Scottie Scheffler tops the market at TPC River Highlands

It's a new week and a different coast for the PGA TOUR. The bright lights, palm trees, and stress of a major championship in Los Angeles switch out for the parkland and bustle of TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Connecticut. The purse and payouts will be the same, $20 million, with $3.6 million going to the winner, and so will most of the field, featuring 156 players at this designated event.

Scottie Scheffler (+650) doesn't appear to be bothered by time zones, classic designs, big fields, or the marine layer. Or anything. Finishing solo third at LACC was his third consecutive top-10 payday in a major championship. Even better, it was his fourth consecutive top-three finish in his last four starts. The putter has been scrutinized after he lost shots on the greens at Colonial and Muirfield Village. He gained strokes on the greens last week, and that's bad news for the rest of the field as he's a deserved betting favorite once again.

The triumvirate at the top of the top-tier events at BetMGM Sportsbook has not changed this week. Jon Rahm (+900) sits behind the favored Texan again, but he's joined this week by his Ryder Cup teammate Rory McIlroy (+900). The Ulsterman ran solo second at the U.S. Open, missing forcing a playoff by one stroke. The Spaniard sparked to life on Sunday with 65 and only signed for three bogeys on the weekend. The driver is still causing a bit of a headache as he only found 28 of 52 fairways on a course that was described by hardly any as "tight." McIlroy hit six more GIR than anyone else yet missed out on his fifth major victory as his putter didn't cooperate. Three of his four rounds consisted of two bogeys or less. He squared just eight total for the week. Strangely, he's never hit the top 10 from four visits to TPC River Highlands. Rahm's best from three visits is T25 in his first year as a professional.

Patrick Cantlay (+1200) ran his streak of T14 or better in majors to five after a T14 finish in his native Los Angeles. Last season his streak of appearances at TPC River Highlands without a top-10 payday reached eight. Playing in the final group Sunday, one shot behind his Ryder Cup/Presidents Cup stalwart Xander Schauffele (+1400), he shot 76 and dropped to T13. Schauffele posted 68 and went on to win by two shots, reinforcing this is his time of year. The San Diegan opened last week setting and tying the U.S. Open scoring record with 62 before settling for T10. Last year he opened 63-63 at TPC River Highlands, equaling the lowest 36-hole mark since 1984. The two Southern California players haven't finished outside the top 30 since March.

Viktor Hovland (+1600) will make his first start in Connecticut since the summer of 2020. His second visit that year saw him open with 63, post four rounds in the 60s, and cash T11 after T54 in his first visit. The champion from the Memorial saw his streak of top-10 paydays at majors halt at three after solo 19th at LACC. The strategic test this week should fit his superb tee-to-green game. He doesn't have a problem racking up Par Breakers.

Collin Morikawa (+2500), like Hovland, enters for the first time since 2020. T14 last week included his final three rounds in the 60s. Matt Fitzpatrick (+2500), who finished one shot behind Morikawa last week, will make just his second appearance (MC, 2020). Tony Finau (+2800) hasn't hit the top 25 on TOUR since holding off Rahm in Mexico in late April. Making his eighth appearance at TPC River Highlands, he will be looking to cash his first top-10 check.

Fresh off his breakthrough victory at LACC, Wyndham Clark will curb the celebrations in time to tee it up again Thursday. He's listed at +4000 to rack up yet another trophy against a strong field, having also won the Wells Fargo Championship last month.

Here's a look at some of the other notable odds (via BetMGM), starting with Rickie Fowler as he looks to bounce back from another close call at a major:

+3300: Rickie Fowler, Tommy Fleetwood

+4000: Hideki Matsuyama, Max Homa, Russell Henley

+4500: Justin Thomas, Cameron Young, Tom Kim

+5000: Sahith Theegala, Jason Day, Sungjae Im

+5500: Min Woo Lee, Shane Lowry, Si Woo Kim

+6600: Corey Conners, Adam Scott, Keegan Bradley, Harris English

+8000: Brian Harman, Denny McCarthy

+10000: Byeong-Hun An

How it works:

Field of 156 players.

Top 65 players and ties will play the final two rounds.

Eight of the top 10 and 23 of the top 30 OWGR entered.

Circle back tomorrow as I post more details in Horses for Courses plus the Betting Stat Pack.

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