The PGA Tour heads to TPC at River Highlands for this week's Travelers Championship, which is the eighth and final Signature Event of the season and comes on the back of a gruelling US Open.
Shinnecock Hills Golf Club took no prisoners last week, with Wyndham Clark winning the third Major after finishing on 4-under par, one stroke ahead of Sam Burns and a further shot clear of Tom Kim.
They were the only players to finish under-par for the tournament, evidence of how demanding a test it was in New York, but River Highlands is a much easier assignment and birdies will be easier to come by.
Scottie Scheffler is the 12/1 favourite to be leading after day one, with Tommy Fleetwood, Xander Schauffele and Ludvig Aberg all available at 22/1.
Cameron Young, Matt Fitzpatrick, Sam Burns and Justin Thomas are all priced at 28/1, ahead of 30/1 Si Woo Kim.
Travelers Championship First-Round Leader Tips Summary
Best Bet - J.T. Poston each-way @ 45/1
Alternative Bet - Eric Cole each-way @ 60/1
Alternative Bet - Gary Woodland each-way @ 45/1
Travelers Championship First-Round Leader Prediction
Best Bet: J.T. Poston each-way @ 45/1
American J.T. Poston won the penultimate Signature Event, The Memorial Tournament, two starts back and he followed that up with a tied-fourth finish at the US Open.
The 33-year-old, who is a four-time PGA Tour winner, is up to a career-high world ranking of 32nd and his game appears to be in fine fettle heading to Connecticut.
Although Poston has missed the cut five times at the Travelers, he did finish tied-second in 2022 and he started off in red-hot fashion that year, posting a round of 62 to share the first-round lead with Rory McIlroy.
Poston rounded off the US Open with a Sunday 67, a score bettered by just three players, and he can keep the momentum going from that strong Major performance.
Alternative Bet: Eric Cole each-way @ 60/1
One of the few players in this week's field who didn't tee it up at Shinnecock is Eric Cole, who has been getting closer to breaking his PGA Tour duck and could be in for another strong showing.
The American had a near-miss at the Charles Schwab Challenge, finishing tied-second, while he also had tied-sixth (Myrtle Beach Classic) and eighth-placed (The Memorial Tournament) results on his CV this year.
Cole is seventh in round one scoring average this season and he shared the lead after the opening 18 holes at the RBC Canadian Open on his last start.
Refreshed and ready to go after missing the third Major, the 38-year-old could be in line for a fast start.
Alternative Bet: Gary Woodland each-way @ 45/1
Gary Woodland made a quick start at Shinnecock last week, signing for a round of 67 to sit in a share of third position, and he eventually finished the tournament in tied seventh.
It is the American's second top-10 result from his last three starts - the other coming at the Charles Schwab where he was just one shot off the pace after day one.
Woodland also sat second after the opening 18 holes of the Houston Open and has been in the top 10 after the first round a further four times this season.
The 2019 US Open champion is eighth in round one scoring average and he looks capable of putting in another strong performance from the off.
Key Tournament Stats
The Travelers Championship was established in 1952, when Ted Kroll won by four strokes
TPC at River Highlands hosts the tournament, with the 6,844 yard course a par 70
This is the eighth and final Signature Event of the season, with a purse of $20m
Scottie Scheffler and Austin Eckroat shot rounds of 62 last year to sit tied for the lead after day one
Tom Kim led the way after the opening 18 holes in 2024, when also signing for a round of 62
Denny McCarthy shot a sublime round of 60 to lead the way after round one in 2023
Read more golf betting tips and predictions on site.
This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
