A total of $6.2 million is up for grabs in the upcoming 2014 Travelers Championship tournament. Held at the TPC River Highlands from June 19-22, the tournament will see some of the best golfers vying for a PGA Tour win, including former champions Bubba Watson and Hunter Mahan along with other world-class players. Could either man repeat?
If the games, girls, and odds on the World Cup aren’t enough to keep you excited, try creating a betting account to get into all the soccer and golf action, and read a detailed breakdown of the favorites, high-value players, and long shots below.
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2014 Travelers Championship Preview and Prediction
Favorites – Bubba Watson and Matt Kuchar
[sc:Other240banner ]Bubba Watson (+1,000) comes into the 2014 Travelers Championship eager to recover from his first missed cut of the current PGA Tour, which he suffered at last weekend’s U.S. Open. The Florida native nevertheless has two wins thus far on the season, having won the Northern Trust Open back in February and the Masters Tournament in April. Watson almost won the Travelers Championship last year, but fell short, finishing in fourth.
Matt Kuchar, meanwhile, has just one win (RBC Heritage) on the season, but few players are as consistent as the 14-year pro. Kuchar opened the 2014 PGA Tour season with six straight top-10 finishes. In his last two starts, Kuchar placed T15 in the Memorial Tournament and had a T12 finish in the U.S. Open.
Best Value – Brandt Snedeker and Hunter Mahan
After five-straight T37-or-worse (including a cut) finishes, Brandt Snedeker (+3,000) came back to life in the U.S. Open, where he earned a tie for ninth. Snedeker impressed early when he fired a 69 in the first round, but back injury appeared to have gotten the better of him as the tournament went on.
Nevertheless, it was his best finish since a T8 back at the Arnold Palmer Invitational last March, meaning his performance at the Pinehurst No.2 could be a preview of what’s to come from the thirty-three year old pro.
Like Watson, Hunter Mahan (+3,500) is in search of his second win in the event. The undercover policeman-turned-golfer won the 2007 edition of the Travelers Championship. Mahan placed T24 last year, a disappointing finish after firing a 62 in the first round. Additionally, Mahan has two T2s and a T4 in the Travelers Championship since 2004.
Long Shots – Marc Leishman and Patrick Rodgers
Australian Marc Leishman (+4,000) was a surprise winner of the tournament in 2012, and he could once again shock the rest of the field this year. In his last two starts, Leishman finished T21 and T37 in the Crowne Plaza Invitational and the Memorial Tournament, respectively.
Leishman, the 2009 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year, has three top 10 finishes this year, including a T3 in the HP Byron Nelson Championship last month and a T2 at the Farmers Insurance Open back in January.
Speaking of rookies, 21-year old Patrick Rodgers is making his pro debut in the 2014 Travelers Championship after a colorful collegiate career. During his final season playing for Stanford, Rodgers was awarded the Jack Nicklaus (best Division I golfer) and Ben Hogan (best college and amateur golfer) awards. He may well be worth a flyer if you like a little youth in your golf betting.
Prediction
Hunter Mahan squeaks past everybody en route to his second career win at the Travelers Championship.
