2021 Travelers Championship: PGA Tour Betting Odds
Bryson DeChambeau is favoured on the golf odds.
All tournaments the week after a major championship suffer in field quality, but the Travelers Championship really has travel issues working against it because the U.S. Open was in San Diego on the opposite coast. That said, there are a few big names in the field, including five of the world’s Top 10 – although not Sunday’s U.S. Open winner Jon Rahm, who has replaced Dustin Johnson as the world No. 1.
This event debuted in 1952 and has been held at TPC River Highlands since 1984. It’s a par 70 measuring a short 6,841 yards. The signature holes are 15-17, which are built around a lake.
It’s going to take double digits under par to win and probably closer to -20 than -10. The 72-hole record is 258 by Kenny Perry in 2009, and Jim Furyk shot the first-ever 58 on Tour in the fourth round in 2016 – yet didn’t even win. The lowest score on the PGA Tour by an amateur ever was a 60 at this event by current pro Patrick Cantlay in 2011.
The 2020 tournament was the first to be staged in its normal spot on the schedule after the COVID shutdown, so it got a better field than usual. Current world No. 2 Johnson shot a final-round 67 to win by a shot over Kevin Streelman. DJ finished at 19-under 261, and he was the fourth straight American to win the tournament. Streelman had a 37-foot birdie try on 18 to force a playoff that ended up just short and right.
The last repeat winner of the Travelers Championship was Phil Mickelson in 2002. Billy Casper holds the record with four wins, but Bubba Watson leads active players with three (2010, ’15, ’18). Watson is +5000 this week.
Travelers Championship Golf Betting Odds
Bryson DeChambeau has opened as the slight +1000 favourite over Dustin Johnson (+1100). DeChambeau was in position to win the U.S. Open for the second year in a row Sunday heading to his back-nine but the big hitter imploded with a 44 and finished T26. He has finished Top 10 in this event the past three years.
Johnson finished T19 on Sunday at the U.S. Open. Prior to winning the 2020 Travelers Championship, he hadn’t played this event since a T31 in 2014.
Brooks Koepka is +1400 with Patrick Cantlay and Paul Casey both +1600. Koepka always contends in majors these days and finished T4 on Sunday. His best result in four trips to this event is T9. Cantlay was T15 on Sunday and has been Top 15 the past three years at the Travelers. Casey was T7 on Sunday and has been runner-up here twice: 2018 & ’15.
No Canadian has won this event. Dave Barr was a co-runner-up in 1988 when he and Joey Sindelar lost in a playoff to Mark Brooks.
Last year, Mackenzie Hughes was the first-round leader after a career-low 60. His 40-foot birdie attempt on his final hole for a 59 came up short. Hughes would finish T3, two behind Johnson. Roger Sloan was T66, while Corey Conners and David Hearn missed the cut.
Hughes was a co-leader after 54 holes of the U.S. Open but his final round went down the drain when he hit a ball into a tree at Torrey Pines on the par-3 11th that led to a double bogey. Hughes would shoot 77 and finish T15. Adam Hadwin was T40, while Conners and Taylor Pendrith missed the cut. Hughes is +10000 this week with Hadwin +15000, Nick Taylor +25000, Sloan +35000 and David Hearn +40000.
Travelers Championship Golf Predictions
Take DeChambeau and Casey for Top 10s, but the winner at +2800 is Mexico’s Abraham Ancer. He missed the cut at the U.S. Open, which could definitely be a good thing, but had been playing really well entering. He has been 11th and eighth his past two trips to this event.