RADIO
Patrick Gates shares his betting card for the 2026 Travelers Championship and breaks down each of his selections for this week's event.
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Congratulations to everyone who tailed last week as Wyndham Clark captured the U.S. Open title at 45-1. One of my personal goals every season is to hit at least one major championship outright winner, so it was nice to check that box before we even reach The Open Championship.
The PGA TOUR heads to Cromwell, Connecticut, this week for the Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands. The final Signature Event of the season features a loaded 72-player field, including 46 of the top 50 players in the Official World Golf Ranking.
There are plenty of storylines entering the week. World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler will look to capture his second Travelers Championship title after winning this event in 2024, while defending champion Keegan Bradley returns to his home region looking to win the tournament for a third time.
In an article released on Monday, I broke down everything you need to know about the Travelers Championship, from course details to key stats and historical trends. If you have not checked that out yet, I highly recommend giving it a read. As always, if you have questions about any players or the event itself, feel free to reach out to me on social media or in Discord.
With that said, let’s dive into the final Signature Event of the season as I break down my betting card for the 2026 Travelers Championship!
Outrights
Justin Thomas (+2900) - DraftKings
After a relatively slow start to the season that saw him record just one top-10 finish in his first five tournaments, Justin Thomas has found his game over the last few months.
The turnaround began at the Cadillac Championship, where he finished T23 despite ranking 67th in Strokes Gained: Putting in a 72-player field. The result was an encouraging sign that the rest of his game was trending in the right direction.
Since then, Thomas has rattled off five consecutive top-20 finishes. That stretch includes a T4 finish at the PGA Championship and a strong showing at Colonial Country Club, one of the better comparable courses for TPC River Highlands.
Last week at the U.S. Open, Thomas finished T17 despite a difficult third round of 75 (+5). He battled back nicely over the final round to secure another solid finish against one of the strongest fields of the season.
TPC River Highlands has been one of Thomas' more reliable stops on the PGA TOUR schedule. In his last three appearances at the Travelers Championship, he has finished T9, T5, and T9, demonstrating a consistent ability to contend on this layout.
One of the biggest improvements in Thomas' game this season has been his driving. While he has always possessed plenty of distance, his accuracy off the tee has improved significantly, allowing him to set up more scoring opportunities with his elite iron play.
The putter has also cooperated recently. Thomas has gained strokes putting in four of his last five starts, a key development for a player whose ball-striking is rarely in question.
If the driver continues to stay under control and the putter remains positive, Thomas has all the tools needed to contend for his first Travelers Championship title this week.
Collin Morikawa (+3300) - FanDuel
Collin Morikawa's 2026 season has been a tale of two halves. After opening the year with a missed cut and a T54 finish, he quickly found his footing by winning the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and following it up with four consecutive top-10 finishes.
Unfortunately, a back injury derailed that momentum. Morikawa withdrew after the first hole at THE PLAYERS Championship and struggled in his first two starts after returning, finishing T62 at the Cadillac Championship and T55 at the PGA Championship.
After taking a month off to recover, Morikawa returned at the RBC Canadian Open and finished T29. He continued to show improvement last week at the U.S. Open, posting a T17 finish at Shinnecock Hills.
The encouraging sign is that his ball striking appears to be trending back toward the elite level we've come to expect. His putter has remained solid throughout the recovery process and was once again a strength last week.
The only statistical concern from the U.S. Open was his short game, as he ranked 62nd in Strokes Gained: Around the Green. However, that was only the second tournament all season in which he lost strokes in that category, making it more of an outlier than a trend.
While the back injury has cost him some distance off the tee, accuracy has always been Morikawa's greatest weapon. That should serve him well this week at TPC River Highlands, where precision is often more important than power.
Morikawa has made five career starts at the Travelers Championship with mixed results, highlighted by a T13 finish in 2024. If his iron play continues to trend upward, this could be the week he fully returns to contention.
