04-27-2009
Travelers Championship officials announced four powerful additions to the upcoming tournament’s player field today. Sergio Garcia, the world’s No. 3 ranked player, Vijay Singh, reigning FedExCup champion, Anthony Kim, one of the PGA TOUR’s youngest superstars, and Stuart Appleby, an eight-time winner on the PGA TOUR, have officially committed to playing in Connecticut’s PGA TOUR event. The Travelers Championship will be held June 22 – 28, 2009 at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Conn., and with today’s announcement, the tournament is shaping up to deliver one of the most exciting player fields that Connecticut has experienced.
"Our field continues to become more exciting by the day. I’m pleased to be able to share this news with our fans so far in advance. It means we clearly have a lot to look forward to in the coming months. Our event will be played the week after the U.S. Open, which is just down the road on Long Island. That close proximity, combined with the premier experience that the Travelers Championship offers PGA TOUR professionals, is resulting in a very strong player field this year,” said Nathan Grube, tournament director. “Sergio, Vijay and Stuart are very exciting players for our fans to see on the course, and we are pleased to welcome them back to Connecticut. We look forward to welcoming Anthony for his first appearance at our event.”
Currently ranked No. 3 in the Official World Golf Rankings, Sergio Garcia finished last season No. 3 in the FedExCup, thanks to six top-10 finishes, including a playoff victory at THE PLAYERS Championship. Garcia’s successful 2008 season also included three runner-up finishes at the PGA Championship, THE TOUR Championship presented by Coca Cola and The Barclays, as well as a victory at the European Tour’s Castello Masters in Spain, which propelled him to a career-high No. 3 in the Official World Golf Rankings. Garcia is a five-time Ryder Cup team member and holds a 14-6-4 record for the event. This summer will be Garcia’s second appearance in Connecticut. He finished tied for 20th at the event in 2002.
Current FedExCup champion and the No. 8 ranked player in the Official World Golf Rankings, Vijay Singh has a remarkable 34 PGA TOUR victories to his name, including two wins at the PGA Championship (2002, 1998) and a victory at the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational last year. Last season, Singh garnered quite a buzz for a late season push that saw him win two of the four playoff events (The Barclays and Deutsche Bank Championship) and ultimately to capture FedExCup title.
In less than three seasons on the PGA TOUR, Anthony Kim has earned his reputation as one of the hottest young golfers on the PGA TOUR by recording two victories (2008 Wachovia Championship and 2008 AT&T National), playing an instrumental role in the United States victory at the 2008 Ryder Cup and recording 14 top-10 finishes, including finishing tied for seventh at the 2008 British Open. In this year’s season-opening Mercedes-Benz Championship, Kim eagled the 72nd hole to finished tied for second, and went on to grab two additional top-25 finishes at the Masters tournament and the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship. This summer will be Kim’s first appearance at the Travelers Championship.
Australian Stuart Appleby posted a career-high seven top-10 finishes last year en route to a 17th place finish in the FedExCup standings. At the conclusion of the 2008 season, Appleby surpassed the $2 million mark in earnings for the fifth time in his career and finished among the top 55 on the money list for the 12th consecutive season. This season, Appleby’s best performances have been a tied for eighth finish at the Transitions Championship and finishing tied for 30th at the Masters tournament.
The announcements of these additions to the Travelers Championship player field come simultaneously with the tournament sharing news of expansion for the event in other aspects this year as well. At a press conference held today, the tournament announced various fan enhancements that will be introduced this year including a new Fan Zone on the course, an evening concert series immediately following play and a special Women’s Day program. In addition, the event continues to expand and enhance the experience in Connecticut for PGA TOUR professionals as well, as showcased by the news that the course will open a four-hole short course this year on the site of the 23-acre practice facility that opened to rave reviews last summer.
“Connecticut has an unmatched history for delivering an outstanding PGA TOUR event. We’ve got a great course to offer, huge, enthusiastic galleries, and lots of action on and off the course for the fans. Travelers is committed to growing this tournament to be one of the best events on the PGA TOUR and to delivering a new, remarkable experience for players, fans and all involved every year,” said Andy Bessette, executive vice president and chief administrative officer of Travelers. “We’re pleased that Sergio, Vijay, Anthony and Stuart will be part of that experience this summer and we look forward to welcoming them to the Travelers Championship.”
The Travelers Championship is the PGA TOUR's only early summer stop in the Northeast. Garcia, Singh, Kim and Appleby join a strong and growing field of competitors at the Travelers Championship including Kenny Perry, Chad Campbell, 2007 Champion Hunter Mahan and defending champion Stewart Cink. A complete schedule of Travelers Championship events and ticket information is available on www.TravelersChampionship.com .
About the Travelers Championship
The Travelers Championship will be held June 22 - 28, 2009, at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Conn. As the only PGA TOUR event in the Northeast in early summer, the Travelers Championship is one of the region's premier sporting events. Primary beneficiaries of the Travelers Championship are The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, serving children facing serious illness, and the Greater Hartford Jaycees, a leadership development and community service organization. The event is sponsored by Travelers, a leading provider of property casualty insurance for home, auto and business. Travelers has been doing business in the community for nearly a century and a half, and today has approximately 7,000 employees in the Greater Hartford area. The Official Property Casualty Insurer of the PGA TOUR, Travelers has been a sponsor of this event each year since its inception in 1952, becoming title sponsor in 2007. Complete details are available on www.TravelersChampionship.com .
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