Cromwell, CT. After an exhausting week at the US Open the placement of The Travelers event on the PGA Tour is most welcomed. Most certainly for the players but also for the sizeable galleries that routinely attend the lone New England event on the PGA Tour.
Since 1952 the greater Hartford area has been a consistent and well-supported PGA Tour event.
The vibe at TPC River Highlands is community centric. When attending you see the broadest range of ages. Young kids clamoring for autographs and more of a down-to-earth picnic style than infliction of punishment from the week prior at Oakmont
The course itself provides skilled players the opportunity to demonstrate their skills and the scores shot can be rather low. Witness the last two years when world-ranked number one Scottie Scheffler won with -22 total. In 2023, New England native Keegan Bradley scored a record 257 total at TPC River Highlands.
Through the years a number of top tier players have won in Connecticut. The names include the likes of Billy Casper (4), Sam Snead, Arnold Palmer (2), Lee Trevino, Greg Norman, Phil Mickelson and Bubba Watson (3).
But the tournament took a dramatic uptick when in 2017 Jordan Spieth holed a greenside bunker shot to secure a playoff win against Daniel Berger. Spieth and his caddie – Michael Greller jumped for joy with Greller tossing the rake and Spieth his club. The two chest-bumped in a scene providing a lasting moment that still resonates.
The tournament administration has regularly been praised for the manner in which the players competing are treated in a first-class manner.
The fields competing are among the best on the yearly schedule for the PGA Tour and this year’s event is the last of eight signature events. That means a limited field of 72 players competing for the $20 million purse with $3.6 million for the winner. There is also no 36-hole cut after two rounds.
This year’s event is again off to a rousing start after two rounds with defending champion Scheffler tied for the 36-hole lead with Justin Thomas and Tommy Fleetwood. A Scheffler victory would only enhance his status as golf’s premier player. For Thomas a win would be his second this year and 17th overall. For Fleetwood a victory would be his first on the PGA Tour for the multiple European Ryder Cup player.
The Travelers has created an engaging pathway of promise that delivers each year.
Expect no different this weekend.
