The PGA TOUR heads to Cromwell, Connecticut, this week for the Travelers Championship. TPC River Highlands will be the host course, and measures as a 6,844-yard par 70 with a mix of Bentgrass/Poa Annua greens.
We have another Signature Event on the schedule, meaning the field will feature just 72 golfers. In addition to the small field, there will also be no cut, as every golfer will play four rounds. World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler is here and is obviously the betting favorite on DraftKings Sportsbook, currently sitting at +280. Rory McIlroy (+1200), Collin Morikawa (+1600) and Xander Schauffele (+1600) round out the top of the odds board.
Below I have outlined my two favorite bets for the week.
Collin Morikawa to win (+1600)
I know, I know, Morikawa has not won in almost two years, so why would I choose to write him up at just 16/1 this week? The answer is quite simple, I firmly believe winning on the PGA TOUR is insanely difficult, and while you need to be on top of your game, you also need a significant amount of luck to go your way as well. Morikawa could have easily won earlier this year at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, but Russell Henley chipped in for eagle very late and things went south from there.
Overall, Morikawa has seven top-17 finishes in 12 starts this season, including three top-10s. Last week at U.S. Open he gained a ridiculous 8.9 strokes on approach, which obviously led the entire field. The issue was with his flat stick, where he lost an even more ridiculous 8.8 strokes on the lightning fast greens at Oakmont.
I am not going to panic about the putter, however, because TPC River Highlands boasts a blend of Poa/Bentgrass greens, where Morikawa is .24 strokes better per round (over his past 400 measured rounds), compared to other surfaces. He remains arguably the second-best iron-player in the sport, especially with a wedge in hand—which is a club he’ll be hitting quite a bit this week at one of the shortest courses on the PGA TOUR.
Normally when elite players like Morikawa lose a bunch of strokes putting for a tournament, they bounce back immediately the following week. And with the way he’s striking his irons right now, even a marginal gain on the greens will put him firmly in contention this week in Connecticut. After a career-best T13 finish at this event one year ago, I expect Morikawa to be in one of the final groups come Sunday afternoon.
Ryan Fox to win (+9000)
Man, there is a serious lack of respect given to Fox this week by the oddsmakers. We are talking about a golfer who has won two of the past five events he’s played, while also coming off a T19 last week at one of the hardest courses in the world.
Fox gained 6.5 strokes on approach at Oakmont, which marked his fifth consecutive start gaining 2.5 or more strokes with his irons. He’s one of the hottest golfers on the planet right now, ranking fourth in both SG: Tee-to-Green and Total Strokes gained over his past 24 rounds in this field. Only Scottie Scheffler, Sam Burns and Ben Griffin rank higher in that timeframe.
Fox has never played TPC River Highlands before, but it’s a huge positive that he ranks third in this field in birdie average over his past 24 rounds as we enter one of the biggest birdie-fests of the year. It’s incredibly difficult to win three times on the PGA TOUR for a season, let alone in six weeks, but there’s absolutely nothing in the data to suggest Fox can’t contend this week.
At 90/1 in just a 72-man field, absolutely sign me up.