Ethan’s Picks: Travelers Championship

The PGA Tour heads to TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Connecticut, for the Travelers Championship. For any concerns about LIV taking top-tier talent from the PGA, fear no longer: five of the top 10 players in the world will be teeing it up here this weekend.

The course measures only about 6,840 yards and plays as a par-70. Like the U.S. Open last week, the course contains thick, rough, small greens and relies heavily on accuracy over distance. Staying clear of rough and hitting fairways will be the key to success here.

The field does not include last week’s U.S. Open winner, Matt Fitzpatrick, or runner-up Will Zalatoris but big names like Scottie Scheffler, Rory Mcllroy, and Justin Thomas.

Without further ado, let’s reveal traveler championship odds and past winners:

Travelers Championship Odds:

+1000- Rory Mcllroy

+1000- Scottie Scheffler

+1200- Justin Thomas

+1400- Patrick Cantlay

+1800- Sam Burns

+2000- Xander Shauffele

+2500- Jordan Spieth

Only one of the golfers with the best seven odds has won in the past, and that is Jordan Spieth in 2017 when his game was next level and was taking the tour by storm. In 2017, we saw Spieth chip in here for the win and chest bump his caddie, which was very cool to watch for Spieth fans.

Let’s get into my picks for the week after some solid U.S. Open picks just a week ago. I have no obligation to select from the “tiers” like last week; however, I tried to spread the love from all odds, not just the favored guys. Here are my five picks:

+1000- Scottie Scheffler:

I know I just said that I would try and spread the love on picks across all odds, but I am hypocritical because I love Scottie Scheffler in this tournament. Scottie finished T2 (-5) last week, falling just one stroke behind the leader and tying Zalatoris in second place. He played very well in the U.S. Open last week and found his rhythm in terms of ball striking. I thought Scheffler would join an elite group of golfers who won the U.S. Open and the Masters on the same tour, but he couldn’t find his groove around the green and on the back nine on Sunday. I love having a “bounce back” tournament this week and think he is in the form to exceed expectations.

+1400- Patrick Cantlay:

Cantlay has been very interesting to the golf world this tour because of how amazing he was last year, winning the FedEx Cup. Cantlay started this year solid, then took a dip, and recently started to find his groove again. Cantlay finished T14 last week at Brookline and saved a solid finish despite poor ball striking. I think this is the week where we see 2021 Cantlay come out, the one who can hit putts from anywhere and everywhere. He has four consecutive top 15 finishes in the last four years at The Travelers, and the course is set up just right for Patrick.

+2800- Joaquin Niemann:

The 23-year-old from Chile has had a very up and down 2022 season. Niemann has four top 10 finishes and won The Genesis Invitational in February. Niemann has been in solid form but hasn’t found his putting stroke. He ranks 67th in strokes gained putting, which is relatively alarming, but he has still managed to make cuts and finish in decent spots. Niemann finished T47 at the U.S. Open last week and T3 at the Memorial Tournament a couple of weeks ago. He has made 14 of 18 cuts and is looking to unleash his early-season golf this week in Connecticut.

+4500- Brian Harman:

Brian Harman finished T43 at the U.S. Open last week but led the field coming into Saturday after shooting a 68 on Thursday and a 69 on Friday. Yes, Harman fell off abruptly after shooting a 75 on Saturday and a 76 on Sunday, but I think Harman could utilize this course to favor his skills and attributes. Harman ranks 12th in driver accuracy, which will be a massive advantage this week. As a bonus, Harman has a rich history at this course, with three top-eight finishes in his last five trips.

+5000- Marc Leishman:

Leishman has been in poor form all year and hasn’t had a top 10 finish since early January. However, despite struggling, Leishman has bounced back these past two majors and is starting to find a steady rhythm in his game. Leishman finished T14 at the U.S. Open and T34 at the PGA Championship in May. Yes, Leishman is a long shot, and I likely won’t throw my whole balance on him, but I think his odds add high risk/reward value. Leishman finished 3rd here last year, finished the tournament with a 64 on Sunday, and had his first-ever PGA Tour win here in 2012, defeating Charley Hoffman and Bubba Watson.

These are my picks for the weekend. I am looking forward to watching some incredible golf. Boy, last weekend certainly lived up to the hype. To all my readers out there, if any, thank you for reading this article. Please subscribe to my page at the bottom of the website. I appreciate you more than you know! Until next week…..

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