Best bets for the Travelers Championship and the BMW International Open on June 22nd-25th

Best bets for the Travelers Championship

Wyndham Clark had never finished better than T-75 in any of his previous six majors. However, Clark (pre-tournament average price of 80/1) has been a consistent player over the last year plus and won a big-time event last month at the Wells Fargo Championship, cashing a 75/1 for us in the process. Clark is now a major champion as he led the field for Scrambling and ranked fourth for Strokes Gained: Putting en route to winning the U.S. Open at Los Angeles Country Club winning by one stroke over Rory McIlroy, who still seeks his fifth career major championship in a drought that dates back to 2014. Perhaps The Open Championship next month is where he gets off the schneid considering he won at this year's venue, Royal Liverpool, back in 2014. 

McIlroy led the field for Strokes Gained: Off The Tee and Greens In Regulation, but his putter betrayed him on the weekend as he lost three strokes to the field putting on Saturday and Sunday. 

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler actually gained a little with the putter and is always in contention but settled for 3rd. Rounding out the Top 10 were Cameron Smith (4th), Rickie Fowler (T-5th), who was the 36-hole leader and 54-hole co-leader, Tommy Fleetwood (T-5), who shot a Sunday round of 63, Min Woo Lee (T-5), Harris English (T-8), Tom Kim (T-8), Austin Eckroat (T-10), Jon Rahm (T-10), Dustin Johnson (T-10), and Xander Schauffele (T-10). 

As for the Los Angeles Country Club, opinions were certainly polarizing from fans and players alike. Despite Fowler and Schauffele shooting 62 (8-under) on Thursday, the winning score ended up being 10-under as the course did bite back a little on the weekend. LA CC is scheduled to get the U.S. Open again in 2039, so they do have 16 years to find a way to get the spectators closer to the action as the atmosphere sometimes seemed dead out there. Also, they could find a way to make more tickets available to the general public. 

This week, the PGA TOUR moves to its customary post-U.S. Open date in Hartford for the Travelers Championship, which is now a designated event with a $20 million purse. The Travelers Championship typically gets an excellent field even the week after a major, but it is even better this year due to the designated event status. 

Scheffler, per usual, is the pre-event favorite at 6/1 and has not finished worse than fifth in any of his last five most recent starts. World No. 2 Rahm (10/1) and McIlroy are just behind on the odds board. Neither of these three have a Top 10 finish here in Hartford.

In 2011, Patrick Cantlay (12/1) shot the lowest-ever round carded by an amateur with a 60 here and has never finished outside the Top 15 in the last five years here. His Ryder and Presidents Cup partner Xander Schauffele (14/1) returns to defend his title from last year. 

Victor Hovland (20/1) is just three weeks removed from his career-best victory to date at The Memorial Tournament. Like Hovland, Collin Morikawa (25/1) and Matt Fitzpatrick (35/1) knocked at the door for a Top 10 last week before settling for Top 20 finishes. Tony Finau (28/1) has missed three of his last four cuts here. Max Homa (40/1) has never made the cut here in four appearances and disappointingly missed the cut last week at LA CC where he was heavily supported in the market. 

Tommy Fleetwood (33/1) was runner-up two weeks ago in Canada, and his Sunday 63 nabbed him a Top 5 last week.

The Saturday and Sunday final pairing are also in this week's field with Wyndham Clark (40/1), who is off winning a major championship plus locking up his first Ryder Cup spot in the process, and Rickie Fowler (35/1). 

In all, eight of the OWGR Top 10, 14 of the OWGR Top 20, and 22 of the OWGR Top 30 are here in Hartford this week.

The Event 

The Travelers Championship celebrated its 70th anniversary last year as it was established in 1952 as the Insurance City Open before it became known as the Greater Hartford Open for most of its existence from 1967-2003. Legendary entertainer Sammy Davis, Jr was a fixture at the Tuesday/Wednesday pro-ams in Hartford, and his name was attached to the event from 1973-1988. TPC River Highlands has been the permanent venue for the tournament since 1984. The Greater Hartford Community Foundation manages the event. Travelers, which is one of the largest insurance companies in the United States, took over the sponsorship in 2007 after Canon and Buick were associated with the event for many years.

Multiple-time winners at the Travelers include Billy Casper (1963, 1965, 1968, 1973), Bubba Watson (2010, 2015, 2018), Arnold Palmer (1956, 1960), Paul Azinger (1987, 1990), Phil Mickelson (2001, 2002), Peter Jacobsen (1984, 2003), and Stewart Cink (1997, 2008).

The Travelers is customarily (since 2007) held the week after the U.S. Open on the PGA TOUR schedule but still manages to attract consistently solid fields year after year. In 2017 and 2018, the tournament earned the PGA Tour's Players Choice Award, which is voted on by PGA Tour members for its services, hospitality, and quality of the course and overall event. 

The Greater Hartford area continuously supports this event as The Travelers consistently rates just behind the Waste Management Phoenix Open for attendance. 

The Course

TPC River Highlands is in Cromwell, CT, which is approximately 12 miles south of Hartford. Robert Ross and Maurice Kearney were the original designers in 1928, and the track was founded as the Middletown Country Club. It became the Edgewood Country Club from 1934-1984 before being purchased by the PGA TOUR and officially becoming TPC of Connecticut before being renamed TPC River Highlands in 1989. It was re-designed by Pete Dye in 1984 and remodeled in 1989 by Bobby Weed, a Dye protege, with assistance from consulting then-PGA TOUR pros Howard Twitty and Roger Maltbie.

The course plays as a Par 70 of 6,852 yards. which is the 4th shortest course on the PGA TOUR. Jim Furyk set the course record here in the final round of the 2016 Travelers by shooting a 58, the lowest round in PGA TOUR history.

River Highlands is a tight and short tree-lined parklands that sits on a bluff above the Connecticut River. Wind is the main defense here though, and the winning score averages out to be in the mid-teens under par. The average round score has been -0.62 strokes under par over the last five years.

There are only five water holes, and some bunkers (69 in total on course remain) were removed in a 2015 renovation to create more fairway short pitch shots into the greens. The fairways and rough are Bentgrass/Poa Annua (Kentucky Bent/Fescue mix in the 4" penal rough) and the greens (5,000 sq ft average - 6th smallest on TOUR; 12 ft which is average speed on the stimpmeter) are also a Bentgrass/Poa Annua mix. In terms of the type of player this course favors, there really isn't a prototype. Shorter hitters have won here as well as bombers. As always, ball striking and hitting greens with regularity are usually a good recipe for success, and River Highlands is no exception in that regard.

Here is the official scorecard for the 2023 Travelers Championship: 

As for the layout of the holes, the front nine is straightforward. Everything is out in front of the players, and there are few hazards off the tee. The tough finishing stretch from holes 15-18 is what has made this event have so many close and competitive Sunday finishes. Stewart Cink, who won the 2008 Travelers Championship, called them “four of the most exciting finishing holes in a group anywhere in the world.” This stretch of holes is typical of Pete Dye courses as he loves tempting players to hit toward hazards on drives and approach shots. With precise control, hitting toward the hazard increases the risk, but also provides a reward with an easier shot into the greens.

Holes 15-17 all play around a four-acre lake. The 296-yard Par 4 15th is one of the best risk-reward holes on Tour. It tempts players to go for the three-tiered green with water surrounding on the left side and a forested hilly area with bunkers on the right. Both double-bogey and eagle are each very possible. The 171-yard Par 3 16th hole is in the most wind-affected area of the course and is completely over water with a near-impossible up-and-down if you go long. The Par 4 17th is 431 yards and wraps around the pond with a demanding shot off the tee and on approach towards the back-to-front sloping green.

Here are some of the other Pete Dye designs that feature on the PGA Tour:

Austin Country Club – WGC Dell Matchplay since 2016

Crooked Stick – 2012 and 2016 BMW Championship.

Harbour Town Golf Links – RBC Heritage

Ocean Course – Kiawah Island – 2012 & 2021 PGA Championship

TPC Louisiana – Zurich Classic of New Orleans

TPC Sawgrass – The Players Championship

TPC Stadium, PGA West – The American Express since 2016

Whistling Straits – 2010 and 2015 PGA Championship

Of the other Dye courses, Harbour Town and TPC Sawgrass correlate most to TPC River Highlands. Other correlated courses include Colonial, Pebble Beach, Sedgefield, Innisbrook, and Waialae. 

Travelers Championship Recent History/Winners

2022: Xander Schauffele (-19/261); 20/1

2021: Harris English (-13/267); 35/1*

2020: Dustin Johnson (-19/261); 30/1

2019: Chez Reavie (-17/263); 70/1

2018: Bubba Watson (-17/263); 33/1

2017: Jordan Spieth (-12/268); 10/1**

2016: Russell Knox (-14/266); 50/1

2015: Bubba Watson (-16/264); 14/1 ***

2014: Kevin Streelman (-15/265); 150/1

2013: Ken Duke (-12/268); 150/1 ****

2012: Marc Leishman (-14/266); 125/1

2011: Fredrik Jacobson (-20/260); 45/1

2010: Bubba Watson (-14/266); 40/1*****

Playoff win vs. Kramer Hickok - *

Playoff win vs. Daniel Berger - **

Playoff win vs. Paul Casey - ***

Playoff win vs. Chris Stroud - ****

Playoff win vs. Corey Pavin & Scott Verplank - *****

Travelers Championship Recent Trends

• 12 of the last 16 events have been decided by one stroke or less.
• 6 of the last 16 events have been decided in a playoff. 
• Excluding the 2020 COVID-19 year, eight of the last 12 winners played the U.S. Open the week before.
• 7 of the last 8 winners have finished T31 or better at this course before winning here.

Statistical Analysis

Last year, TPC River Highlands ranked 10th out of 38 courses in strokes gained off-the-tee difficulty, and it historically ranks a bit harder than the TOUR average in this category. 20% of overall strokes gained came off the tee here last year. There are many different plans of attack for players at TPC River Highlands. Three of the last five winners ranked 10th or better here for Strokes Gained: Off-The-Tee during their respective winning weeks. The fairways are also the 9th widest on Tour, so players can club down off the tee and use more 3-metals, hybrids, and even irons off the tee without using driver as much. Many of the holes are tree-lined doglegs, and there is thick rough all over the course.

Strokes Gained Off The Tee < 7,200-yard courses (Last 36 Rounds)

1. Cameron Champ 32.3
2. Sungjae Im 32.2
3. Jon Rahm 31.2
4. Corey Conners 30
5. Rory McIlroy 29.5
6. Cam Davis 24.3
7. Scottie Scheffler 23.2
8. Xander Schauffele 22
9. Patrick Cantlay 22
10. Brian Harman 21.4
11. Luke List 20.2
12. Hayden Buckley 19.6
13. Hideki Matsuyama 19.1
14. Tyler Duncan 18.7
15. Keegan Bradley 18.6
16. Russell Henley 18.3
17. Tony Finau 17.8
18. Collin Morikawa 17.7
19. J.T. Poston 17.5
20. Cameron Young 17.2
21. Charley Hoffman 17.2
22. Emiliano Grillo 17.1

Good Drives Gained < 7,200-yard courses (Last 36 Rounds)

1. Collin Morikawa 47.2
2. Viktor Hovland 42.9
3. Russell Henley 35.9
4. Aaron Rai 34.9
5. Corey Conners 34.7
6. Hayden Buckley 33.8
7. Shane Lowry 33.5
8. J.J. Spaun 31.5
9. David Lipsky 30.8
10. Justin Suh 30.2
11. Matt Fitzpatrick 30.1
12. Scottie Scheffler 29.9
13. Jon Rahm 29.8
14. Brian Harman 29.8
15. Martin Laird 28.1
16. Brandon Wu 26.7
17. Si Woo Kim 25.5
18. Chez Reavie 24.5
19. J.T. Poston 23.6
20. Joel Dahmen 21.7
21. Matthew NeSmith 21

Five of the last seven winners here ranked seventh or better for Strokes Gained: Approach during their respective winning weeks. While it is easier to hit Greens In Regulation here and the average approach shots are much shorter on an obviously shorter golf course, Approach is still important here with the pins in more difficult positions and many of the green complexes being angled away from the directional path of the hole.

Strokes Gained Approach (Last 36 Rounds)

1. Scottie Scheffler 52.6
2. Jon Rahm 47.4
3. Collin Morikawa 40.6
4. Wyndham Clark 34.4
5. Tony Finau 34.2
6. Xander Schauffele 33.2
7. Gary Woodland 29.6
8. Rickie Fowler 28.1
9. Aaron Rai 27.8
10. Mark Hubbard 27.6
11. Viktor Hovland 27.5
12. Rory McIlroy 25.8
13. Max Homa 25.3
14. Tommy Fleetwood 24.3
15. Hideki Matsuyama 24.2
16. Sepp Straka 24.1
17. Russell Henley 22.6
18. Shane Lowry 22.2
19. Christiaan Bezuidenhout 21.8
20. Andrew Putnam 21.1
21. Nate Lashley 21.1
22. Corey Conners 21

A little less than 20% of approach shots here come from 125-150 yards out. 

Proximity Gained 125-150 Yards (Last 36 Rounds)

1. Charley Hoffman 11.6
2. Scottie Scheffler 11.4
3. Jon Rahm 10.6
4. Keegan Bradley 10.4
5. Tom Kim 10.2
6. Max Homa 8.9
7. Russell Henley 8.8
8. Aaron Rai 8.2
9. Viktor Hovland 7.8
10. Stephan Jaeger 7.6
11. Collin Morikawa 7.2
12. Cameron Young 6.6
13. Ben Martin 6.6
14. Hideki Matsuyama 6.4
15. Corey Conners 6.3
16. Jason Dufner 5.8
17. Tommy Fleetwood 5.7
18. Kurt Kitayama 5.2
19. C.T. Pan 5

Note: Average Feet Gained Per Shot Towards the Hole From the Distance

Over 27% of approach shots here come from 150-175 yards out. 

Proximity Gained 150-175 Yards (Last 36 Rounds)

1. Xander Schauffele 15.5
2. Viktor Hovland 14.6
3. Ryan Moore 13.8
4. Si Woo Kim 13.5
5. Sepp Straka 12.6
6. Aaron Rai 12.1
7. Russell Knox 11.5
8. Hideki Matsuyama 11.3
9. Brandon Wu 10.7
10. Scott Piercy 10.4
11. Jon Rahm 10.3
12. Emiliano Grillo 10.2
13. Ben Martin 9.8
14. Lucas Glover 9.7
15. Tom Hoge 9.6
16. Adam Svensson 9
17. Collin Morikawa 8.9
18. Cameron Young 8.8
19. Kevin Yu 8.7
20. Greyson Sigg 8.6
21. Michael Kim 8.2
22. Zac Blair 8.2
23. Christiaan Bezuidenhout 8.1

Last year, TPC River Highlands ranked third out of 38 courses in strokes gained around-the-green difficulty.

Strokes Gained: Around The Green (Last 36 Rounds)

1. Brendon Todd 21.4
2. Scottie Scheffler 21.1
3. Matt Kuchar 18.9
4. Byeong Hun An 18.6
5. Harry Hall 18.4
6. Ben Griffin 18.1
7. Rickie Fowler 17.8
8. Hideki Matsuyama 17
9. Matthias Schwab 16.7
10. Jason Day 15.8
11. Tommy Fleetwood 15.5
12. Eric Cole 15
13. Matt Fitzpatrick 13.9
14. Kevin Streelman 13.8
15. Rory McIlroy 13.3
16. Beau Hossler 13.1
17. Justin Thomas 12.6
18. Jimmy Walker 12.1
19. Stephan Jaeger 11.5
20. Danny Willett 10.9
21. Robby Shelton 10.9
22. Tony Finau 10.4
23. Matt Wallace 10.1

TPC River Highlands features a Bentgrass/Poa Annua mix that plays a little bit truer to Bentgrass, as typical in the Northeast, whereas west coast courses play truer to Poa Annua.

Strokes Gained: Putting Bentgrass/Poa Annua (Last 36 Rounds)

1. Denny McCarthy 42.9
2. Harris English 36.3
3. Max Homa 34.9
4. Brendon Todd 33.4
5. Justin Suh 33.2
6. Christiaan Bezuidenhout 33.1
7. Justin Lower 31.9
8. Patrick Cantlay 28.3
9. Keegan Bradley 27.6
10. Viktor Hovland 26.6
11. Adam Svensson 24.1
12. Xander Schauffele 23.2
13. Adam Long 22.7
14. Eric Cole 21.1
15. Chesson Hadley 21.1
16. Andrew Putnam 20.8
17. J.T. Poston 19.6
18. SH Kim 18.3
19. Patrick Rodgers 18.1
20. C.T. Pan 17

Opportunities gained measures the amount of birdie looks that a player gives themselves per round inside 15 feet.

Opportunities Gained (Last 36 Rounds)

1. Scottie Scheffler 37.1
2. Jon Rahm 36.8
3. Cameron Young 32
4. Hideki Matsuyama 31.6
5. Luke List 29.3
6. Rory McIlroy 27.9
7. Ben Martin 27.7
8. Collin Morikawa 27
9. Wyndham Clark 26
10. Xander Schauffele 25.8
11. Eric Cole 25.5
12. Patrick Cantlay 23.7
13. Chez Reavie 23.2
14. Gary Woodland 22.4
15. Davis Riley 21
16. Tony Finau 21
17. Charley Hoffman 20.7
18. Sungjae Im 20.5
19. Justin Thomas 19.6
20. Sam Stevens 19.1
21. Nate Lashley 19

Even with the thick rough and smaller greens, there are still plenty of birdie opportunities at TPC River Highlands. 

Birdie Or Better Gained (Last 36 Rounds)

1. Jon Rahm 40.3
2. Scottie Scheffler 37.7
3. Patrick Cantlay 35.1
4. Wyndham Clark 33.2
5. Rickie Fowler 32.2
6. Xander Schauffele 27.1
7. Sahith Theegala 26.3
8. Eric Cole 25.6
9. Viktor Hovland 25.3
10. Adam Scott 24.5
11. Keegan Bradley 24
12. Dylan Wu 23.5
13. Max Homa 22.9
14. Collin Morikawa 22.2
15. Si Woo Kim 22.1
16. Tommy Fleetwood 22
17. Rory McIlroy 21.8
18. Jason Day 21.7
19. Corey Conners 21.4

The average rank of the last seven winners of this event has been 4th for Strokes Gained: Tee-To-Green.

Strokes Gained Tee To Green < 7,200-yard Courses (Last 36 Rounds)

1. Patrick Cantlay 73.8
2. Xander Schauffele 72.8
3. Seamus Power 65.2
4. Jon Rahm 62.4
5. J.T. Poston 59.3
6. Russell Henley 58.9
7. Justin Thomas 57.6
8. Brian Harman 56.1
9. Collin Morikawa 53.2
10. Viktor Hovland 51.4
11. Scottie Scheffler 50.5
12. Tony Finau 48.6
13. Hideki Matsuyama 48.2
14. Matt Fitzpatrick 45.8
15. Sungjae Im 44.9
16. Rory McIlroy 44.7
17. Ben Griffin 43.6
18. Corey Conners 42.3
19. Sahith Theegala 39
20. Max Homa 38.9
21. Jason Day 38.5

Eight of the 18 holes are Par 4s measuring between 400 and 450 yards.

Strokes Gained Par 4s 400-450 Yards (Last 36 Rounds)

1. Scottie Scheffler 20.2
2. Viktor Hovland 20.1
3. Collin Morikawa 18.7
4. Aaron Rai 17.8
5. Jason Day 17.1
6. Tommy Fleetwood 16.5
7. Denny McCarthy 16
8. Thomas Detry 14.9
9. Kurt Kitayama 14.2
10. Rory McIlroy 13.8
11. Stephan Jaeger 13.2
12. Cameron Young 13
13. Taylor Moore 12.9
14. Adam Schenk 12.5
15. Harry Hall 12.3
16. Ben Griffin 12.3
17. Patrick Cantlay 12.2
18. Michael Kim 12.2
19. Keegan Bradley 12.1
20. Wyndham Clark 11.8
21. Brendon Todd 11.2

Selections

Collin Morikawa 25/1 DraftKings

Morikawa finished T-14 last week at the U.S. Open but was 8th for Strokes Gained: Approach. He has performed well in similar events on shorter courses including being a runner-up at Colonial and Top 10s at the Sony Open and RBC Heritage. 

Earlier this year Morikawa enhanced his Pete Dye form book with 13th in The PLAYERS, where he led the field in strokes-gained approach and ranked third from tee to green. Keep in mind, he withdrew from the Memorial before Sunday's final round with back spasms (seemingly clean bill of health now), and he was just two strokes off the lead. 

Russell Henley 40/1 Superbook Sports 

Russell Henley has played some great golf at TPC River Highlands throughout his career. He finished 11th in 2018 and sixth in 2016 to go along with a 19th-place finish in 2021. On approach, Henley gained 6.4 strokes at the Memorial and 7.2 strokes at the U.S. Open. 

Tom Kim 41/1 Circa Sports

Kim gained 7.5 strokes on approach last week, which ranked 4th in the field at the U.S. Open. Sedgefield is a correlated course to TPC River Highlands, and Tom Kim won there last year.

Max Homa 50/1 DraftKings

This is a buy-low spot here on Homa. He had been in decent enough form going into the U.S. Open but missed the cut last week, and he has missed the cut here in all four appearances. However, he was 30/1 at the U.S. Open and is now 50/1 at the Travelers. We will buy on the dip. 

Sahith Theegala 68/1 Circa Sports

Theegala has not failed to make the weekend since the calendar flipped to 2023 and his run of 20 consecutive cuts is the third-longest streak on the PGA Tour. He finished 67-65-64-67 to finish runner-up to Schauffele, but he actually led by one heading to the tee on the 72nd hole. Then, he found sand with his drive, took two to get out and a double bogey ended his chances.

In the final round of the US Open, Theegala ranked 1st for Strokes Gained: Around The Green, 2nd Tee To Green and 5th on Approach, so he should come in confident. 

Brian Harman 80/1 Superbook Sports

It is difficult to find form here in the Travelers Championship, but Harman has it with four Top 8 finishes in his last four appearances and a 3rd here in 2015. Harman shot 65 last week in the first round of the U.S. Open. 

Austin Eckroat 115/1 Circa Sports

Eckroat in three of his last four starts has a runner-up at the AT&T Byron Nelson, a T-16 at Colonial, and a Top 10 at the U.S. Open last weekend courtesy of a 5-under 65 in Sunday's final round. 

Matchups (34-22-6; 3-0-1 last week)

Rory McIlroy +155 over Scottie Scheffler (BetMGM)

Russell Henley -130 over Si Woo Kim (South Point)

Patrick Cantlay -145 over Viktor Hovland (BetMGM)

Andrew Putnam -115 over Stephan Jaeger (BetMGM)

Jon Rahm +135 over Scottie Scheffler (BetMGM)

 

Best Bets for the BMW International Open

The DP World Tour returns to action on the road to the year's final major, The Open Championship at Royal Liverpool, with the BMW International Open in Munich, Germany.

Last time out, Englishman Dale Whitnell earned his first DP World Tour win at the Scandinavian Mixed two weeks ago at a price of 140/1. Whitnell is also in this week's field at 66/1. 

Adrian Meronk, winner of the Italian Open last month cashing a 20/1 winner for us, is this week's favorite at 14/1 while making his debut here. Rasmus Hojgaard (16/1) finished 3rd at the KLM Open in the Netherlands four weeks ago. Antoine Rozner and Victor Perez follow in the market at 25/1. Takumi Kanaya and German Yannik Paul, who was third two weeks ago at the Scandinavian Mixed event in Sweden, are at 28/1. Robert MacIntyre and Romain Langasque, 5th here last year, are at 30/1. 

Pablo Larrazabal has already won twice in 2023 including twice in his last four events at the Korea Championship and the KLM Open. He also won this event back in 2015. 

We cashed here last year with Haotong Li at 70/1, but the defending champion is 250/1 this time, courtesy of missing 13 of 18 cuts since last year's triumph, including his last five. 

The Event

The BMW International Open was established in 1989 and has spent most of its tenure in the home city of its title sponsor and Bavarian capital Munich. Over the last decade, the event has alternated between Golfclub München Eichenried in Munich on odd years and Golf Club Gut Lärchenhof near Cologne in even years, but Eichenreid will once again host this year for the third consecutive time.

Previous winners at Eichenried, dating back to its first year in 1989, include Henrik Stenson, Martin Kaymer, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Thomas Bjorn, Lee Westwood, John Daly, Colin Montgomerie, Paul Azinger, Sandy Lyle, and David Feherty.

The Course

Golfclub München Eichenried in Munich has been slightly lengthened to a Par 72 of 7,284 yards. The 1989 Kurt Rosknecht design is very scoreable with 4 mid-range Par 5s and a couple of potentially drivable Par 4s.  The Poa/Ryegrass fairways are very generous, so the layout is set up for the players to attack.

The Creeping Bentgrass greens are relatively flat and roll about 10 feet on the stimpmeter.

History has proven that many types of players with different styles have succeeded here – it could be either a high GIR player who putts well, or someone in good putting form who finds more greens than normal who will prevail. Either way, birdies and low scoring are the order of the day, particularly if rain does soften up the putting surfaces.

BMW International Open Recent History/Winners

2022: Haotong Li (-22/266); 66/1*

2021: Viktor Hovland (-19/269); 13/2

2020: Tournament cancelled due to COVID-19

2019: Andrea Pavan (-15/273); 100/1**

2018: Matt Wallace (-10/278); 40/1

2017: Andres Romero (-17/271); 300/1

2016: Henrik Stenson (-17/271); 10/1

2015: Pablo Larrazabal (-17/271); 60/1

2014: Fabrizio Zanotti (-19/269); 80/1***

2013: Ernie Els (-18/270); 22/1

2012: Danny Willett (-11/277); 90/1****

2011: Pablo Larrazabal (-16/272); 45/1*****

2010: David Horsey (-18/270); 150/1

Playoff win over Thomas Pieters - *

Playoff win over Matthew Fitzpatrick - **

Playoff win over Rafa Cabrera-Bello, Gregory Havret, and Henrik Stenson - ***

Playoff win over Marcus Fraser - ****

Playoff win over Sergio Garcia - *****

Note that the 2012, 2014, 2016, and 2018 events were played at Lärchenhof.

Selections

Rasmus Hojgaard 18/1 BetMGM

Unlike some others at the top of the board, Rasmus doesn't have to make the long travel from last week's U.S. Open. He was 3rd in Holland a few weeks ago and is one of several in line to make a potential run for the last few spots on the Ryder Cup team. 

Pablo Larrazabal 30/1 BetRivers

40-year-old Larrazabal has won twice already this season and won this event back in 2015. A third win on the 2023 DP World Tour calendar would certainly have to give him consideration for the Ryder Cup team. 

Richard Mansell 50/1 PointsBet

You have to be good on approach here, and Mansell is ranking 5th for Strokes Gained: Approach this season on the DP World Tour. 

Paul Waring 55/1 BetMGM

Waring has been 10th at the European Open and 5th in the Scandinavian Mixed in his last two starts, and he has found form over the last several weeks with a 5th in the European Open and 12th in the Scandinavian Mixed.

Sean Crocker 60/1 Boyd Sports

Despite a 74 in Round 1, Crocker finished runner-up two weeks ago at the Scandinavian Mixed and was five strokes better than the winner Dale Whitnell over the last three rounds. 

Frederic Lacroix 75/1  PointsBet

Lacroix finished 10th here last year and gained strokes across the board. 

We will have selections for the LPGA major, the KPMG Women's PGA Championship, on Wednesday at VSiN.com/picks.