Here at Odds Trader, we’ll look at this week’s Travelers Championship before betting on it at top-rated sportsbooks.
Picks Summary
- Michael Thorbjornsen to Take First Round Lead (+6000)
- Michael Thorbjornsen to Finish Top 20 (+350)
- Denny McCarthy to Take First Round Lead (+4500)
- Denny McCarthy to Finish Top 20 (+250)
*All odds from Bet365 (check our Bet365 Review)
Travelers Championship
June 20 – 23, 2024 at TPC River Highlands
Course Notes
- TPC River Highlands is a designed-for-purpose PGA Tour track that provides a trappy test of nerve for professionals.
- This tree-lined track is located on a bluff of land above the Connecticut River and was re-designed in 1982 by the esteemed Pete Dye.
- The TPC is one of the shorter tracks on the PGA Tour. A strategic risk/reward test is in keeping with Dye’s other creations. The par score is 70, and at just under 7000 yards, it’s rather short, with greens that are a mix of Bentgrass and Poa Annua
- The strategic approach worked for Jim Furyk in 2016 with a course record of 58, but don’t be fooled into thinking long hitters are prejudiced given Bubba Watson is a three-time winner.
- This year’s renewal is a limited 72-man field no-cut Signature Event, and interestingly, looks wide open given this is the sort of track not overpowered by the modern golfers on the PGA Tour, plus many players will be fatigued after last week’s U.S. Open at the highly demanding Pinehurst No. 2.
Can Thorbjornsen Begin With a Bang?
This week sees the long-awaited professional debut for Michael Thorbjornsen after a star-studded amateur career that saw him reach a World Amateur Ranking best of #2 in an era that’s produced the likes of Ludvig Aberg.
The two were great rivals on the collegiate/amateur circuit and one of Thorbjornsen’s wild card entries into professional events was here in 2022 when he finished a mighty impressive 4th.
That pedigree and cross over from top amateur to pro is becoming more common in the modern game, and it was only at the start of the year that Nick Dunlap won the Amex at (+100000) as an amateur and immediately turned professional.
From Bed to Birdies
So, where has the Cleveland, Ohio player been since finishing 4th here in 2022? Well, he has been suffering from injuries and nine months ago was confined to bed for several weeks after surgery on his left heel and suffering a stress fracture of the back.
2024 has seen Thorbjornsen back to full fitness and he finished an impressive 11th at the Dubai Desert Classic after a wild card entry on the DP World Tour.
Still, only twenty-two, the Stanford graduate could hit the ground running this week at a track that holds special memories. We suggest betting on Michael Thorbjornsen in first round leader and top 20 markets at this week’s Travelers Championship.
Golf Pick: Michael Thorbjornsen to Take First Round Lead (+6000) at Bet365
Golf Pick: Michael Thorbjornsen to Finish Top 20 (+350) at Bet365
Why Is Denny an Underrated Prop Bet This Week?
We believe that Denny McCarthy has an underrated profile for the props markets at this week’s Travelers Championship.
Last week at Pinehurst No. 2 for the U.S. Open was something of an eye-catcher for a thirty-one-year-old from Takoma Park in Maryland with his iron play looking razor sharp. Unusually for McCarthy, his flat stick let him down with a below-average putting performance.
McCarthy has one strong piece of previous form at TPC River Highlands last season when he finished 7th after he opened with a round of 60, only to fall away over the weekend.
That came hot on the heels of a U.S. Open and that shows McCarthy can produce the week after a tough test. His putting is normally his strongest suit with his second place in the Strokes Gained Putting stats over the season, and a return to that status quo this week would see him contending.
McCarthy is something of an unlucky PGA maiden with two sudden death play-off losses in the last two years and he is due a breakthrough.
We believe that breakthrough could happen this week, but for betting purposes, we are taking the easier option of a top 20 props bet with another first round leader wager.
Golf Pick: Denny McCarthy to Take First Round Lead (+4500) at Bet365
Golf Pick: Denny McCarthy to Finish Top 20 (+250) at Bet365
*The line and/or odds referenced in this article might have changed since the content was published. For the latest information on line movements, visit OddsTrader’s free betting odds tool.
*21+ Seek help with a gambling addiction at 1-800-Gambler