A week after the drama at Pinehurst at one of the best US Opens of all time, the PGA Tour rolls on to Connecticut for the Travelers Championship.
It's the final signature event of the season which means a reduced field featuring the tour's best players. There will be no cut line this week, either, which means the entire field will play all four days regardless of what they shoot on the opening two days.
The big absentee this week is Rory McIlroy. The Northern Irishman led the US Open with three holes to play last week and looked set to end his ten-year major drought. However, two missed putts from inside four feet on 16 and 18 derailed his charge and gifted Bryson DeChambeau the title.
As a member of the LIV Tour, the US Open champ also won't be competing this week which gives others a chance to enjoy the limelight. Whose game is in good shape to take home the final signature event of the season? Here are our Travelers Championship betting tips.
Travelers Championship betting tips
Ludvig Aberg E/W (Ten places) – 14/1
Ludvig Aberg had a solid US Open but it could have been even better. The young Swede led the field after two rounds at Pinehurst and was very much in contention heading into the final day. Unfortunately, he didn't perform to his usual high standards over the weekend but it was still an impressive showing that will stand him in good stead this week.
TPC River Highlands is going to play very differently from Pinehurst. Although both courses are par 70s, River Highlands is shorter in distance and has much softer and ‘normal' greens. While -6 won the US Open last week, the average winning score at the Travelers over the past five years has been -18.
With pars much more straightforward this week, it's going to come down to who can capitalise on birdie opportunities. Aberg ranks inside the top ten on the PGA Tour this season for birdies or better percentage while he is 11th for shots gained on approaches to the green – something that will be imperative for creating birdie and eagle opportunities.
Hideki Matsuyama E/W (Ten places) – 22/1
We backed Hideki Matsuyama for a top-20 finish at the US Open last week and after he finished sixth, we were left regretting not nudging it top-10. The 2021 Masters Champions fared as we predicted around the tricky Pinehurst, scrambling brilliantly around the green and putting well.
His early season wobbles with the flat stick are very much a thing of the past and after playing at Memorial and the US Open in successive weeks, his fitness appears to be improving, too. Matsuyama ranks third on shots gained from tee to green this season – a stat that has proved vital TPC Highlands last year.
His recent form has been fantastic, finishing no worse than 12th in his last five appearances. He is also a winner already this season, after winning the Genesis Invitational.
Russell Henley E/W (Ten places) – 28/1
The low-scoring nature of TPC Highlands means that it often comes down to who is the best putter in the field. At the US Open last week, nobody in the field putted better than Henley who finished in a tie for 7th at Pinehurst.
He topped the charts for shots gained with a putter, a hugely impressive feat given how hazardous the greens were last week. In theory, this should mean he finds the greens at River Highlands very straightforward which should put him in contention if his iron game is adequate. On the season, he is 6th on the tour for total putting.
In terms of results this season, he has five top-ten finishes to his name and there is a feeling that a win is just around the corner.
Andy is tipster who has been calling Golf tournaments for several years across many different platforms. He has covered all tournaments from the Asian Tour to the Masters.
