Ava Romero
The Travelers Championship is a PGA Tour event that has been held annually since 1952. Since 1991, it has been hosted at the TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Connecticut. The tournament was previously known as the Insurance City Open, and was played at the Wethersfield Country Club for its first three decades. The Travelers Companies have been the title sponsor of the tournament since 2007, and the event donates 100% of net proceeds to charities.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Location | TPC River Highlands, Cromwell, Connecticut |
| Host | The Travelers Companies |
| Tournament History | Began in 1952; Hosted annually since |
| Notable Moments | 1952: Ted Kroll wins the inaugural tournament; 1955: Bill Whedon becomes the first player in PGA Tour history to record two holes-in-one in the same round; 1956: Arnold Palmer defeats Ted Kroll; 1962: Bob Goalby wins in a sudden death playoff; 1967: Charlie Sifford, first African American golfer to win a PGA Tour event; 2011: Patrick Cantlay sets a course record for amateurs; 2014: Kevin Streelman breaks PGA Tour record; 2016: Jim Furyk shoots a 58 in the final round, a PGA Tour record; 2017: Jordan Spieth wins in a playoff against Daniel Berger; 2021: Harris English wins in the second-longest playoff in PGA Tour history |
Explore related products
What You'll Learn
TPC River Highlands, Cromwell, Connecticut
TPC River Highlands is a private golf club located in Cromwell, Connecticut, a suburb south of Hartford. It is part of the Tournament Players Club network, which is operated by the PGA Tour. The club was founded in 1928 as Middletown Golf Club and became the Edgewood Country Club in 1934. In the early 1980s, it was bought by the PGA Tour and redesigned by golf course architect Pete Dye. It then reopened as the "TPC of Connecticut" in 1984, hosting the Greater Hartford Open.
The course underwent further remodelling in 1989 by Bobby Weed, in consultation with tour professionals Howard Twitty and Roger Maltbie. It was then renamed TPC River Highlands, and the PGA Tour event lost Sammy Davis Jnr. as its title sponsor. Since 1984, it has been the venue for the tour's annual Travelers Championship, previously known as the Buick Championship and the Greater Hartford Open. The course record is 58 by PGA Tour pro Jim Furyk, which he shot during the final round of the 2016 Travelers Championship.
TPC River Highlands has been recognised by Golf Digest as "One of the Top 10 Golf Courses in the State" and was ranked No. 25 by PGA TOUR pros in Golf World's PGA TOUR Course Rankings in 2012. Its 23-acre championship practice facility is one of the largest in the state, featuring a 360-yard driving range, putting green, chipping green, and 110,000 square feet of tees. The club offers sports camps and clinics for players of all levels, aged 4-12.
Golf Key Battery Replacement: A Step-by-Step Guide
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Tournament history and past winners
The Travelers Championship is a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour, held in Cromwell, Connecticut, a suburb south of Hartford. It has taken place at TPC River Highlands since 1984. The Greater Hartford Community Foundation is in charge of its management.
The tournament was founded 73 years ago in 1952 as the Insurance City Open. In 1967, it was renamed the Greater Hartford Open, a title retained until 2003. From 1973 to 1988, the tournament also bore the name of entertainer Sammy Davis Jr., who frequently played in the pro-ams. Canon was a title sponsor from 1985 to 2002, and their employees often took vacation time during tournament week to volunteer at the event. When Canon announced it would not renew its sponsorship after the 2002 season, organizers feared losing their spot on the tour for the 2003 season.
A fundraising campaign, followed by Buick signing a three-year sponsorship agreement, allowed the tournament to continue under the title Buick Championship from 2004 to 2006. When Buick did not renew its sponsorship after the 2006 season, the tournament briefly lost its spot on the tour schedule. However, a spot opened up, and Travelers signed on to sponsor the tournament starting in 2007. The purse for the 2006 tournament was $4.4 million, with $792,000 going to the winner. From 2007 to 2010, the purse under Travelers' sponsorship was $6 million, with $1,080,000 going to the champion.
- 1952: Ted Kroll wins the inaugural tournament, beating Lawson Little, Skee Riegel, and Earl Stewart by four shots.
- 1955: Amateur Bill Whedon becomes the first player in PGA Tour history to record two holes-in-one in the same round.
- 1956: Arnold Palmer defeats Ted Kroll, claiming his first United States-based PGA Tour victory.
- 1962: Bob Goalby defeats Art Wall Jr. on the seventh hole of a sudden-death playoff.
- 1967: African American golfer Charlie Sifford wins his first PGA Tour event.
- 1968: Billy Casper becomes the tournament's first three-time winner.
- 1981: Ninety-one players make the 36-hole cut, a PGA Tour record.
- 1982: Tim Norris sets tournament records for aggregate (259) scoring and under par (−25).
- 1989: Paul Azinger chips in on the 72nd hole to beat Wayne Levi by one shot.
- 1992: Lanny Wadkins wins by two shots over Dan Forsman, Nick Price, and Donnie Hammond.
- 2000: Notah Begay III wins for the second consecutive week.
- 2002: Phil Mickelson becomes the first winner to successfully defend his title.
- 2008: Kenny Perry wins by shooting a tournament-record 258 (22 under par).
- 2011: Patrick Cantlay, an amateur golfer, sets a course record of 10-under 60, the lowest round ever shot on the PGA Tour by an amateur.
- 2014: Kevin Streelman birdies the last seven holes in the final round, a PGA Tour record for an event winner.
- 2016: Jim Furyk shoots a 12-under-par 58 in the final round, becoming the first player to shoot 58 in a PGA Tour event.
- 2017: Jordan Spieth wins in a playoff against Daniel Berger with a memorable 20-yard bunker shot.
- 2021: Harris English wins a sudden-death playoff against Kramer Hickok on the 8th hole, tying for the second-longest playoff in PGA Tour history.
- 2023: Keegan Bradley wins his first-ever designated title and sixth career PGA Tour victory.
- 2024: Scottie Scheffler wins at TPC River Highlands, Cromwell, in a playoff over Tom Kim.
Golf on TV: Where to Watch?
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Longest playoffs in tournament history
The Travelers Championship is a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour. It is held annually in June at the TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Connecticut, a suburb south of Hartford. The tournament was founded in 1952 as the Insurance City Open and was renamed the Greater Hartford Open in 1967, a title retained through 2003.
The longest playoffs in the tournament's history took place in 2021 when Harris English and Kramer Hickok faced off in a sudden-death playoff that lasted eight holes, tying the PGA Tour record for the longest sudden-death playoff ever completed. English and Hickok birdied the final hole of regulation to finish at 13-under-par 267 and force the playoff. They matched pars on the first seven playoff holes, playing No. 18 four times and No. 17 twice. On the eighth extra hole, English pulled through, knocking in a birdie to win the championship for the first time.
The 2021 playoff was not the first time that eight holes were required to determine a winner at the Travelers Championship. In 1961 and 1962, a seven-hole playoff was needed, and in 1954, Tommy Bolt posted a tournament record of 60 but had to win an 18-hole playoff over Earl Stewart to secure victory.
While not as lengthy as the record-tying eight-hole playoff, the 2017 Travelers Championship also featured a playoff between Jordan Spieth and Daniel Berger. Spieth won on the first playoff hole, holing his bunker shot for birdie. Berger had a chance to continue the playoff but missed his long birdie putt.
Golf Magazine Advertising: Reach Your Target Audience
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Tournament sponsors and funding
The Travelers Championship is a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour. It has been held annually since 1952 and is currently hosted at the TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Connecticut. The tournament has had several sponsors over the years, with Canon being the title sponsor from 1985 to 2002. During Canon's sponsorship, the tournament was played at the Wethersfield Country Club, about five miles north of Cromwell.
When Canon decided not to renew its sponsorship after the 2002 season, a new sponsor was sought to secure the tournament's spot on the tour. This led to Buick signing on as the title sponsor from 2004 to 2006, with the tournament being renamed the Buick Championship. During this time, the purse for the tournament increased to $4.4 million, with $792,000 going to the winner.
However, Buick also eventually decided not to renew its sponsorship after the 2006 season, and once again, the tournament was at risk of losing its spot on the tour schedule. Fortunately, The Travelers Companies stepped in and became the title sponsor starting in 2007, increasing the purse further to $6 million, with $1,080,000 going to the champion. The tournament has since been known as the Travelers Championship, and it continues to be a prominent event on the PGA Tour.
The Travelers Championship has a long list of sponsors and partners that support the tournament. Some of the notable sponsors and partners include Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, AT&T, Bank of America, Coca-Cola Beverages Northeast, Comcast Business, J.P. Morgan Asset Management, KPMG, Mastercard, and Rolex, among many others. These sponsors and partners play a crucial role in funding the tournament, ensuring its success and providing significant purses for the participants.
Golf Style: Dressing for Success on the Green
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Tournament attendance records
The Travelers Championship is an annual professional golf tournament held in June on the PGA Tour. It is played in Cromwell, Connecticut, a suburb south of Hartford. The tournament has been hosted at the TPC River Highlands since 1984.
The tournament was founded 73 years ago in 1952 as the Insurance City Open, with Ted Kroll taking home the inaugural trophy and a $2,400 winner's cheque from a $15,000 purse. The total attendance for the tournament that year was 20,000.
The tournament set a record attendance in 2002 with nearly 400,000 fans for the week. In 2017, around 290,000 fans attended, which was the highest attendance since The Travelers Companies took over sponsorship in 2007.
The Travelers Championship has a rich history, with notable moments such as Suzy Whaley becoming the first woman in 58 years to play in a PGA Tour event in 2011, and Patrick Cantlay setting a course record of 10-under 60 as an amateur, the lowest round ever shot on the PGA Tour by an amateur.
Forearm Strength Training for Golfers
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
The Travelers Championship is held at the TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Connecticut.
Notable winners of the championship include Jordan Spieth, Jim Furyk, Kevin Streelman, Patrick Cantlay, and Harris English.
Canon, Buick, and Travelers Companies have all been title sponsors of the tournament. Canon sponsored the event from 1985 to 2002, followed by Buick from 2004 to 2006, and Travelers took over in 2007.
