Golf best bets: Yardbarker's outright picks for the Travelers Championship

Coming off a thrilling U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2, the PGA Tour heads to the northeast for the Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands. This is yet another signature event on the 2024 schedule, so all the best players on Tour will be right back in action this week. 

We're fading the top of the odds board this week after watching Scottie Scheffler forget how to putt again and Rory McIlroy lose in heartbreaking fashion at the U.S. Open. Here are the three outright picks we're eyeing up for the Travelers Championship. 

Patrick Cantlay (+2500 BetMGM)

Patrick Cantlay wasn't on anyone's radar heading into the U.S. Open due to his poor play over the last month, but he put up his best performance of the season with a T3 at Pinehurst No. 2. The American gained strokes in all four major categories and ranked third in the entire field in strokes gained on approach. He also gained invaluable experience contending in a major championship for the first time in his career, and he should be able to build on that momentum at one of his favorite golf courses.

In nine career starts at TPC River Highlands, Cantlay has seven top-25 finishes. He's finished 15th or better in six straight trips to the Travelers Championship. Cantlay is a big fan of Pete Dye-designed golf courses, and he plays his best at venues that place an emphasis on iron play and putting. 

Tony Finau (+4000 FanDuel)

Another player who contended at the U.S. Open, Tony Finau is playing some beautiful golf right now. The veteran has finished T18, T17, T8 and T3 in his last four starts, and he's gained nearly 25 true strokes on approach alone over that stretch. Incredibly, Finau led the field in true strokes gained on approach at both the PGA Championship and the U.S. Open. 

Approach play is paramount on Dye courses such as TPC River Highlands, and no one has more confidence firing at pins than Finau right now. We wouldn't normally target Finau during a week in which you need to putt well, but he's gained strokes on the green in back-to-back starts for the first time all season. 

Tom Kim (+5500 FD)

Tom Kim on a short, positional golf course — rinse and repeat. 

Kim isn't a major threat on modern golf courses that measure longer than 7,400 yards, but the 6,852-yard track at TPC River Highlands is right up his alley. All three of Kim's PGA Tour wins came on similar courses that reward driving accuracy, short-iron play and putting.

The talented youngster isn't having a great season with his irons, but he ranks eighth on the PGA Tour in approaches from 125-150 yards, which will be a popular distance this week. He's also gained strokes from off the tee and on approach in three straight starts. All he needs is a hot putting week to contend, and this is a perfect spot for it.