Fantasy Golf: The Travelers Championship Preview

We're going to make short work of the Travelers Championship Preview because there are so many more interesting things to talk about in golf these days (the U.S. Open, my 2015 member-guestathon, etc. . . all of which I "intend" to get to this week). Besides, there's no magic to picking the Travelers. If you haven't used Bubba yet, use him now. Aside from the fact that he won this event in 2010 and was a runner-up in 2012, he has two other important things going for him:

(1) He didn't make the cut at Chambers Bay so he should be less scarred, exhausted, bitter and bitchy than some of his main competition like Patrick Reed, Sergio Garcia and Billy Horschel. Then again, those guys might be so jacked to be putting on green grass that they tear it up like the first time you did when you played a real golf course after five years on the muni circuit (sorry Carroll Park, you'll always hold a special place in my heart . . . all twelve terrifying mugger lurking holes of you); and

(2) Even in 2013 which was the most recent year that Bubba totally checked-out (as he appears to be doing this year), he finished 4th in this event. You may recall it as the time when he sniped at his caddie for suggesting the wrong club after he dunked it in the water with the lead on Sunday, made a triple bogey and lost by two. I remember it because it was the first and last time I would ever draft Bubba for a season long team and it's part of the reason that the autographed flag I won from the 2014 Masters is hanging in my company's conference room instead of my house (ok so just to confirm, you're not a Bubba fan right?).

If you don't have Bubba available or it just chafes you too much to pick him, then Horschel appears ready to go on one of his tears and the course is a nice fit for both Sergio (who I'm starting at the British Open) and Brandt Snedeker. Looking beyond the obvious picks, I like Russell Knox because sooner or later that scrappy little Scottish son of a bitch is going to get it together and win.  

The Travelers Championship Odds

It's really hard not to like Watson this week . . .
assuming we're talking about the same Watson.

1. Bubba Watson - 12/1
2. Patrick Reed - 14/1
3. Brandt Snedeker - 14/1
4. Sergio Garcia - 18/1
5. Billy Horschel - 20/1
6. Louis Oustuizen - 22/1
7. Zach Johnson - 30/1
8. Keegan Bradley - 33/1
9. Kevin Na - 33/1
10. Harris English - 33/1

The FGR Travelers Picks

1. Bubba Watson
2. Billy Horschel
3. Sergio Garcia
4. Brandt Snedeker
5. Russell Knox

The FGR One and Done Pick: Brandt Snedeker

Then again, under that theory, I
guess I also like Casey . . .

The FGR Sleeper Pick: Chris Stroud

The U.S. Open Report Card: B-

1. Phil Mickelson - T64th

2. Jordan Spieth - 1st
3. Hideki Matsuyama - T18th
4. Justin Rose - T27th
5. Jimmy Walker - T58th
6. Sergio Garcia - T18th
7. Jim Furyk - T42nd
8. Dustin Johnson - T2nd
9. Kevin Kisner - T12th
10. Rickie Fowler - M/C

The One and Done Picks to Date

Hyundai: Kevin Streelman - $70,667

Sony: Chris Kirk - $42,280

Humana: Russell Knox - M/C
Phoenix: Hunter Mahan - $36,729
Farmers: Hideki Matsuyama - M/C
AT&T: Dustin Johnson - $281,067

. . . and Grace.

Northern Trust: Jimmy Walker - $24,120

Honda: Keegan Bradley - M/C

WGC-Cadillac: Bubba Watson - $540,000

Valspar: Jim Furyk - $23,600

Palmer: Brooks Koepka – W/D

Texas Open: Matt Kuchar - $99,200

Houston Open: Louis Oosthuizen - M/C

Masters: Rory McIlroy - $480,000

Heritage: Patrick Reed - M/C

Zurich: Rickie Fowler - M/C

Match Play: Graeme McDowell - $49,385

Players: Henrik Stenson - $130,857

Wells Fargo: Webb Simpson - $624,800

Colonial: Zach Johnson - $78,780

Byron Nelson: Gary Woodland - $15,407

Memorial: Justin Rose - $669,600

FedEx St. Jude: Billy Horschel - $168,000

U.S. Open: Phil Mickelson - $23,822

Season Total: $3,358,314