The 124th U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2 proved to be one of the most thrilling and exciting in recent history. Two things can be true at the same time: Rory McIlroy choked away a golden opportunity to win his fifth career major and Bryson DeChambeau hit what he described as the “shot of his life” out of the bunker and 18 to take the victory.

McIlroy withdrew late Monday afternoon from this week’s event and is not scheduled to return to the Tour until he defends his Scottish Open title in July.

Masters champion Scottie Scheffler (4/1) finished a disappointing T-41 at the U.S. Open, but the clear World No. 1 player has won five times already in 2024 and finished 4th at the Travelers last year.

PGA champion Xander Schauffele (8/1) did not have his best at the Open, but still finished a respectable T-7th. Schauffele also won here at the Travelers two years ago in 2022.

Two players reside at the 16/1 price point including Collin Morikawa, who disappointed with a T-14 at Pinehurst, and Ludvig Åberg, who may have finished just T-12, but showed his potential to win multiple future major championships and had the 36-hole lead last weekend.

Patrick Cantlay (25/1) had a bird’s eye view of McIlroy’s collapse having been paired with him in the final round. Cantlay, the first-round co-leader along with McIlroy, could never get closer than 3rd on Sunday and that is where he finished along with Tony Finau (35/1).

Hideki Matsuyama (28/1) finished 6th outright last weekend. Russell Henley (40/1) and Sam Burns (35/1) also finished in the Top 10 with a T-7 and a T-9 respectively.

Aside from Schauffele, other former Travelers winners in this week’s field include last year’s champion Keegan Bradley (50/1), 2021 champion Harris English (80/1), and 2017 champion Jordan Spieth (50/1).

TPC River Highland, near Hartford, plays as a Par 70 of 6,835 yards, which is the 3rd shortest course on the PGA TOUR. Wind is the main defense and the winning score averages out to be in the mid-teens under par.

In terms of the type of player this course favors, there really isn’t a prototype. Shorter hitters have won here as well as bombers. As always, ball striking and hitting greens with regularity are usually a good recipe for success and River Highlands is no exception in that regard.

Patrick Cantlay 20/1
Typically, guys that play the week following a good showing in a major are bet-againsts the very following week, but I am not sure that is the case here with Cantlay.

He ranked 3rd in the U.S. Open field for Strokes Gained: Approach.

Cantlay has not finished lower than 15th in his last six starts here and his 4th last year was his best finish.

Hideki Matsuyama 22/1

Matsuyama comes into this week with consecutive Top 10 finishes (6th U.S. Open; 8th Memorial).

He ranked 3rd last week at Pinehurst for both Scrambling and Strokes Gained: Around The Green.

The irons should be a bit sharper this week.

Corey Conners 30/1

Conners Top 10 (T-9) finish at the U.S. Open last weekend put him past his fellow Canadian Adam Hadwin for the second spot representing his country next month at the Olympics.

He finished in the Top 10 here at Hartford last year and a shorter course that puts a premium on good approach shots should be right up his alley.

Conners ranks 4th over the last 36 rounds for Strokes Gained: Total on Pete Dye designs only behind Scheffler and Schauffele – the two shortest prices on the odds board this week – and TPC River Highlands specialist Brian Harman.

Brian Harman 40/1

Harman finished T-21 at the U.S. Open last week while ranking Top 10 for Strokes Gained: Putting.

He is a proverbial “horse for the course” here with finishes of 2nd, 8th, and 5th here over the last three years, plus three other Top 8 finishes here dating back to 2015.

The Open Champion will defend his Claret Jug next month at Royal Troon and could arrive there as a 2024 PGA TOUR season event winner considering his great run of form here plus this course having a good history of left-handers winning here with Bubba Watson (3) and Phil Mickelson (2) being victorious here on multiple occasions.

Travelers Championship betting at BetMGM

Favorites
▪️ Scottie Scheffler +400
▪️ Xander Schauffele +750
▪️ Collin Morikawa +1000

Highest Ticket%
▪️ Scheffler 10.4%
▪️ Patrick Cantlay 8.3%
▪️ Ludvig Aberg 7.3%

Highest Handle%
▪️ Scheffler 19.2%
▪️ Cantlay 8.4%
▪️ Aberg 7.1%