This article is part of our Yahoo PGA DFS Picks series.
Travelers Championship
Cromwell, Connecticut
TPC River Highlands - Par 70 - 6,841 yards
Field - 156 entrants
Purse - $7.4M
The Preview
As it stands, the PGA Tour will march on at the Travelers Championship hosted by TPC River Highlands despite a handful of players and caddies having already tested positive for COVID-19 since the restart, but continue to keep an eye out for early withdrawals ahead of Thursday's first round. A birdie fest broke out at Harbour Town last week as Webb Simpson took advantage of scorable conditions by reaching a tournament-record 22-under-par for his second win of 2020, rising to a career-best fifth in the Official World Golf Ranking as a result. Much more aggressive play off the tee will be featured at TPC River Highlands despite its relatively short 6,841-yard setup, which definitely differs from the two layouts we've seen since the restart at Colonial. Targeting bombers like Bubba Watson has paid dividends throughout the last decade here in Cromwell, and that shouldn't change this week as another 20-under ballpark for the winning score isn't out of the question if the weather remains tame.
Recent Champions
2019 - Chez Reavie
2018 - Bubba Watson
2017 - Jordan Spieth
2016 - Russell Knox
2015 - Bubba Watson
2014 - Kevin Streelman
2013 - Ken Duke
2012 - Marc Leishman
2011 - Fredrik Jacobson
2010 - Bubba Watson
Key Stats to Victory
GIR percentage
SG: Off-the-Tee
P4: 400-450 efficiency
SG: Putting (Poa)
Yahoo Value Picks
Based on $200 salary cap
Cream of the Crop
Bryson DeChambeau - $44
Even at venues like Harbour Town and Colonial CC where a length advantage is restricted, DeChambeau managed to extend his top-10 streak to five consecutive events dating back to the Genesis Invitational. The PGA Tour's leader in SG: Off-the-Tee will finally enjoy an opportunity to let the driver fly this week, looking to boost his current average of 320.5 yards in driving distance. DeChambeau has gained an average of four strokes on approaches during this stretch of top-10s as well, ranking ninth on Tour in birdie average and 13th in GIR percentage. He's a combined 22-under-par at TPC River Highlands since 2018.
Dustin Johnson - $44
Pedestrian results of T17-MC at the RBC Heritage and Charles Schwab Challenge to go along with zero career top-25s at the Travelers should help limit Johnson's ownership at this cost, but he's actually second in SG: Off-the-Tee since the restart and he gained over three strokes on approach last week at Harbour Town. Johnson hit 75 percent of the greens in regulation at Harbour Town on the way to 21 total par-breakers, and a return to Poa greens should benefit him.
Glue Guys
Bubba Watson - $36
Three victories since 2010 here at TPC River Highlands land Watson atop the list of horses for the course this week, but he also arrives with solid recent form as he gained a combined 7.3 strokes from tee to green over the past two weeks. Bubba tied for seventh at the CSC before making another cut at Harbour Town, and he's posted a top-10 performance in nearly half of his 13 career Travelers Championship appearances.
Sergio Garcia - $36
Garcia is quietly second in SG: Tee-to-Green, fourth in SG: Approach and fourth in SG: Around-the-Green since the Tour's return at Colonial CC where the Spaniard MC'd, though he followed that up with a top-5 at the RBC Heritage. Garcia ended his week on Hilton Head Island with three consecutive six-under 65s, ultimately amassing a tournament-best 27 birdies in the process. Additionally, he tied for second at the 2014 Travelers Championship and has finished top-25 on two other occasions here.
Abraham Ancer - $31
Ancer hit all 18 greens in regulation en route to a bogey-free, six-under 64 on Sunday at the RBC Heritage, but Webb Simpson played his last seven holes of the tournament in a collective five-under-par to steal the victory by one thanks to more than 6.5 strokes gained with the putter. Ancer was the better ball-striker, however, leading the entire field in GIR percentage, SG: Approach, proximity from 175-200 yards and driving accuracy throughout the week. He's gained 16.5 strokes on approaches since the restart and notched a top-10 at the 2019 Travelers Championship.
Bargain Bin
Tyler Duncan - $20
Reaching all the way down to the minimum price is a little more risky with a full 156-entrant field, but both Duncan and Doc Redman advanced to play all eight rounds over the last two weeks at the RBC Heritage and Charles Schwab Challenge. Duncan is 20th in SG: Approach and 27th in SG: Tee-to-Green during this span, tallying a pair of top-40s along the way. He's also made the cut in each of his first two trips to Cromwell for the Travelers.
Doc Redman - $20
The aforementioned Redman has been even better with the irons as he ranks second in SG: Approach since the restart, adding a top-25 finish at the RBC Heritage despite losing over four strokes on SG: Around-the-Green and SG: Putting when combining the two short-game metrics. On the season, Redman is top-20 in SG: Approach, driving accuracy, total driving and proximity heading into his TPC River Highlands debut.
