th at the Memorial, 24th at the BMW PGA Championship, fifth at the Byron Nelson, and eighth at the Wells Fargo. This isn’t normally a stop for An, but that seems to be the case for a few guys, like Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth. He got an early start to head to Connecticut and could be a quality under-the-radar pick this week.
Travelers Championship
By Brady Kannon
Covers.com
With just a month to go until The British Open at Royal Birkdale, golfers have four events at which to get ready for the third Major of the season and the quest to become The Champion Golfer of The Year.
Following the second Major Championship of the season, The PGA Tour takes us to Cromwell, Connecticut this week for The Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands. Sitting on the schedule the week after The U.S. Open, The Travelers has always attracted a decent field and this year is no exception with Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth, and Jason Day highlighting the marquee.
TPC River Highlands and The Travelers have undergone a few name changes and design tweaks over the years but this is a Pete Dye golf course first and foremost. Dye did his work in 1982 to what was then called Edgewood Country Club. It was in 1989 that Bobby Weed was called upon to make some additional design adjustments. The golf course is a Par 70 and measures just shy of 6900 yards. If you recall, it was Jim Furyk who shot a record 58 here last year.
Yes, the players can go very low here this week but it will take some precise iron play, hitting greens in regulation, knocking down a lot of putts, and some good scrambling when missing the smaller sized greens. Neither Driving Distance or Accuracy seem to take precedence here as the golf course is very forgiving off of the tee. TPC River Highlands has consistently ranked as one of the easier courses on Tour – and that is likely a sight for sore eyes with many in the field having just gone through the grueling test of a U.S. Open Championship.
The Favorites
Jordan Spieth (+890) Spieth saved his best for last, shooting a 69 in the final round at Erin Hills despite finishing 35th. This is his first ever time playing The Travelers but he is 2nd on Tour in Birdie Average, number one in Strokes Gained Approaching The Green, and 4th in Par 4 Scoring.
Rory McIlroy (+935 5Dimes) Rory missed the cut at The U.S. Open and this too is his first ever time playing TPC River Highlands. His tee to green game and scrambling ability should be able to carry him a long(er) way this week.
Jason Day (+1600) It is hard to figure out which Jason Day will show up week to week after a couple of excellent performances at The Byron Nelson and at The Memorial followed by a badly missed cut at The U.S. Open. He’s finished 27th and 18th in two trips to The Travelers.
The Contenders
Justin Thomas (+1417) It was not hard to imagine Thomas coming back down to Earth on Sunday at The U.S. Open after shooting a record 63 at Erin Hills on Saturday.. but his form is obviously very good right now. He took 3rd here last year.
Bubba Watson (+3072) The long bombing lefty has won The Travelers twice but he hasn’t been so hot so far, this season. A horse for the course, this could be a week in which he finds his comfort zone.
Marc Leishman (+3072) Leishman won here in 2012 and has been playing very solid as of late. He won The Arnold Palmer Invitational earlier this season and in his last four starts, he’s gone 27-15-34-15.
The Long Shots
Charley Hoffman (+3970) Hoffman finished with a personal best 8th place in The U.S. Open last week and has made the cut at TPC River Highlands in each of his last six visits. He notched Top 10 finishes here in 2012 and 2013.
Tony Finau (+4600) Another long bomber who can make birdies in bunches, Finau has played The Travelers twice, finishing 25th each time. He ranks 6th on Tour in Greens In Regulation.
Webb Simpson (+6000) Simpson has never missed a cut here at TPC River Highlands and landed a Top 10 finish in 2013. His stats for the course are excellent but he’ll need to hole some putts this week if he figures on doing more than just making the cut.
The Pick
Paul Casey (+2032) Casey was tied for the lead last week at The U.S. Open after two rounds but made a triple bogey on Saturday that derailed his effort, finishing 26th. I believe that has him focused on bouncing back this week at The Travelers.. a place where he is also looking to avenge a loss in a playoff just two seasons ago. Casey is 5th on Tour in Greens In Regulation, 6th in Par 4 Scoring, 9th in Scrambling, and 3rd in Strokes Gained Approaching The Green. His form is there. I’m betting his 3rd trip to TPC River Highlands is the charm.