This article is part of our Golf Picks series.
Travelers Championship Betting Preview
Following last week's exciting U.S. Open that saw Wyndham Clark claim his first major, the Tour heads east to Cromwell, Connecticut for the Travelers Championship.
Annually one of the most attended events on the calendar and one that typically features a strong field, thing will be ramped up even further in 2023, as this is the final designated event of the season. Scottie Scheffler -- the tournament favorite at 6-1 odds -- headlines a field that consists of eight of the top 10 players in the Official World Golf Ranking.
Last year, Xander Schauffele -- at 20-1 -- defeated Sahith Theegala and J.T. Poston by two strokes for his sixth Tour victory.
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Course Characteristics
Par 70, 6,852 yards
Average Strokes Gained Rankings: Travelers Championship Winners Over Last Five Years
- SG: Off-the-Tee: 18.0
- SG: Approach: 14.6
- SG: Around-the-Green: 24.2
- SG: Putting: 17.0
- SG: Tee-to-Green: 4.0
- Driving Distance: 27.2
- Driving Accuracy: 36.0
This is one of the few courses the Tour visits that plays under 7,000 yards, and with only two par-4s over 450 yards, distance isn't going to provide the usual advantage it gives at most venues. Like many Pete Dye layouts, this setup tests every facet of the game, so it should come as no surprise that the winner has finished no worse than eighth in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green each year since 2015. With tree-lined fairways, deep rough and several doglegs, this is a positional type of golf course that doesn't require reliance on the driver. In addition to those who are accurate off the tee, I'm looking at golfers who hit their irons well from 125-175 yards, as many approach shots will come in that range.
Rolling at River Highlands
The following players, with a minimum of eight rounds played, have the lowest scoring average at TPC River Highlands since 2018.
- Xander Schauffele: 66.9
- Brian Harman: 67.4
- Kevin Streelman: 67.7
- Chez Reavie: 67.7
- Kevin Kisner: 68.0
Last year's champion, Schauffele, tops the list. He has picked up three top-20s in four appearances at this venue, and that shouldn't be much of a surprise given his well-rounded game. Schauffele has not missed a cut this season, and with a top-10 in nine of his 16 starts, he's a safe bet to keep the momentum going in the northeast. Another player who has fared well here is long shot Streelman, who is listed at 300-1 odds. Streelman won this event in 2014 and came up one shy of Dustin Johnson in 2020. He has played better recently, with a pair of top-20s over his last four starts. While the 44-year-old may not be a threat to win anymore, he can certainly be considered for a top-10 or top-20 wager as well as in DFS lineups.
Tee-to-Green Titans
These five golfers, on a per-round basis, gained the most strokes from tee to green over their last 20 rounds.
- Scottie Scheffler: 3.65
- Rory McIlroy: 1.88
- Jon Rahm: 1.79
- Xander Schauffele: 1.77
- Rickie Fowler: 1.68
Scheffler's ball-striking statistics remain eye-popping, and he showed some signs of life on the greens last week, gaining strokes with his putter for just the second time since April. He's putting together the most consistent season this century by someone not named Tiger, finishing top-15 in all but one start. It will be interesting to see how Fowler -- who checks in at 40-1 -- responds from a disappointing final round at LACC in which he entered with a share of the lead. Assuming he can put that behind him, his strong all-around game and results this year suggest a quality result. Fowler posted a top-20 in seven of his last eight starts.
Travelers Championship Bets: Outright Picks
Jon Rahm (12-1)
I can't remember the last time we saw Rahm at this number, and it's difficult to see why considering that since his Masters win he has posted four top-20s -- including a runner-up -- in five starts. He's coming off a top-10 at LACC in which he finished top-25 in every Strokes Gained category, showing that all parts of his game are in good form.
Viktor Hovland (20-1)
I like the value here with the top five choices all checking in at 14-1 or better. With a win two starts back and four straight top-20s, Hovland is playing arguably the best golf of his career. He last played this event in 2020 and led the field in SG: Tee-to-Green.
Cameron Young (50-1)
I know Young has struggled following a solid stretch of golf early this spring, but with that comes value, as he slides all the way down to this price. This will be his first start at River Highlands, but his ball-striking prowess -- he ranks 12th in SG: Off-the-Tee and 44th in Approach -- plays well just about anywhere.
Travelers Championship Bets: Top-10 Wagers
Corey Conners (11-2)
It's difficult to pass up Conners anytime you see him worse than 5-1 for a top-10. He's one of just seven players on Tour that rank top-20 in both SG: Off-the-Tee and Approach this season. He is also playing well, with three top-20s over his last five starts.
Gary Woodland (17-2)
Speaking of excellent ball strikers, Woodland has been even better than Conners, ranking top-10 in both SG: Off-the-Tee and Approach, and he can be had at better odds. Woodland is due for some positive regression and posted a top-25 in each of his last two non-major starts.
Mark Hubbard (10-1)
Hubbard has quietly been trending in the right direction, having made seven cuts in a row and posting a pair of top-10s over his last three starts. He has also been dialed in with his irons, ranking top-3 in SG: Approach in each appearance that resulted in a top-10.
Travelers Championship Bets: Head-to-Head Matchups
Tony Finau (-110) over Tommy Fleetwood
Fleetwood will be making his fifth start in six weeks, and I wouldn't be surprised to see fatigue set in at a place where he lost strokes off the tee in both appearances. Finau, on the other hand, is much more rested heading into the part of the year when he typically plays his best golf. Finau has notched four top-25s in seven starts at River Highlands.
Max Homa (-110) over Wyndham Clark
It's easy to expect a letdown from Clark after such an emotional high, and at a venue where he will need to be precise with his irons, I can't overlook the fact that he lost strokes on approach in his U.S. Open win. Homa's struggles in majors continue, but he posted a top-10 in each of his last two non-major starts. I won't take too much from his poor track record here, as he's playing at a higher level than in prior years and has the all-around game to excel on this track.
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