This article is part of our FanDuel PGA DFS Picks series.
Travelers Championship – Cromwell, CT
TPC River Highlands (6,841 yards, par 70)
$6.8M Purse
$1,224,000 and 500 FedEx Cup points to the winner
Tournament Preview
After a fun U.S. Open at Erin Hills, the PGA Tour swings from the Midwest to Connecticut for the Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands. Among the more popular events on the PGA Tour, the event will host a much deeper field than in years past. Stars like Jordan Spieth, Rory McIlroy, and Jason Day will tee it up, and five of the world's top 15 will be present this week. The par-70 layout features two reachable par-5s, a drivable par 4, and four par-3s that have proven vulnerable to birdies. Expect a thrilling finish and bounce backs from McIlroy and Day, who both missed the cut at the U.S. Open last week.
Prior Decade Champions
2016 – Russell Knox
2015 – Bubba Watson
2014 – Kevin Streelman
2013 – Ken Duke
2012 – Marc Leishman
2011 – Fredrik Jacobsen
2010 – Bubba Watson
2009 – Kenny Perry
2008 – Stewart Cink
2007 – Hunter Mahan
Key Stats to Winning at TPC River Highlands
• Par Breakers percentage
• Par 4 scoring average
• Strokes Gained: Approach-the-Green
Champion's Profile
With an interesting list of both short and long hitters claiming victories in the past, it is clear length has little to do with winning on one of the PGA Tour's shortest courses. Plenty of shorter holes means birdies can come in bunches and are essential to success here, so look for players with high par-breaker percentages as quality candidates. The par-70 course has 12 par-4s on the card, including a drivable one, so the second and third keys are par-4 scoring average and Strokes Gained: Approach-the-Green. Par-4 scoring average is obvious when two-thirds of the holes are par-4 holes, but Strokes Gained: Approach-the-Green requires a bit more explanation. Anytime there's a short course where positioning is key, most players will be salivating over short iron shots all day long. In these situations, players differentiate themselves by stuffing iron shots and converting the close birdies more often than their peers. In the past three years, the top 10 finishers at the Travelers Championship leaderboard have seen nearly 50 percent of their scoring advantage -- the largest portion -- come from Strokes Gained: Approach-the-Green.
FanDuel Value Picks
The Chalk
Rory McIlroy, $10300 – McIlroy inexplicably missed the cut last week after driving the ball poorly, but with a short course this week, he won't need to hit driver that often. Look for the Northern Irishman to rebound and perhaps contend on a more forgiving golf course.
Jordan Spieth, $10100 – Much like his good friend Justin Thomas, Spieth ranks high in par breakers (second) and par-4 scoring (fourth) this season. Though it's his first time at TPC River Highlands, Spieth will take comfort in a style of tournament that compares to the John Deere Classic, a tournament he has won twice in his short career.
Jason Day, $10000 – After last week's early exit, Day has been afforded plenty of time to right the ship and regain his form as world No. 3. Day has appeared twice at this venue, finishing no worse than 27th.
Justin Thomas, $9800 – Thomas wowed last Saturday with the best round in U.S. Open history in relation to par, posting a nine-under 63. This week could again see similar scoring from the young star, who leads the PGA Tour in both par breakers and par-4 scoring this season. To make things even more appetizing, Thomas tied for third at last year's Travelers and will look to break through for his fifth career win, and first on the U.S. mainland.
Longer Shots Worth a Risk
Bubba Watson, $8500 – It's hard to comprehend the poor play Watson has exhibited this season, but if he is going to turn it around, there is no better place than TPC River Highlands. Watson has been victorious here twice and has notched three more top-6 finishes in 10 career starts.
Marc Leishman, $8300 – Leishman broke through for his first PGA Tour win here in 2012, and has since blossomed into a multiple-tournament winner on Tour with a few close calls in major championships.
Brian Harman, $7700 – Last week's 54-hole leader, who finished as the runner-up, enters this event with redemption on his mind and plenty of form to tackle TPC River Highlands. Harman has made 5-of-6 career cuts in Cromwell, with his best finish being a third in 2015.
Kyle Stanley, $7000 – Though Stanley has made just three of seven cuts at this tournament, 2017 has proven to be his best year ever, statistically speaking. Stanley ranks 22nd in par breakers, 15th in par-4 scoring, and fifth in Strokes Gained: Approach-the-Green. Stanley fits the course mold, enters in good form, and at $7,000, comes in at a value.
Kevin Streelman, $5700 – Streelman closed out his 2014 Travelers Championship victory with seven straight birdies, a feat never before seen for a champion on the PGA Tour. He has since missed the last two cuts at this venue, but represents a solid bargain buy having posted top-20s his last two starts on Tour.
Strategy Tips for this week (based on 60k standard salary cap)
Six of the last 11 winners have made the Travelers their first PGA Tour victory, but this was in large part due to the weak fields this tournament has traditionally seen in recent years. This year there is a much deeper field that is more likely to see a proven winner take the cake, so lean on guys like Spieth and Thomas while sprinkling in some lower-tier players who fit the statistical mold and have quality recent results.
