The utter carnage of the US Open is sadly fading into our rear view mirror, but we don't have to wait long until our next fix of top tier golfing action - next stop, TPC River Highlands.
Having immersed myself in an extensive pool of data and trends, in order to pick my 2025 Travelers Championship expert picks, I decided to dive a little deeper to find the best first round leader bets for this week's PGA Tour signature event.
There is plenty of value in this market, with some great 100/1+ outsiders that initially caught my eye, but on a course where birdies come thick and fast I decided to listen to the numbers and side with a couple of dependable scoring machines...
Travelers Championship 2025: First Round Leader Picks
Before making a selection in any of the many betting markets on offer, I always start in the same place - the course.
TPC River Highlands is relatively short and has a track record of facilitating low scores for some of the game's top talent, which is why backing someone with the ability to consistently go very low is important.
There is a lot of correlation between TPC River Highlands and courses like East Lake and TPC Deere Run, which are venues that my two picks have previously also gone low at in their opening rounds.
First round scoring average, the number of birdies made per round and total rounds in the 60s also factored heavily in my decision making process, but who do I fancy to lead after 18 holes?
Travelers Championship First Round Leader Best Bet: Scottie Scheffler @ +1100
Scheffler ranks highly in all the key metrics, so why not go for the obvious choice from time-to-time?
This might sound like an obvious pick, and that's because it is - just look at Scheffler's 2025 prize money and tell me I'm wrong.
When a course requires a player who can take aim at pins, leave plenty of birdie putts and more importantly convert them, Scottie Scheffler is the first guy that comes to mind.
Scheffler ranks 1st for scoring average, 5th for birdie average, 3rd for round one scoring average and 12th for rounds in the 60s - making him the ultimate first round scoring machine.
His price might be shorter than I'd like, but when you consider that he is the defending champion who opened up at TPC River Highlands with a 65 last year (and a 63 the year before that), he really picks himself.
Scheffler has also gone low in the first 18 holes at East Lake on a number of occasions in the past, so don't overthink this one too much.
Travelers Championship First Round Leader Value Bet: Harry Hall @ +5500
Harry Hall is great value considering his first round record on the PGA Tour
Harry Hall is sneakily good in the first round of PGA Tour events, so I feel the oddsmakers might be underestimating him in this market.
Harry Hall ranks 3rd for scoring average (actual) on the PGA Tour, but wait until you hear these birdie numbers.
He ranks 1st for total birdies, making 279 this season so far, and also ranks 3rd for birdie average.
Importantly, Hall ranks 5th for first round scoring average and has previously shot a 63 to open on one of the correlating courses I mentioned earlier, TPC Deere Run.
His record at this event is less impressive, but it could just be a matter of time as everything appears to be pointing in a positive direction.
He shot a 66 in the opening round on his last start, at the RBC Canadian Open, and is in a decent run of form - so I like his chances each-way at this price.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.