Vacationers Championship: SB Nation employees predicts winners

The ultimate Signature Occasion of the 2024 season has arrived, as 71 golfers will tee it up at this week’s Vacationers Championship in Cromwell, Connecticut.

Rory McIlroy won’t be there, as he opted to take a while off following his heartbreaking end on the U.S. Open. However Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele, Collin Morikawa, and Ludvig Åberg shall be. So, too, will defending champion Keegan Bradley, who blistered a mushy course final yr en path to capturing 23-under-par, setting a brand new event report within the course of.

However this yr’s course will play a lot firmer and sooner with temperatures hovering within the 90s all through the week. Fortunately, this limited-size discipline won’t need to endure the velocity and issue of Pinehurst No. 2, however the climate will really feel kind of the identical because it did in North Carolina. The Northeast is experiencing a heatwave this week, with warmth advisories extending from the Nice Lakes by means of the Mid-Atlantic and all through New England. Which means everybody at TPC River Highlands might want to hydrate, together with the placing surfaces, which can flip crisp fairly simply in these situations.

This golf course can also be the shortest one performed on the PGA Tour all season, requiring precision into the greens and an beautiful brief sport. Prepare for a birdie barrage, too; though, with this week’s climate, scores possible won’t go as little as they did a yr in the past.

Photograph by Patrick Smith/Getty Photos

So let’s get to our Workers Picks, with Jeanna Kelly from SB Nation’s NFL web site stepping in as our visitor picker this week:

Jack Milko — Workers Author, Golf

For the third time this season, a Canadian will emerge victorious on the PGA Tour.

I’m going with Corey Conners, contemporary off a robust tie for ninth on the U.S. Open, to interrupt by means of on the Vacationers Championship and win for the third time on tour. Humorous sufficient, Conners gained a pair of Valero Texas Opens, in 2019 and 2023, however this time, he lastly wins an occasion exterior of the Lone Star State.

Final yr, Conners completed in a tie for ninth at TPC River Highlands, capturing 4 spectacular rounds within the mid-60s to complete at 17-under. His finest rating got here on Saturday, when he posted a 5-under 65. However what I like about Conners is that he is among the finest iron gamers on the PGA Tour. He ranks second in strokes gained strategy, sixth in greens in regulation proportion, and seventh in whole birdies made, as Conners has poured in 253 par-breakers up to now.

The one knock on him is his placing and brief sport, however each sides confirmed up at Pinehurst No. 2, comparatively talking. Conners ranked twenty eighth in strokes gained across the greens and thirtieth together with his putter ultimately week’s U.S. Open, which featured a number of the most diabolical greens seen wherever on the earth. However better of all, his tie for ninth helped him clinch a spot within the 2024 Olympics, giving him loads of confidence and momentum going into the summer season.

With all of this in thoughts, I imagine the celebrities have aligned for Conners to win, particularly on per week when loads of different prime gamers mail it in after a grueling main.

DraftKings Odds: +3500

Photograph by Gregory Shamus/Getty Photos

Jeanna Kelley — Affiliate Director, SB Nation NFL

Once I make NFL picks, I think about many components: latest efficiency, accidents, climate forecasts, and so forth. Since that is my first time making golf picks, I attempted to comply with the same technique.

Clearly, the straightforward decide right here can be Scottie Scheffler, who’s as soon as once more the odds-on favourite to win. Previous to the U.S. Open, and relying on that consequence, I assumed I’d decide Rory McIlroy, however he’s withdrawn from the Vacationers after final week’s fiasco. So I’m really going with Collin Morikawa this week. He’s been enjoying actually stable golf the previous a number of weeks. His placing hasn’t been a legal responsibility, and finally, these components are going to steer him to a win. It would as properly be this weekend.

DraftKings Odds: +1200

Photograph by Andrew Redington/Getty Photos

Savannah Richardson — Workers Author, Golf

I’m going with Ludvig Åberg this week. He tied for twenty fourth final yr, however now he returns to TPC River Highlands with some familiarity with the course.

His sport is in good type, however he simply had a bizarre weekend on the U.S. Open, the place two triple bogies stymied him.

However this golf course fits him, given his beautiful iron play. He ranks eleventh on the PGA Tour in strokes gained strategy and ranked fifteenth in that metric final week at Pinehurst No. 2. Fortunately for him, TPC River Highlands doesn’t have any greens just like the thirteenth at Pinehurst or as tough because the par-4 2nd, so he mustn’t make any extra triples this time round.

I feel he runs away with it.

DraftKings Odds: +1400

Photograph by Gregory Shamus/Getty Photos

For all different sports activities betting content material, try SB Nation’s DraftKings web site.

Jack Milko is a golf employees author for SB Nation’s Taking part in Via. Make sure to try @_PlayingThrough for extra golf protection. You’ll be able to comply with him on Twitter @jack_milko as properly.