A post-major tourney seldom has much to offer in the way of golf betting powerhouses, but certain big names have a lot to make up for in the 2017 Travelers Championship following a disappointing US Open – it’s either that or beat a hasty retreat to their Fortresses of Solitude like a certain World Number 1 to replenish their mojos. Here are some of the favorites to be victorious at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Connecticut.
Jordan Spieth
Spieth is set to make his Travelers Championship debut after finishing tied for 35th at the US Open – his fifth straight finish outside the top 10 in a major tournament. Spieth shot an opening round of 73 and a third round of 76, and only really got going in the final round, shooting 69. Now if only manages to sustain the momentum well into the Travelers he may have a shot at winning his second event of the 2017 season.
Rory McIlroy
McIlroy will be debuting in the Travelers Championship as well. Perhaps they should rename it to the Redemption Championship. Wee Mac shot 78 in the first round and was cut from the US Open for the second consecutive year. The Northern Irish golfer had not missed a cut this year. Former PGA and Players Championship winner Steve Elkington accused McIlroy of being “bored playing golf.” Well, if people who bet on golf get bored watching it, it’s only fair he gets bored playing it. Nah, just kidding; golf is the thinking man’s ball sport.
Jason Day
Day was the second golf betting favorite who missed the cut in the US Open (the third one shall remain nameless but here’s a hint: his initials are DJ). However, unlike Spieth and McIlroy, Day has already popped his Traveler Championship cherry. He tied for 27th in 2008 in his PGA Tour rookie year, and tied for 8th place in 2014. The World Number 4 had a dismal opening round in Erin Hills, which Sky Sports.com likened to “a bad day at the office.” Wait… was that a pun, or just bad taste?
Justin Thomas
In a refreshing change of pace, Thomas had his best finish in a major tournament ever at the 2017 US Open, tying for 9th place. He had previously finished T4 in the Memorial Tournament. Thomas had quite the qualitative leap as far the Travelers Championship goes in 2016, finishing in a tie for 3rd place following a T30 in 2015 and missing the cut in 2014.
Paul Casey
The English golfer was the runner-up in the 2015 edition of this tourney and is coming off a T26 finish in the US Open. Casey has 13 career wins on the European Tour but only two in American soil, so people who bet on golf might want to keep that mind.
Russell Knox
And now for your accustomed golf betting long shot, the 2010 and 2016 winner of the Travelers Championship Russell Knox. Only Billy Casper has won this tournament more than twice – in the 60s and 70s when it was known as the Insurance City Open Invitational and the Sammy Davis Jr.-Greater Hartford Open – and only Phil Mickelson has won it back-to-back (2001-2002).