Vacationers Championship: SB Nation workers 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 is not going to 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 will probably be. So, too, will defending champion Keegan Bradley, who blistered a comfortable course final yr en path to taking pictures 23-under-par, setting a brand new event document 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 is not going to need to endure the velocity and problem 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 via the Mid-Atlantic and all over 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 be the shortest one performed on the PGA Tour all season, requiring precision into the greens and an beautiful quick sport. Prepare for a birdie barrage, too; though, with this week’s climate, scores probably is not going to go as little as they did a yr in the past.

Photograph by Patrick Smith/Getty Photographs

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

Jack Milko — Employees 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 powerful tie for ninth on the U.S. Open, to interrupt via 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 outdoors of the Lone Star State.

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

The one knock on him is his placing and quick sport, however each aspects confirmed up at Pinehurst No. 2, comparatively talking. Conners ranked twenty eighth in strokes gained across the greens and thirtieth together with his putter eventually week’s U.S. Open, which featured a few of the most diabolical placing surfaces seen anyplace on the planet. However better of all, his stable efficiency helped him clinch a spot within the 2024 Olympics, giving him loads of confidence and momentum going into the summer time.

With all of this in thoughts, I consider the celebs have aligned for Conners to win, particularly on per week when loads of different high gamers mail it in contemporary off a grueling main.

DraftKings Odds: +3500

Photograph by Gregory Shamus/Getty Photographs

Jeanna Kelley — Affiliate Director, SB Nation NFL

After 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 observe 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 end result, I assumed I’d decide Rory McIlroy, however he’s withdrawn from the Vacationers after final week’s fiasco. So I’m truly 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 guide him to a win. It’d as effectively be this weekend.

DraftKings Odds: +1200

Photograph by Andrew Redington/Getty Photographs

Savannah Richardson — Employees 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 kind, 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 shouldn’t make any extra triples this time round.

I feel he runs away with it.

DraftKings Odds: +1400

Photograph by Gregory Shamus/Getty Photographs

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

Jack Milko is a golf workers author for SB Nation’s Taking part in Via. Be sure you try @_PlayingThrough for extra golf protection. You possibly can observe him on Twitter @jack_milko as effectively.