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The PGA Tour has had a strong two-week return from its long layoff due to the pandemic, and it will continue its modified schedule with a trip to TPC River Highlands in Connecticut for this year’s Travelers Championship. For the second week in a row, the players will be on a Pete Dye design that emphasizes angles and accuracy over straight-out distance off the tee. There is a fun drivable Par 4 at No. 15 and a great finishing amphitheater on No. 18, which will be weird to see without spectators packing the finishing hole.
Editor’s Note: the following golfers have withdrawn from the PGA Tour’s Travelers Championship:
- Cameron Champ
- Graeme McDowell
- Brooks Koepka
- Webb Simpson
- Chase Koepka
The PGA Tour bubble did have a case of COVID-19 this past week and Nick Watney was forced to withdraw and self-isolate as a result, but it hasn’t changed the plans for this week. We’ll have another great field in place with 33 of the top 40 players in the world rankings highlighting a 156-golfer field. With big salaries like Rory McIlroy ($11,200), Bryson DeChambeau ($11,000), Justin Thomas ($10,800) and last week’s winner Webb Simpson ($10,500) in play, you may find yourself running short of salary for your last roster spot or two. To help you find the best cheap plays, I’ll highlight four plays this week who can contribute to your team who have very affordable salaries under $7,500.
To celebrate the return of golf, DraftKings is hosting another PGA Tour millionaire tournament that pays out $2.5 million in total prizes, including $1 million to first place. For only $20, draft six golfers for a shot to win the $1 million top prize. This contest is also part of the DraftKings Championship Series – Fantasy Tournament of Champions. In addition to the $1 million top prize, the winner will also earn a ticket to the Big Game in Tampa in February 2021 to compete for another $1 million top prize. DraftKings is also offering the Big Hit Millionaire bonus for the second week in a row, and you’ll be eligible to win tickets of various amounts, up to $20, depending on the score of the winning golfer this week. Check out the DraftKings promotions page to learn more.
The millionaire slate locks at 6:45 a.m. ET on Thursday, June 25. Set your lineups here: $2.5M Millionaire [$1M to 1st].
Chez Reavie, $7,300
Reavie is the defending champion after winning by four strokes with a -17 last year at this event. He made the cut in three of the previous four seasons at this track before his win, which was the second of his PGA career. Reavie will have a much tougher field to contend with at this event, but his familiarity and success in the venue should make him a solid option.
He made the cut at the RBC Heritage after missing the cut at Colonial in his return to competition. He has now made the cut in 11 of his 16 events this season and was set up for a solid finish at Harbour Town before fading with a final round 76 on Sunday. Before the break, he had made three straight cuts, highlighted by a T10 at The Genesis Invitational. Hopefully, a return to where he won last season will help counter that negative trend and help him to another strong result this week.
Curious about when major leagues and events will return? Check out our DraftKings Sports Calendar for the latest updates.
Danny Lee, $6,900
While he can definitely be a boom-or-bust play, Lee has a lot of upside for a player under $7K. He had a good start to the RBC Heritage with a 68-67 to make the cut but then faded on the weekend with a 76-70 to finish T70. That swing accurately reflects the swings of owning the 29-year-old New Zealander, who can contend with the top golfers in the world at his best but can lose his way at times.
Lee has a great history at TPC River Highlands, though, despite a missed cut last season. Prior to that, he had three straight top 25 finishes at the event, highlighted by a third-place finish in 2017. He’s definitely a “swing for the fences” pick with plenty of risk, but also with lots of upside, especially if he can play like he did in all but the third round of the RBC Heritage.
Carlos Ortiz, $6,800
Ortiz has been pretty steady so far this season with 11 made cuts in 15 events and a trio of top 10 finishes. He fired a 63 in the third round at the RBC Heritage but slid to a T33 after a final round 73. Ortiz missed the cut by one stroke at last year’s Travelers Championship but did have a top 20 finish in his previous trip to TPC River Highlands back in 2016.
Aside from a tough second round at Colonial, Ortiz has been pretty dialed in since the restart and should be able to get to the weekend at this event. The 29-year-old is still in search of his first PGA Tour win but was the Web.com Tour Player of the Year after picking up three wins in 2014.
Doc Redman, $6,700
Redman has made the cut in each of the past two weeks with a T58 at the Schwab Challenge and a T21 last week at the RBC Heritage. The top 25 finish was his first since the RSM Classic back in November, but he has now made the cut in 13 of his 17 events.
The 22-year-old will be playing in this tournament for the first time in his career, but his game seems to fit the profile of players that do well on this track. He did very well with the putter on Sunday on his way to a 67 that helped him move up the leaderboard. If he can continue that trend this coming week, he should be a very nice value play again.
I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is Z.Thompson) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.