We tried to manifest a win at the U.S. Open and did just that! In one of the most memorable finishes I have ever witnessed at a major, Bryson DeChambeau outlasted Rory McIlroy and won his second U.S. Open. It was a Sunday that I will never forget.
It also cost me $100 in cash, as I told all of my nieces and nephews that I’d give them $20 each if DeChambeau made that final putt on 18. They were just as excited as I was!
To recap the week, we hit the DeChambeau outright for $380 and the Russell Henley top 20 for $75. We are back baby!
This is a weird spot in the PGA Tour schedule with the U.S. Open sandwiched between two signature events this season. Except for Rory McIlroy (who withdrew from the Travelers Championship on Monday), all of the PGA Tour's best will tee it up three weeks in a row. We could certainly see some fatigue set in, especially for those in contention over the last two weeks.
This might be a hot take, but I view a missed cut in one of the last two events as a positive, at least from an energy standpoint heading into this week’s event.
TPC River Highlands is one of the shortest courses on the PGA Tour as a 6,835-yard par-70. Due to the lack of length and the fact that the fairways narrow significantly at 300 yards from tee boxes, this is a rare week where accuracy is more important than distance.
A combination of both is obviously preferred, but this is an event where any type of golfer can contend. We’ve seen quite the mix of winners here over the last five years with Keegan Bradley (-23 in 2023), Xander Schauffele (-19 in 2022), Harris English (-13 in 2021), Dustin Johnson (-19 in 2020) and Chez Reavie (-17 in 2019) all claiming victories in Connecticut.
The greens here are small in size at just 5,000 square feet but are easy to hit. In 2023, the field hit 73% of greens in regulation. This lessens the importance of around the green play without as many scrambling opportunities as at most courses. The greens also feature a mix of bentgrass and poa annua grass.
This has always been more of an approach and putting test. In order to win this week, someone will need to get hot with his irons and putter.
Let’s try to find another winner.
- Starting bankroll: $1,000
- Last week: +355
- Current bankroll: $586
2024 Travelers Championship Predictions
Viktor Hovland
Outright Winner +2000 (DraftKings) | Top 5 +425 (bet365)
$10 to pay $210 | $20 to pay $120
Viktor Hovland is not a popular pick this week because he’s coming off a missed cut at the U.S. Open. While not ideal, he didn’t have to grind out 36 more holes of difficult golf over the weekend.
It’s also worth pointing out that he fired a two-under 68 on Friday and nearly missed the cut on the number. We can forgive him for a single bad round, especially since he gained strokes off the tee, on approach and putting for the week.
Around the green has always been his biggest weakness, but that shouldn’t be a major issue if he’s hitting 80% of these greens in regulation this week. He’s a strong total driver of the ball, he’s a top-five iron player in the field, and he’s an above-average putter.
I love the outright price on Hovland in this limited field.
Tom Kim
Outright Winner +5500 (bet365) | Top 10 +400 (bet365)
$10 to pay $560 | $20 to pay $100
Tom Kim was my first bet of the week. After a lackluster fall and spring, he is finally starting to show signs of life on the PGA Tour. He’s finished in a tie for 26th or better in four of his last five starts, and his underlying statistics are encouraging.
He’s gained at least 2.4 strokes off the tee in four of his last five events (mostly thanks to accuracy) and has gained 10.6 strokes on approach in his last three events combined.
His game should really set up well for TPC River Highlands because he’s accurate, he’s a strong iron player, and he can have splash weeks with the flatstick. In his debut here last year, he finished in a tie for 38th and gained 6.2 strokes ball-striking.
Russell Henley
Top 10 +260 (FanDuel)
$20 to pay $72
There’s a chance I add a small position on Russell Henley to win this week, but my big bet on him is to finish in the top 20. He has quietly finished in the top 20 in 10 of his last 19 starts, and many of those were in full fields. This week he’s only competing against 71 other golfers.
He should love the way this course sets up for his game because he’s accurate off the tee, he’s one of the best iron players, and he’s quietly having an excellent season on the greens.
He has strong course history at TPC River Highlands with finishes in the top 20 at this event in back-to-back years and in four of his last six trips to Connecticut.
Corey Conners
Top 20 +125 (bet365)
$20 to pay $45
Corey Conners is an absolute flusher. He’s one of the best total drivers on Tour and has gained at least three strokes on approach in eight of his last 11 starts.
The problem is that his short game often forgets to show up. The positives on that front are that he’s gained around the green in three straight and has gained on the greens in two of his last three starts at the Travelers Championship.
His iron play alone could carry him to a top-20 finish in a field with only 72 golfers. He finished in a tie for ninth here last year and has finished in the top 20 in four of his last five starts on Tour.
