Steve Palmer's Travelers Championship first-round preview, best bets, free tips

When to watch

Sky Sports Golf, 11.45am Thursday

Best bets

Sungjae Im top Asian
3pts 13-10 Betfair, Paddy Power

Joaquin Niemann top South American
3pts 10-11 Betfair, Paddy Power

Dylan Frittelli top South African
2pts 3-1 Betfred

Sepp Straka first-round leader
1pt each-way 150-1 bet365

First-round preview

Cameron Champ and Graeme McDowell were forced to withdraw from the Travelers Championship on Tuesday, then Brooks Koepka did likewise on Wednesday, as the PGA Tour continues to be affected by Covid-19. The high-class event, though, will tee off as planned, featuring most of the game's elite.

Champ tested positive for the virus, as did McDowell's caddie Ken Comboy, then Koepka's bagman Ricky Elliott, so all three face at least a fortnight on the sidelines before they can return to the circuit.

Rory McIlroy, Bryson DeChambeau and Phil Mickelson form the marquee morning threeball at TPC River Highlands, teeing off at 12.35pm UK and Ireland time.

Most of the value in the non-outright Travelers betting is found in the tops sections, with Sungjae Im for top Asian particularly attractive at 13-10. Im suffered a rare missed cut in the RBC Heritage last week, but he had a weekend off in that event last year, too, so does not seem fond of the Harbour Town Links. Expect the consistent Korean to resume normal service in Connecticut.

Im won the Honda Classic just prior to lockdown and can approach the PGA Tour with far more confidence than Byeong Hun An, CT Pan, Si-Woo Kim and others. Only two players scored worse than An in the Heritage – his suspect short game has looked as ragged as ever since the Tour resumed.

Joaquin Niemann, fifth in last year's Travelers and fifth in the Heritage on Sunday, deserves his odds-on status for top South American, while Dylan Frittelli, who closed the Heritage with a 62 and won the John Deere Classic last year on a straightforward track like River Highlands, can end the week as top South African.

Talented youngster Sepp Straka, from the second group out on the tenth tee, can attack a course with fresh greens under windless skies. After an eight-under-par Heritage weekend, the Austrian can threaten to take the first-round-leader honours.

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