Golf Events / Editor / 19 June 2007 /

After all the high scores and carnage of Oakmont, the PGA Tour players will be hoping for things to return to something closer to normal at this week's Travelers Championship.

Furrowed brows, confused expressions and shaking of the head was the general norm at the US Open last week as Angel Cabrera became only the second South American to win a Grand Slam event.

While this week's TPC River Highlands course in Cromwell, Conneticut, is far from easy, it does measure only 6,820 yards and the field will know from scores in the past that it does offer the opportunity to shoot low and restore some much-needed confidence.

American Ryder Cup star JJ Henry is the defending champion and will attempt to become the first player to retain the title - former the Greater Hartford Open - since Phil Mickelson did so five years ago.

Henry forced his way onto Tom Lehman's team for the K Club last year by virtue of his impressive three-stroke victory over Hunter Mahan and Ryan Moore and can be backed at 55 to repeat the feat and 10.5 to finish in the top ten.

Following the withdrawal on Monday of world number two Phil Mickelson who continues to be bothered by a wrist injury, Vijay Singh is the new pre-tournament favourite and is trading at 10.5 to win his first Travelers Championship.

In-form David Toms is available to back at 16, a point-and-a-half shorter than Englishman Justin Rose, with 1996 champion Stewart Cink trading at 20.

European number one Padraig Harrington has opted to stay in America for another week and is 23 to win for the second time in 2007, the same price as US Masters champion Zach Johnson, ahead of Jerry Kelly (32) and Moore (38).

By his own high standards, Singh had a disappointing 2006 but he has returned to his consistent best this season, recording 12 top-25 finishes and not missing a cut in the 17 tournaments he has played.

The Fijian has won twice, managed four top-ten finishes and leads the overall PGA Tour statistics when all areas of the game are combined.

While others had long submitted to the demands of Oakmont, Singh showed his strength to finish strongly last week and looks in the mood for another win. He is trading at 3.5 to place in the first five and 2.15 to come in the top ten.

Toms experienced a slow start to 2007 and struggled for form in the early part of the campaign but that would appear to be all behind him now after finishing in the top ten the last two events.

Toms' performance in coming joint-fifth at the US Open was particularly impressive, there are few cleaner strikers of the ball when he is in the groove and his confidence will be high after the last fortnight.

The American can be backed at appealing odds of 4.3 to come in the top five while he is trading at odds of 1.76 to beat Cink (1.95) in the tournament match-betting.

Rose is one of those players who could easily have taken this week off after being put 'through the wringer' at Oakmont on the final day but, to his credit, he still finished tied for tenth and is eager to get some competitive rounds of golf under his belt after missing much of the campaign with a back injury.

In his last four tournaments, the Englishman has not finished outside the top ten and is 3.95 to do so again this week.

Harrington could easily have returned to Europe to play in the BMW International Open this week but he appears determined to test himself in the strongest field of the week.

The Irishman will also be keen to erase the disappointment of missing cut at Oakmont last week as soon as possible and can be backed at 6.2 to place in the top five, while he is trading at 3.85 to finish as the top European, with Rose favourite at 3.1 ahead of Freddy Jacobsen (5.9), Carl Pettersson (7.4) and Brian Davis (11.5).

Kelly has been one of the welcome surprises of 2007, managing five top-ten finishes, and, after coming joint seventh last week, should be respected.

The same goes for Moore, who was runner-up behind Henry last year and is in form after finishing second at the Memorial Tournament three weeks ago. He could be one of the better bets of the week and is trading at 8.8 to place in the top ten.

2004 champion Woody Austin, 50 to win alongside Stuart Appleby and Jacobsen, has consistently played well in this event and should be watched in play.

And also keep an eye out for the resurgent Kenny Perry, who bounced back to form tying for third place at his last tournament.

Perry, the same price as Austin to win and 11 to come in the first five, is fresh after having two weeks off, his swing is back on track after a tip, he has lost weight and he is starting to hole putts again thanks to a new belly putter.

Of some of the longer priced starters, it may pay to follow Mahan (70 to win) after his good finish last year while Tom Pernice Jnr (100 to triumph and 17.7 to place in the top five) has performed with great credit this season.

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