Travelers Championship 2020: Round 1 Odds, Tee Times, Live Stream, TV Schedule

The 2020 Travelers Championship is the third tournament to be played since the PGA Tour's restart.

Unlike the first two events, a handful of golfers withdrew prior to the event due to positive tests for COVID-19 to either themselves or those close to them.

Brooks Koepka and Webb Simpson did not test positive themselves, but because of concerns regarding members of their respective teams, they were two of five players who withdrew Wednesday.

However, the field still contains the top three players in the Official World Golf Ranking: Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm and Justin Thomas. 

Seven of the top 10 golfers in the world are slated to compete at TPC River Highlands. Of that group, Patrick Cantlay is the only one making his first appearance since the tour resumed.

Travelers Championship Round 1 Information

TV: Golf Channel (3-6 p.m. ET)

Live Stream: GolfChannel.com. Featured groups can be found on PGA Tour Live throughout the round.

Odds

Bryson DeChambeau (+900; bet $100 to win $900)

Justin Thomas (+1,100)

Rory McIlroy (+1,100)

Jon Rahm (+1,400)

Dustin Johnson (+1,900)

Justin Rose (+2,300)

Xander Schauffele (+2,800)

Odds via Caesars Sportsbook.

Tee Times

Preview

Bryson DeChambeau vaulted ahead of McIlroy and Thomas during the week to enter as the pre-tournament favorite. 

The 26-year-old, who has put on weight to help with his power, reeled off back-to-back top-10 finishes at the Charles Schwab Challenge and RBC Heritage. 

Those placings added on to DeChambeau's streak of five tournaments with a top-10 finish that dates back to February. 

The Californian has played some of the most consistent golf on the tour, with no score higher than 70 in the last eight rounds, and he has adjusted his game to suit the courses. 

DeChambeau ranks second in driving distance, third in scoring average, ninth in birdie average and 13th in greens in regulation. Those totals suggest he will be near the top of the leaderboard when Sunday rolls around in Connecticut. 

Thomas also recorded two straight top-10 finishes, but he needed a final-round 63 at the RBC Heritage to end up in a tie for eighth. He has five rounds of 66 or lower over the last two tournaments.The 27-year-old is also comfortable with where his game is at ahead of playing on a course he loves, according to Shawn McFarland of the Hartford Courant. 

"I feel very good about my game," Thomas said. "I've been working really hard. I've been trending in the right direction. I Feel that and continuing to just get a little bit better and better each and every week. Yeah, I'm excited to come here. I absolutely love this golf course." 

McIlroy has not been as consistent as DeChambeau and Thomas, with three rounds in the 70s, including his previous two final rounds. 

It may be easier for the Northern Irishman to climb the leaderboard with Koepka and last week's winner Simpson out of the field. 

Koepka's caddie tested positive for COVID-19, while a positive test for a member of Simpson's family forced him to withdraw. Cameron Champ, Graeme McDowell and Chase Koepka also opted out of the tournament. 

"I don't want to risk anyone's life if they have respiratory issues or underlying conditions," Koepka told Eamon Lynch of Golfweek. "The only way this Tour can continue is if guys do this sort of thing and be proactive about it."

While the favored golfers will receive the most attention, there is no guarantee they will leave Connecticut with the trophy, as two long shots have won the last two tournaments. 

Three-time Travelers champion Bubba Watson (+3,000) is one of the long shots to watch throughout the week. 

Paul Casey (+4,700) and Brian Harman (+6,500) are worth looking at as well. They earned top-10 finishes at the 2019 Travelers, and the latter has three weekend rounds under 70 that led to back-to-back top-30 placings at the last two competitions.

               

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90

Statistics obtained from PGATour.com