Fantasy Golf Picks, Odds, and Predictions – 2022 Travelers Championship

Fantasy Golf Picks, Odds, and Predictions for the 2022 Travelers Championship 

Travelers Championship Fantasy Preview

No less a judge than Jack Nicklaus described it as ‘one of the great rounds of golf I have ever seen on the final day of the U.S. Open’, and it’s hard to disagree with that sentiment towards Matt Fitzpatrick’s outstanding victory at The Country Club.

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The Brit had never before won on American soil, and yet ironically he joined Nicklaus in an exclusive club of players that have won the U.S. Amateur and U.S. Open on the same course.

Fitzpatrick found 17/18 greens in regulation on Sunday in testing conditions to frank his win – only the third player, behind Brooks Koepka and Nick Faldo, to achieve that GIR feat in the final round of a major in the past 30 years.

This was a victory that was well and truly earned from a player who admitted he felt immediately at home at The Country Club – so much so he stayed with the same host family that gave him board and lodgings for his amateur victory here in 2013. It’s amazing what these omens can do for the mind of the professional golfer….

Away we go then in preparation for the fourth and final major of the year at the British Open in a few weeks. But first up is the annual jaunt to TPC River Highlands for the Travelers Championship.

Last Week’s Fantasy Results

Our horse pick last week at The Country Club was the hot-handed Rory McIlroy who came into Brookline fresh off his RBC Canadian victory.  There was no doubt he was a clear favorite alongside Scottie Scheffler, especially with all of the LIV Tour questions surrounding him – and his eagerness to keep winning. 

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Rory ended up finishing T5; but was in contention all week. Among our other picks was Xander Schauffele, who gave it a good go before falling to T14 to finish out the week.

Travelers Championship Field

Despite how tough the U.S. Open proved to be in Brookline, Massachusetts, a number of the PGA TOUR’s big guns have opted not to take the week off and instead head to Connecticut for the Travelers Championship.

Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy both had a sniff of a chance of winning at The Country Club, and they head a heavyweight cast that also includes Justin Thomas, Brooks Koepka, Patrick Cantlay and Jordan Spieth.

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Fresh from solid showings last week, Xander Schauffele and Sam Burns only help to up the quality quota in the field, while defending champion Harris English also ups his recovery from surgery by trying to retain his title.

Perhaps it will be worth keeping an eye on Chris Gotterup too. The Haskins Award winner, which is handed to the best college golfer around, has turned pro on the back of an excellent ball-striking show – and cut made – at the U.S. Open.

This Week’s Course Preview

It’s official – TPC River Highlands is, at 6,852 yards, one of the shortest golf courses to feature on the PGA TOUR in modern times.

It was the site of a round of 58 from Jim Furyk back in 2016, so you already have an idea of what to expect – this is a layout that is simply there for the taking, despite there being only a pair of Par 5s to work with. 

The fairways are tight, tree-lined and doglegging, but it’s pretty evident that even missing the short grass off the tee is no big deal, with water only in play on five holes as the course winds around a sizable lake.

Originally designed by Robert Ross back in 1929, the likes of Pete Dye and Bobby Weed have been handed the keys to update the layout since, but very little has changed and the winning score is likely to be top side of -15 as long as the wind doesn’t blow too fiercely….more on that shortly.

The Bentgrass/Poa Annua greens are a decent size, generally, and receptive, and they conclude a number of holes – including the two Par 5s and two Par 4s (two and fifteen) that measure less than 350 yards in length….indeed the fifteenth, which is just 296 yards, saw a staggering 176 birdies made last year. That’s more than the Par 5 sixth!

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Weather Forecast for Cromwell, CT

It can get quite blustery in this corner of Connecticut from time to time, but the signs are that the 2022 edition of the Travelers Championship will be played out in a breeze of no more than 10mph – according to the early forecast, at least.

A slightly cooler Thursday (75˚F) soon gives way to a glorious trio of days where the mercury could reach 84˚F come Sunday. 

There is some rain around, according to those early predictions anyway, with Thursday and Friday expected to be the worst culprits. That is certainly something to keep an eye on prior to making your drafts…. 

CROMWELL WEATHER

Last Year’s Results from the Travelers Championship

It was hard work, but eventually Harris English got over the line in what was the second-longest playoff contest in PGA TOUR history.

English, who had already won last season at the Tournament of Champions, was locked in battle with Kramer Hickok, and it would take them eight extra holes to determine the champion – English, with a five-foot birdie, finally getting the job done.

That pair were locked at -13 after 72 holes, with English making a clutch birdie at the last to join Hickok on the winning mark. They were one clear of Marc Leishman in solo third, who in turn was a shot ahead of Abraham Ancer in solo fourth. 

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Where to Play Fantasy Golf for the Travelers Championship this Week

Given that there’s no single profile of player we should be drafting this week, we can make a case that the Travelers Championship isn’t the most fertile of ground for DFS gamers. That said, there’s still opportunities that abound courtesy of an eclectic slate of risk-and-reward contests:

• PGA $350k Micro Drive the Green: With more than 83,000 entries, you’ll have plenty of competition in this $5 contest, but with low overheads you can put together a handful of lineups from our recommended players and increase your chances of landing the $50k top prize.

• PGA $1M Pitch & Putt: If you do settle on a lineup that you’re happy with, why not try your luck in what could effectively be a ‘one and done’ entry – for $20, you’ll get a chance to play for the $250k top prize. 

New DraftKings Customers – Use Code GOLFICITY at DraftKings.com 

This Week’s Fantasy Notes for the Travelers Championship

When the last three winners of an event have been Harris English, Dustin Johnson and Chez Reavie, you know there’s little in the way of consensus to work with.

English and Reavie are GIR merchants – the former a solid putter as well, while DJ is all about hitting bombs and nudging short-range approaches close.

Intriguingly, shot-shaping supremo Bubba Watson and former putting stallion Jordan Spieth have also enjoyed success at TPC River Highlands, so there is no obvious profile of player to look out for.

It’s perhaps one of those weeks where form at correlating venues is crucial. When looking at the characteristics of TPC River Highlands, we might consider Colonial – another short, tight doglegging layout – to have some worth.

TPC Sawgrass is a short track that favors shot shapers, Riviera is a tight doglegging course with Poa Annua greens and TPC Southwind, home to the often-renamed St Jude, requires players to have some class with their mid-range irons between 125-175 yards – a confirmed trait of River Highlands.

Put all that into the mix, as well as a fondness for putting on Poa Annua, and you might just come up with a successful draft this week.

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Our Top 5 (and Top 2 Sleeper) Fantasy Picks and Odds to Win the Travelers Championship  

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Top 5 Picks/Odds to Win the Travelers Championship 

Top Tier Pick #1:

Rory McIlroy (Odds: 10/1, FPPG: 88.4, GPFP: 108.77 Salary: $11,000)

This will be Rory’s sixth start in just eight weeks, and the Irishman is in danger of running himself into the ground.

But before he signs off for a well-earned break, we have to fancy him to make mincemeat of a golf course that can yield to the classiest of operators who possess quality in abundance off the tee.

McIlroy has been delivering a shot-making clinic week in, week out on the PGA TOUR, and his epic ball-striking was matched by a sublime week on the (Poa Annua) greens of The Country Club at the U.S. Open – statistically speaking, nobody in the field putted better.

Three trips to TPC River Highlands have yielded a formline of 11-12-17, and so McIlroy can make it work here – as he did at the short, and occasionally less-than-driver, TPC Sawgrass when winning the PLAYERS Championship in 2019.

Yes he’s the big dog, yes he’s probably the chalk pick, but it’s very difficult to come up with reasons not to draft Rory this week. 

Key Stats:

• SG: Off-the-Tee – 3rd
• Birdie Average – 11th
• SG: Approach – 20th

Top Tier Pick #2:

Sungjae Im (Odds: 33/1, FPPG: 76.4, GPFP: 64.14 Salary: $9,700)

Sungjae Im found himself on the wrong side of the draw bias at the U.S. Open, and he would ultimately miss the cut on the number.

But we’re not unduly worried about that, especially as the Korean is an excellent driver of the ball who tends to save his best putting days for Poa Annua greens.

A T8 at The Masters, T10 at the Memorial and T15 at the correlating Colonial Country Club show how well Im is striking the ball right now, and he can bounce back from a missed weekend in Massachusetts at the first time of asking.

Key Stats:

• SG: Tee-to-Green – 9th
• Total Driving – 11th
• Birdie Average – 36th

Mid-Tier Pick #1:

Marc Leishman (Odds: 55/1, FPPG: 70.9, GPFP: 70.85 Salary: $8,400)

A confidence-boosting T14 finish at the U.S. Open will set Marc Leishman up rather nicely for a tilt at the Travelers Championship.

He has a stack of course form to call upon, including victor at TPC River Highlands in 2012, and has shown up nicely at the myriad of correlating layouts we have already referred to.

Leishman has been consistent but not spectacular this season, but as mentioned he enjoys these conditions and is typically very good when putting on Poa Annua greens – there’s plenty of reasons to be cheerful then, not least that much improved tee-to-green showing at the U.S. Open. 

Key Stats:

• SG: Putting – 12th
• Birdie Average – 34th
• SG: Approach – 57th

Mid-Tier Pick #2:

Joel Dahmen (Odds: 125/1, FPPG: 62.0, GPFP: 49.56 Salary: $7,700)

Dahmen was in a typically self-deprecating mood while leading the U.S. Open after 36 holes before settling for a T10 return, but you wonder when the penny will drop that he deserves his place in the upper echelons of the sport.

At his best, as he probably was at The Country Club, Dahmen is a superb ball-striker, and with plenty of form at our correlating courses this week he is a must pick as a result.

The DFS salary-makers and sportsbooks have barely recognized his achievements last week, but their loss could certainly be our gain if he follows up with another strong showing.

Key Stats:

• Driving Accuracy – 35th
• Scrambling – 38th
• Birdie Average – 86th

Low-Tier Pick:

Charley Hoffman (Odds: 225/1, FPPG: 46.6, GPFP: 55.50 Salary: $6,500)

It’s a pick from way downtown, given his complete lack of form, but there have been signs of improvement from Charley Hoffman of late.

He was in excellent ball-striking form at the Charles Schwab Challenge, where a wretched final round of 78 undid the good work he had offered up until then.

A respectable T35 at the Canadian Open, where he opened up with a pair of 68s, should keep the good times flowing, and a player with plenty of form at our correlating courses – and, of course, a Californian putting on Poa Annua – has to be respected even allowing for his poor results recently.

Key Stats:

• Approaches from 150-175 yards – 90th
• Approaches from 125-150 yards – 98th
• Birdie Average – 103rd

Sleeper Pick for the Travelers Championship

C.T. Pan (Odds: 140/1, FPPG: 63.1, GPFP: 50.44 Salary: $7,300)

It comes as no surprise or coincidence that C.T. Pan’s two top-10s on TOUR this term have come at venues with Poa Annua greens.

He is an excellent tee-to-green merchant who finds the dark arts of the flat stick still difficult to unravel, and so we have to assume he feels instantly more confident when rolling the rock on Poa Annua.

A lack of length won’t prove too damaging for Pan at one of the PGA TOUR’s shortest layouts, and otherwise we are availing ourselves of a player that ranks nicely on TOUR for both SG: Approach and Scrambling – a prior top-10 shows he can make it work at TPC River Highlands when on song.

Key Stats:

• SG: Approach – 44th
• Scoring Average – 66th
• Scrambling – 68th

Alternative Sleeper Pick for the Travelers Championship

Ryan Palmer (Odds: 160/1, FPPG: 52.8, GPFP: 59.61 Salary: $7,300)

To bag a real high quality sleeper pick, sometimes you have to dig a bit deeper into golf’s great stash of numbers and stats.

A strokeplay formline of MC-40-MC-5-MC doesn’t exactly scream ‘draft me’, but the positive signs for Ryan Palmer are that he was in sublime form at the AT&T Byron Nelson – ranking joint-first for birdies made, and at our correlating course of Colonial he made a very competitive opening pair of 69s for the Charles Schwab Challenge.

Those scrabbling around for other reasons to pick Palmer will note that he is a top-class driver of the ball who has played well at our correlating courses in recent times, and there are plenty of worse options than the Texan at this budget price point.

Key Stats:

• SG: Off-the-Tee – 32nd
• Greens in Regulation – 46th
• Approaches from 125-150 yards – 73rd

This Week’s Sample Fantasy Lineup

Note: Sample lineups provided as examples only.  Be sure to mix-and-match players to best fit individual contests.

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Fantasy Golf Predictions This Season (2021-2022)

[skill_bar heading=”Total Top 3s” percent=”3.46%” bar_text=8 out of 231 picks” style=”background-color: #5fb341″][skill_bar heading=”Total Top 10s” percent=”20.34%” bar_text=”47 out of 231 picks” style=”background-color: #5fb341″][skill_bar heading=”Total Top 25s” percent=”35.06%” bar_text=81 out of 231 picks” style=”background-color: #5fb341″][skill_bar heading=”Total Winners Picked” percent=”21.21%” bar_text=”7 out of 33 events” style=”background-color: #5fb341″][skill_bar heading=”Total Runners-Up Picked” percent=”12.50%” bar_text=”4 out of 33 events” style=”background-color: #5fb341″][skill_bar heading=”Total Made Cuts (Includes Sleepers)” percent=”67.09″ bar_text=”155 out of 231 picks” style=”background-color: #5fb341″]

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