Draws and Fades: Bogey-free Sam Burns offers value heading into Round 2 at Travelers Championship

The first round is complete in Cromwell, and TPC River Highlands wasted no time reminding everyone of the electric birdie runs that are available when this course is soft and receptive. Eric Cole has set the pace with a 7-under 63, but there is hardly any separation behind him. Scottie Scheffler, Matt Fitzpatrick, Ben Griffin, Bud Cauley, Kris Reitan and Nico Echavarria are all just one shot back after opening-round 64s.

The scoring average settled at 67.9, with 55 of the 72 players breaking par, making this Thursday one of the lowest scoring opening rounds of the PGA TOUR season. The shorter footprint at TPC River Highlands left the best in the game with an abundance of wedges into greens, providing opportunities to strike a hot putter on the greens and go on scoring surges.

Cole deserves the headlines, operating with a clean card and appearing in complete control from tee to green. But the real story is the man right behind him. A bogey-free 64 from Scheffler, in a round where it honestly felt like he left a few more birdies out there, has certainly caught ample attention from the entire field. He already owns a win at the Travelers Championship and looks eager to get back in the winner's circle.

Updated odds to win the Travelers Championship have been posted. Scheffler’s odds have been sliced in half, but don’t sleep on the proven list of strong contenders behind him that leave plenty of room to make a few live plays ahead of the second round.

Updated odds to win Travelers (Draftkings)

• +235: Scottie Scheffler
• +880: Matt Fitzpatrick
• +1500: Ben Griffin
• +1600: Patrick Cantlay
• +1900: Eric Cole
• +2100: Bud Cauley
• +2100: Sam Burns

Draws: Sam Burns to Win (+2100)

His most reliable asset left him wondering what could have been after an exceptional ball-striking performance in Round 1 at the Travelers for Sam Burns. It has created an opportunistic spot for bettors to essentially back him at his pre-tournament price as he finished only three strokes behind the leader with 54 holes to play.

Burns gave himself 15 looks at birdie today from inside of 20 feet on the greens. He only made four of them. His season stats rank him as the number one putter in the field, so I’m fully expecting water to find it level on the putting surface tomorrow, putting Burns right in position to strike and hunt down the leaders.

He’s on a run of consistently great golf, repeatedly placing his name on the Sunday afternoon leaderboards. With confidence at an all-time high and another casual bogey-free round under his belt from Thursday, the stars are aligning for a Sam Burns Signature win in Cromwell.

Russell Henley, Top 10 finish (+170)

Henley quietly opened the tournament with a 4-under 66, putting him right where he needs to be without operating with his best stuff on Thursday. The approach play was strangely off, but with his reliable accuracy off the tee, I would expect to see a rebound with his wedge proximity for the remainder of the tournament.

He’s also shown notable comfort here at TPC River Highlands. A handful of strong results over the years, including his runner-up finish here last season, illustrate why his game is ideally built for this property.

In these no-cut formats, something the PGA TOUR announced they will be doing away with in 2028, the major concern in placement markets is the volume of elite names that remain live for all four rounds. That said, Henley built a nice cushion, and he gives you a stable option at plus-money to finish inside the top 10 at the finish line. He’s the exact type of player who won’t hurt himself, can reliably play from the fairways, and can stay glued to the leaderboard throughout the weekend.