When to see
Sky Sports Golf, Sunday, 1.35 p.m.
Best bets
Bryson DeChambeau wins the Travelers Championship
1pt in each direction 9-1 Betfair, power
Rory McIlroy (2-5), Bryson DeChambeau (4-7) and Dustin Johnson (1-2) win two balls
1pt highs bet365
History so far
Brendon Todd shot a third round 61 in the TPC River Highlands to top the Travelers Championship leaderboard, and the resurgent 34-year-old is two shots ahead.
Todd, who was about to retire at the end of a hot 2018 year, has remarkably revived his career. He won the Bermuda championship with four strokes last November and then quickly won the Mayakoba Classic title.
The travelers would be Todd’s fourth PGA Tour triumph if he turned his advantage into a win – and he’s a best price of 15-8 to take advantage of the opportunity. The tournament is back on schedule after the third round of thunderstorms have delayed start times and Todd joins Dustin Johnson in the final duel at 7:05 PM UK and Irish time.
Johnson also carded a Saturday 61 to improve the board, and former number one in the world is 9: 4 the biggest to achieve his 21st PGA Tour success.
Leaderboard
-18 Brendon Todd
-16 Dustin Johnson
-15 Kevin Streelman
-14 Mackenzie Hughes
-13 Bryson DeChambeau, Kevin Na
-12 Scott Stallings, Seung-yul Noh, Patton Kizzire, Abraham Ancer and Phil Mickelson
-11 Charley Hoffman, Kyle Stanley, Viktor Hovland, Zach Johnson, Brendan Steele and Will Gordon
-10 Jon Rahm, Wesley Bryan, Brian Stuard and Rory McIlroy
Best price
15-8 B Todd, 9-4 D Johnson, 8 K Streelman, 9 B DeChambeau, 22 M Hughes, 28 K Na, 40 A Ancer, 50 P Mickelson, 70 V Hovland, 100 bar
Preview of the final tournament
Brendon Todd was a few more shots away from quitting golf and entering the restaurant business when he struggled with Ball-Striking Yips in 2018. After recruiting coach Bradley Hughes, however, he revived his fortune and returned spectacularly to shape.
His two PGA Tour triumphs last November came from the front, so the leaderboard summit isn’t scary for him, but the Bermuda Championship and Mayakoba Classic were much weaker fields than the one he faced in Connecticut.
This time, Todd has one of the best players in the world at his side in the final duel, and there are a few other superstars who may be out of pace and gain an early lead in the clubhouse. Winning the Travelers Championship would be the biggest win of his career.
Dustin Johnson is an impressive opponent – a productive champion who has won ten PGA Tour titles since triumphing at the 2016 US Open – and the nightly storms supported his cause. The significant performance advantage Johnson has over Todd has become more significant considering how soft the stretch they will tackle will be.
The 9-4 Johnson is tempting, but it should be noted that the last two times he played in a recent pairing he has had major problems. A Sunday 77 in Heritage 2019 was a horror story. His last win was 16 months ago, so it may not be advisable to continue at a short price.
And Jim Furyk’s final round 58 in the River Highlands in 2016 will give hope to all chases. Many travelers’ winners have emerged from the ranking. Given the quality in the group at ten under par, a champion with eight strokes behind is feasible.
Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm are 100-1 and 125-1 respectively – both share 18th place – and ambitious players can look forward to gambling. Viktor Hovland still has a squeak up close, but the two most attractive options are the 9-4 Johnson and the 9-1 Bryson DeChambeau.
Given concerns about Johnson’s lack of success lately, DeChambeau, with the much greater opportunities, is the recommended course of action. The softening of the turf made DeChambeau’s mouth water – it has ideal terrain to demonstrate its ever-increasing power.
DeChambeau, who finished ninth and eighth in the last two travelers, can boast a PGA tour in the form of 5-2-4-3-8. After five punches behind Todd – and three punches behind Johnson – this could be the moment when the cocksure Californian puts the W cherry on his cake of consistency.
DeChambeau’s ball stroke has become great – he has received rave reviews from his peers – and he’s a serious force to be reckoned with if you can get your fair share on the greens. A final birdie in round three – he punched 17 feet on the last green – is a positive sign for Sunday.
In contrast, Johnson missed nine feet on the 18th to leave a slightly sour taste in his mouth. If DeChambeau starts the finals quickly, he could be the man toppling his American powerhouse. Betfair and Power offer the best conditions for both directions.
Punters playing in the finals should consider a favorite three of a kind – McIlroy defeats Ryan Armor (5:25 p.m.) with DeChambeau (6:45 p.m.) and Johnson (7:05 p.m.). Kevin Na is next to DeChambeau in the penultimate group.
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FIRST RELEASE 10:25 a.m., June 28, 2020
