Golf
Travelers Championship preview: Putnam could putt ‘em away
Following an eventful US Open, the PGA Tour heads to New England for its one and only tournament there, where the tour’s biggest stars fight it out for their share of the $20,000,000 – as well as a prestigious tournament win on their record.
We take a look at a couple of the players to watch below.
Max Homa 40/1
Having missed the cut with a score of +4 at the US Open last week, Max Homa will be hoping to bounce back in style here as he seeks his third win of the season.
Homa is undoubtedly a world class player, and when the conditions suit, as they do here, he will inevitably be a very dangerous player who can easily challenge towards the top of the leaderboard.
Many see the Travelers Championship as a putting contest, with the majority of recent winners being elite putters who often make up for shortcomings elsewhere with their abilities on the green. Homa ranks sixth on the tour for strokes gained with the putter, and he has no problems in reaching the green, ranking a respectable 20th on the tour for strokes gained from tee to green.
One other stat to consider is Max Homa’s ranking of ninth on the tour for approach shots with 100 yards. On a course that isn’t too long, these shorter approach shots could be key to getting in good putting positions, where Homa could excel.
Homa’s odds of 40/1 are largely reflective of an underwhelming performance at the US Open, so the six-time PGA Tour winner could provide seriously good value this week at those odds.
Andrew Putnam 125/1
At 125/1, Andrew Putnam is an outside chance to say the least, but he definitely has the ability to compete this week. He has a career win under his belt and his four top 10 finishes this season bode well for his each-way chances.
Putnam has gone slightly under the radar recently, with some better-than-expected finishes in his past three starts. His most recent outing saw him finish inside the top 50 US Open, with a slightly disappointing +3 in the final round leaving him +5 overall, but his performances in the three rounds before that offer some positivity.
His standout performance came in the Memorial Tournament at the start of the month, where he finished tied for fifth place, just three shots behind the eventual winner Victor Hovland.
A key fact to keep in mind is Putnam’s accuracy with the driver. Although his strokes gained off the tee ranks noticeably low on the tour, his driving accuracy ranks 17th, and with the short nature of the course his lack of distance shouldn’t be a problem, and accuracy will be key.
Furthermore, the idea that the Travelers Open can often descend into a putt-off would help Putnam, with the American ranking ninth on the tour for strokes gained putting. Similar to Homa, he ranks well in approaching the green at 31st on the tour, and these factors could combine nicely to see Putnam sneaking up the leaderboard this weekend.
