After an incredible U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2, there's another signature event on the PGA Tour this week with the 2024 Travelers Championship!
TPC River Highlands always provides a ton of drama and a great finish. This is the second consecutive year that the Travelers Championship is a Signature Event, which makes it a very important One & Done week with the purse being significantly higher than a normal PGA Tour event.
Usually, these signature events are played on longer and tougher golf courses, but TPC River Highlands doesn't fit the norm. This short par-70 is usually won at 20-under par or lower. Since this tournament is played on such a short golf course, it really brings the entire field into play.
Both bombers like Brooks Koepka who hit the ball a long way and plotters like Chez Reavie who excel with driving accuracy have both contended here, including last year where Reavie and Zac Blair were among the shorter hitters in contention. This really shows that there is no style of play that can dictate success in Cromwell, Connecticut.
Golfers who hit their wedges the closest or roll the most 15-foot birdie putts will come out on top this week.
Let's take a look at some of the best 2024 Travelers Championship One & Done Picks for your OAD Pool.
2024 Travelers Championship One & Done (OAD) Picks
Collin Morikawa +1600
Collin Morikawa has to pay off his current incredible run of golf soon with a win, and TPC River Highlands should highlight his strengths.
The six-time PGA Tour winner gained strokes across the board at the U.S. Open this past weekend, and he's now gained across the board in three straight events. His putter is also as hot as ever after gaining strokes on the field in six of his last seven tournaments. This is important because Morikawa's putter has historically been his biggest weakness throughout his career.
While Morikawa rolling in 20+ birdie putts is not something he does often, he did in fact accomplish this feat last summer in Detroit when he lost in a playoff at the Rocket Mortgage Classic at 24-under par. Both Detroit Golf Club and TPC River Highlands have the same grass types on the greens, so he should feel comfortable this week on the putting surfaces.
His course history is not great here, which will hopefully keep his ownership down. His game fits this golf course perfectly as he is a very accurate driver of the golf ball and an elite wedge player.
Morikawa is a great selection at the top of the board for your Travelers Championship One & Done pool.
Sahith Theegala +3500
I really do appreciate Sahith Theegala's fight after the awful start on Thursday Pinehurst. The Pepperdine product started seven over par after six holes in the first round of the U.S. Open but battled back to make the cut and play the final 66 holes of the championship at even par as he tied for 32nd.
After speaking with Theegala's caddie Carl Smith ahead of the event, I quickly realized that Theegala's aggression would be a detriment around Pinehurst. Simply put, golfers who fire at too many pins at Pinehurst No. 2 are in for a long week.
On the other hand, his aggressive nature can surely lead him to success on a Pete Dye golf course like TPC River Highlands where the winning score will likely be lower than -20. That is what Theegala does best, and he has shown it on this course before when he tied for second here in 2022, which was sort of a coming-out party for him.
Theegala's ball-striking has been so much more consistent this season, which has been a major improvement compared to past years. As he gets older, he gets a lot sharper, and this is a great spot for Theegala to pick up his second win.
Denny McCarthy +9000
Denny McCarthy has not had the best 2024, but this is surely a spot where he will be dialed in. McCarthy is one of the shorter hitters on Tour and is at a disadvantage on a majority of Tour courses.
McCarthy does his best work with the wedges and putter, which is exactly what TPC River Highlands rewards most. McCarthy posted a top 10 in this event last year in his best ball-striking week of 2023.
When you think about it, it really makes sense because this is one of the few courses that really suits McCarthy's game for 72 holes. He is a sneaky contrarian pick to help you pick up ground this week in your One & Done pools.
