Dustin Johnson ruled the 2020 Travelers Championship as among the favorites to win. But never ever count out the players with relatively long odds. In 2019, Chez Reavie won this tournament while carrying odds of +5000 to win it. Will we see a sleeper surprise the field this coming weekend? Who knows? If you’re looking to make a wager on a sleeper, it won’t hurt you to check out the three names and the brief background we have for each of them below.
Mickelson’s search for a career slam continues, as he had a disappointing T62 performance in the 2021 US Open. The magic of his historic PGA Championship win back in May may have faded a bit, but who’s to say he can’t work his magic this weekend again? Remember, Mickelson has won twice in his PGA TOUR career at TPC River Highlands. He won the Canon Greater Hartford Open back to back in 2001 and 2002. Last year, he finished 24th overall and could have won it had he not struggled in the final two rounds. Mickelson started the 2020 Travelers Championship like a house on fire, scoring 64 in the first round and 63 in the second before recording 71 in each of the last two rounds.
Watson has four top 10s in 17 starts this season and also made the cut 13 times. He’s also made the cut in seven of his last eight starts, failing to perfect that stretch with a withdrawal from the 2021 Memorial Tournament. Watson has extensive experience when it comes to playing at TPC River Highlands. So far in his career, he’s appeared in 14 PGA TOUR events there, coming up with three wins, six top 10s, eight top 25s, and 11 made cuts. He is a three-time Travelers Championship winner, though he’s not looked good there of late, finishing just 54th in 2019 and missing the cut in 2020.
Cink has a nice stretch going for him. The 48-year-old pro is 7 of 7 in his past seven starts, a stretch that includes his win in the 2021 RBC Heritage back in April. He has not cracked past the top 30 in any of his past four starts, but his past successes at TPC River Highlands should carry more weight. Cink has two wins and a couple of runner-up finishes to go with six top 10s in 17 PGA TOUR career starts there, dating back to the 1995 Canon Greater Hartford Open.
