The PGA Championship this week heralds the second Major of the campaign, and just like the intense media scrutiny Rory McIlroy experiences in the build-up to the Masters, all eyes will be on Jordan Spieth as he attempts to etch himself into the history books.
The dust has settled on an absorbing US Open and the PGA Tour resumes duties this week with the Travelers Championship which comes from TPC River Highlands in Connecticut.
Matt Fitzpatrick will take a well-deserved break after his exploits at Brookline where he landed his maiden Major, but there is still a spectacular field.
Of the must-watch groups for Round 1 to pay attention to, includes the 1 pm tee-off, which sees world No.1 Scottie Scheffler play alongside Jordan Spieth and Zach Johnson.
We could see some low scores posted this week, judged by the following stats:
- Jim Furyk shot the lowest 18-hole round at the Travelers (a 58) in the final round in 2016.
- Kenny Perry holds the 72-hole record (258) which he posted in 2009.
- TPC River Highlands is one of the shortest courses on the Tour (6,852 yards).
- Harris English – the defending champion – was involved in the second-longest playoff in PGA Tour history last year when he required eight holes to pip Kramer Hickok to the title.
With all roads leading to The 150th Open in St Andrews next month, the Travelers will make for compelling viewing for avid golf fans and sports bettors alike. We have done the groundwork for you by selecting a couple of tips for you to explore.
Scottie Scheffler to make up for US Open near miss
There were a few loose shots at the US Open and there were some troubles on the back nine in the third round, but the Travelers should be an eminently more inviting course and Scheffler could make amends.
At Brookline, Scheffler finished one shot (-5) shy of Fitzpatrick’s total in T2, but the American has been in fabulous form this season, with victories at the Masters, World Golf Championships Dell Technologies Match Play and the Arnold Palmer Invitational which are all coveted tournaments.
TPC River Highlands could be a bit of a birdie fest as it is a par 70 and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Scheffler enter the winner’s circle one again this weekend.
BetMGM is pricing Scheffler to win at +1000 as joint favorite alongside Rory McIlroy and this is certainly worth following up on.
Sam Burns primed for another solid week
If there’s one player that has caught our eye, then it is Sam Burns. It has been an extraordinary breakthrough season for Burns, who achieved a respectable T27 finish at the US Open and he is on an upward trajectory.
Of the stats that stand out the most so far from this campaign, includes greens in regulation percentage (70.27%), which sits him in fifth spot, while he is fourth for birdie average (4.43).
Burns may only be 25, but he has been playing with a wisdom beyond years and he can rarely be faulted for his shot selection.
Although he may fall short this week, Burns could have yet another solid week and a top-5 finish could be on the cards. BetMGM is dishing up tempting odds of +190 for Burns to finish in the top 5 come Sunday if you like the look of that price.
Expect added drama
While English’s drawn-out playoff win last year was quite unusual by all accounts, additional holes this time around aren’t beyond the realms of possibility.
There have been three playoffs in the past seven years at the Travelers Championships and we could well end up bearing witness to another one this weekend. If you want to lean towards the Winning Margin market, you can get a price of +350 with SugarHouse for the champion to be proclaimed following the conclusion of a playoff which could be worth jumping on.
