CROMWELL, Connecticut – The Travelers Championship set a tournament-record for charities of more than $3 million in its first go-round as one of the PGA Tour’s “Signature Events” in 2023.
Tournament officials are confident that they will surpass that mark this year when Connecticut’s biggest sporting event is again one of the PGA Tour’s prestigious showcases with new amenities added to TPC River Highlands in Cromwell and a field of 70-80 players established by eligibility criteria for Signature Events based on performance competing for all four rounds.
“People, especially our sponsors, have said they love that there won’t be a cut so they don’t have to worry about not seeing some of their favorite players because they’ll be there for the entire tournament,” tournament director Nathan Grube said. “It’s part of another tremendous milestone for our tournament, and we couldn’t have become a Signature Event without the commitment of our title sponsor, Travelers, and everyone in the community who supported us along the way – from our corporate partners to volunteers and charities.
“We’ve stayed focused on making our event better each year, and there are several new features in store for players and spectators alike. We’re looking forward to hosting the world’s best players over four incredible days of competition and putting on the best show our fans have ever seen in Connecticut.”
Players will be challenged by a TPC River Highlands course that has undergone a half-dozen competitive enhancements to select holes, with new tee boxes, narrower fairways and smaller greens. There will also be improvements to the onsite experience for fans with upgraded venues and new concession areas.
“From day one, we’ve pledged to make this a world-class event on the PGA Tour so that our fans, volunteers, sponsors and the community can have a memorable experience and be proud of the Travelers Championship,” said Andy Bessette, Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer at Travelers. “The tournament has generated significant money for hundreds of charities and made a positive impact on all those who benefit from it.”
Early player commitments showed the field for the June 20-23 tournament could be better than in 2023, when nine of the Top-10 players in the Official World Golf Rankings were at TPC River Highlands. Scottie Scheffler, who won four of five events in March and April to solidify his stronghold on No. 1 in the world, was the first player to commit and was soon followed by No. 2 Rory McIlroy, No. 3 Xander Schauffele, the 2022 Travelers Championship winner, No. 6 Ludvig Aberg, No. 7 Viktor Hovland, No. 8 Patrick Cantlay, No. 9 Max Homa, No. 13 Collin Morikawa, fan favorite Rickie Fowler and defending champion Keegan Bradley, who dreamed about winning the tournament while growing up in Vermont and visiting the event for the first time at 8 years old.
The limited field will again shoot for a $20 million purse and $3.6 million first prize.
The championship has generated more than $28 million for more 900 local charities since Travelers became title sponsor in 2007. In 2023, more than $3 million was distributed to over 180 organizations, including two local Boys & Girls Clubs, animal shelters and a wide range of charities focusing on everything from food insecurity to mental and physical health.
www.TravelersChampionship.com.
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