Travelers Championship

The Travelers Championship will be held at TPC River Highlands, Cromwell, Connecticut.

This is a fairly short par 70 track that yields plenty of low scores. In recent years those who have gone well at the US Open have often continued that good golf to River Highlands.

Chez Reavie and Harris English both won this event the week after finishing 3rd in the US Open.

Nevertheless, Oakmont was a gruelling week and there will be plenty of tired golfers arriving here.

Over the years putting has proven to be highly important with the leader in that category making the top 5 at the end of the week in two of the last three years.

Bradley led the putting statistics when winning two years ago but what you do from tee to green is equally as important.

In the last three renewals only one of the fourteen placers have been ranked outside the top 20 in that statistic for the week.

Those making birdies almost every other hole need only apply here and we'll be looking to a winning score beyond 20 under par more than likely.

Below is a look at the stats of the top performers from the last four editions of this tournament.

 

Travelers Championship Tips

 

 

Viktor Hovland at 35/1 (5 Places)

We saw how dangerous a golfer can be following a narrow defeat when Sam Burns was favourite for a long way in the US Open and I'm surprised to see how big Viktor Hovland is this week.

Off the tee and putting looked the two places to concentrate on last week at Oakmont and despite finishing 3rd Hovland ranked 48th off the tee and 55th on the greens.

Instead it was his stellar work with the irons and around the greens that elevated him into the position he was. His victory this year at the Valspar was on a course that demands a little more strategy than most other courses and similarly I think TPC River Highlands could prove fairly suitable given the state of his game right now.

Generally speaking he has been putting well of late and if he can get that club working a little better than last week he's a big danger.

1.5pts each-way V.Hovland  35/1  (1/4 5) Betfred, PricedUp, BetVictor

Jordan Speith at 50/1 (Six Places)

Recent visits to this course have not proven fruitful for Jordan Spieth but there are reasons to believe he may just find some former magic here this week and it looks like he's worth chancing here back at the scene of his 2017 triumph.

Spieth is usually better on courses where imagination and different shot shapes are needed and despite a somewhat sketchy run here since his victory eight years ago this still represents a big opportunity for him.

7th at the memorial was a sign that things are really improving and gaining shots in all departments that week was a huge positive.

 

2nd in approach play last week at Oakmont is a continuation of that fine play and a better week on the greens could have seen him much better than the 23rd place he finished.

Overall in a week where plenty will be weary Spieth needs a win more than most and I expect him to give this a decent shot.

1.5pts each-way J.Spieth  50/1 (1/5 6) General

Sam Burns at 35/1 (Six Places)

Finally I'm going to take the gamble on Sam Burns in the belief that this strong run of form is going to continue this week.

I thought he took defeat very graciously at Oakmont and for the most part took the shocking decision not to give him relief from casual water on Sunday extremely well.

The reaction of the ball off the club face on that shot spoke volumes as to why he asked for a second opinion on that rules decision.

 

A tie for 7th didn't quite do him justice for the week and his fine run of figures can continue once again here in Connecticut.

It remains to be seen whether he's running on empty after the last two weeks but generally speaking US Open contenders have gone well in this a week later and I can't but feel he will have something to prove.

1.5pts each-way S.Burns 35/1 (1/5 6) General