The next step on the PGA Tour after a week of pure carnage on Long Island is Cromwell, Connecticut for the Travelers Championship.
The Travelers has been gaining steam in terms of star-power in recent years due to its fan-friendly atmosphere and relatively straight-forward course design. With the U.S. Open only two hours away from Cromwell, the decision for many golfers to make the trip north was simple.
The Course
TPC River Highlands is the shortest track on Tour topping out at 6,841 yards from the tournament tees. It grades out as a Par 70, which means golfers have a chance to really shoot low here. Jim Furyk shot a TOUR-record 58 here only a few years ago.
As is the case with many Pete Dye courses, distance off the tee does not provide golfers with a major advantage here. Most drives that land between 270-310 yards will likely leave golfers with an approach shot of fewer than 150 yards.
For that reason alone, I will be targeting players that A) consistently find the fairway B) players that rank well at approach shots of 150 yards or less. Accuracy will play a much bigger factor than any other aspect of one’s game.
Players to Target
Keegan Bradley $7,900
I expect for Bradley to be overlooked this week because of his recent missed cut at Shinnecock, which is excellent if you are playing in large-scale tournaments. Bradley considers the Travelers championship as a ‘home-game’ since he is from New England and the course really caters to his skill-set. Bradley ranks first in the field on approach shots between 100-150 yards, which is obviously important here. I think he will contend for a victory if he putts at even an average-rate.
Patrick Reed $10,000
Reed nearly carded his second consecutive major last week on Long Island so he is in excellent form entering this week. He has flashed signs of success at the Travelers in the past, with a T5 here last season. Quick anecdote about Reed: A fan told him earlier in the week that he bet on Reed to win at the Travelers, and Reed responded with “Good. Because I’m pissed off about last week.”
Paul Casey $9,600
It is rare to see Casey priced this high but this course suits him very well and he’s flashed great form in 2018. He finished second here in 2015, fifth in 2017 and has entered the final round at sixth or better in all three of his visits to Cromwell. I don’t love the price-point, but his game makes him hard to ignore.
Vaughn Taylor $6,900
If you are going to pay up for some of the bigger names, you will have to target players like Taylor in the lower tiers. Taylor is one of the best wedge players on Tour, as he ranks in the top 10 statistically in approaches from 50-75 yards, 75-100 yards, and approaches from 50-125 yards. For the price, he’s worth a shot.
Luke List $7,900
If you are a veteran of PGA DFS, you know all about Luke List already. He is an analytical darling, ranking near the top of almost every important statistical category in 2018. He has yet to break through with a victory thus far but it feels like his time is close. He ranks 17th in Strokes Gained: around the green, which is an important statistic needed to win at this course. He’s also very reasonable at $7,900.
Shane Davies is a correspondent at FantasyPros. For more from Shane, check out his archive and follow him @SBDAVIES7.
