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June 22, 2008: STEWART CINK WINS! In
an exciting finish that kept fans watching and waiting right up to the final
putt, Stewart Cink earned his fifth PGA TOUR victory at the Travelers
Championship on Sunday. Leading by one stroke as he approached the final hole,
Cink drilled a 366-yard tee shot, the longest drive of the tournament's final
round, into the crowds lining the 18th hole. He recovered from the drive, made
par and finished 18-under-par for the tournament. His score of 66-64-65-67-262
is a new personal best for 72 holes. Cink's last victory came at the 2004 World Golf Championships- NEC Invitational and he had had a number of finishes toward the top of the leaderboard in recent years, in which another victory appeared promising. He has had seven top-10 finishes this season, including a solo second at the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship and a finish of tied for third at the Masters Tournament. "Sometimes when you have to wait a but, you have to go through a few extra trials it seems a little bit sweeter," Cink said. "This time, the way that I was able to do it- I had the lead all weekend, we had to endure a rain delay and guys were firing left and right. I stayed a step ahead, just enough. I think that makes it even more sweet. To stand over that last putt, even though it was only 2 feet long, and to knock it in the middle, it was a great feeling." Cink's victory at the Travelers Championship pushed him to third place in the FedExCup standings behind Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, and into second place in the U.S. Ryder Cup standings. Cink got his first win at the same event in his rookie year in 1997, and now joins the elite company of just four other players who had had multiple wins at Connecticut's PGA TOUR event- Billy Casper (1963, 1965, 1968, 1973), Arnold Palmer (1956, 1960) and Phil Mickelson (2001, 2002). The Travelers Championship final round was packed with action, and at several moments a playoff appeared imminent. In addition to Cink, other players in contention were Heath Slocum, Tommy Armour III and defending champion Hunter Mahan. Mahan carved a place for himself near the top of the leaderboard all week, as the defending champion worked to earn back-to-back wins at the event. Mahan kicked off the final round with birdies on the first two holes and had a solid performance throughout the round, ultimately finishing one shot back from the lead to tie for second place with Tommy Armour III. With this runner-up finish, Mahan has now made five straight cuts at the Travelers Championship with his 2007 victory sandwiched between two tied for second finishes in 2006 and 2008. "I was excited to come here. Excited to have the opportunity to defend my title here," said Mahan. "I felt like I played well and gave myself a chance to win on Sunday. I'm truly happy how everything went." Tommy Armour III, age 48, who was looking to become the oldest winner on the PGA TOUR this season, shot a stellar bogey-free 65 in the final round. He put his approach on No. 17 about four feet from the pin and made birdie, but he missed a 37-foot putt on 18 that would have given him a share of the lead. His finish of tied for second placed is his best since earning the same spot in the 2004 Chrysler Championship.  Throughout the week, the tournament turned out top quality golf, with a scoring
average of 69.117, which is the lowest in relation to par at this event since
official statistics started being kept in 1983. TPC River Highlands played the
lowest scoring average of any par-70 course so far this year on the PGA TOUR."We are happy to congratulate Stewart on once again earning the champion's title in Connecticut. All in all, the player field had a phenomenal showing on the course at the Travelers Championship and we are pleased to have delivered an exciting week of world-class golf for the fans," said Nathan Grube, tournament director. June 21, 2008: ROUND THREE NOTES
Past champion Stewart Cink maintained his leader position and had crowds captivated during the
third round of the Travelers Championship, which included both record-setting personal records
and tournament records.
Cink shot 65 for a total of 195 through three rounds, marking his personal best 54-hole score of his career. Cink, who is currently No. 7 in the FedExCup points standings, could move as high as third with a victory this week. Cink recorded the first of his four PGA TOUR victories at this tournament in 1997. Heath Slocum also set his personal best for 54-holes, shooting a total of 197, which puts him alone in second place at 13-under-par. By making it to the weekend, Heath Slocum has now made 13 consecutive cuts this season, and has four top-10 finishes. Going into the final round, five players are tied for third place at 12-under-par. Vijay Singh, who has two runner-up finishes and one third-place finish in 2008, is looking to get his first victory of the year. Defending champion Hunter Mahan is trying to join Phil Mickelson (2001, 2002) as the only player in the tournament’s history to successfully defend his title. Kevin Streelman rebounded from a tough 3-over-par 73 opening round at the Travelers Championship with rounds of 63-62 and is now 12-under-par for the tournament. The consecutive rounds of 63-62-125 set a new tournament record for consecutive rounds (36 holes). D.J. Trahan shot a bogey-free 62, Kenny Perry shot a bogey-free 65, and Tommy Armour III shot a 65 to earn a spot among those tied for fifth. June 20, 2008: ROUND TWO NOTES
Round two at the Travelers Championship saw two past champions, Stewart Cink and Hunter Mahan,
surge to the top, while three professionals who had been at the top of the leaderboad after the
first round- Ken Duke, Lucas Glover and Brad Adamonis, held steady to stay in the running for the
winner's title of the Travelers Championship. Playing as a sponsor exemption this week, amateur
Michael H. Thompson finished the second round at 8-under-par for the tournament, two shots off
the lead.
1997 Champion Stewart Cink shot a 6-under-par 64 to finish the second round at 10-under-par to take a one-stroke lead at the halfway point of the Travelers Championship. Cink's round was highlighted by eagles on both of the course's par 5s. Defending champion Hunter Mahan is trying to join Phil Mickelson (2001, 2002) as the only other player in the tournament's history to successfully defend his title. Mahan shot a bogey-free 7-under-par 63 to move to 9-under-par, one stroke off the lead. Lucas Glover is also one shot off of the lead after a second-round 66. Ken Duke followed his opening-round 5-under-par 65 with a 4-under-par second round and is also one shot off the lead with Mahan and Glover. 72 players made the cut at 3-under-par, the lowest score so far this season. It is the lowest cut since the tournament moved to TPC River Highlands in 1991, and is the lowest cut on the PGA TOUR since 5-under-par made the cut at the 2007 Wyndham Championship. June 19, 2008: ROUND ONE NOTES
At the end of a competitive round one, the Travelers Championship leaderboard shows Johnson Wagner,
Brian Davis, Brad Adamonis and Steve Lowery are tied for the lead after each shot 6-under-par 64.
The stunner of the field was Michael H. Thompson, an amateur playing on a sponsor exemption, who
shot an opening round 5-under-par 65.
The 64 by Steve Lowery, who recorded his third PGA TOUR victory earlier this year in a playoff- at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, is his best score at the Travelers Championship in 39 career rounds dating back to 1988. Lowery is currently 27th in the FedExCup standings. Brian Davis has never missed a cut at the Travelers Championship in three previous appearances. The 64 matches Davis’ lowest score of the year with a second-round 64 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Johnson Wagner, winner of the 2008 Shell Houston Open, nearly aced the 296-yard par 4 15th hole on Thursday, hitting his tee shot to approximately two feet. Wagner’s approaches were good all day as he hit 17 of 18 greens for round one. Brad Adamonis, 35 year-old-rookie from Cumberland, Rhode Island, shot the lowest round of his PGA TOUR career with a 6-under-par 64, marking the first time that he has held or shared the lead after the completion of any PGA TOUR round. Last year, Adamonis finished No. 33 on the Nationwide Tour money list after winning an 8-hole sudden death playoff at the WNB Golf Classic. Visit TravelersChampionship.com for leaderboard updates throughout Round 2. June 18, 2008: THE STARS COME OUT TO PLAY IN THE TRAVELERS CELEBRITY PRO-AM
In case you missed it, many of the PGA TOUR’s greatest players competed alongside some of the great
stars of the big screen in the Travelers Celebrity Pro-Am, which was held on Wednesday. From the
pairing of Vijay Singh and Hollywood star Luke Wilson, to Billy Andrade and Joe Pesci the pairings
made for a unique fan-experience and some great action on the course. The tournament's defending
champion Hunter Mahan teed it up with actor Aidan Quinn. Wilson, Pesci and Quinn are all avid
supporters of The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, a designated charity beneficiary of the Travelers
Championship.
For the sports fan, the Travelers Celebrity Pro-Am also featured many sports industry celebrities, including New England Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick; NFL legends Joe Theismann, Andre Tippett and Doug Flutie; MLB All Star and Red Sox legend Dwight Evans. Fan favorite and strong tournament supporter, Chris Berman of ESPN entertained fans as a competitor, along with ESPN personalities Stuart Scott, John Buccigross, Kenny Mayne and Karl Ravech and University of Connecticut coaches Randy Edsall and Geno Auriemma. Ever wonder how PGA TOUR players balance fitness and diet with such a strenuous travel schedule? Also on Wednesday, fans had a great, up-close opportunity to ask health-related questions to PGA TOUR players Jason Gore, Nick Flanagan and Fred Funk in the Men's Health Player Forum, presented by GlaxoSmithKline. For more information and to meet former Washington Redskins quarterback Joe Theismann, please visit the display for AVODART in the Subway Fan Zone. Theismann will be signing autographs from 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. today. 2007: MAHAN EDGES WILLIAMSON IN PLAYOFF
The inaugural Travelers Championship introduced sports fans and the community to
a new era for the PGA TOUR in Connecticut.With the support of a dedicated new title
sponsor, the tournament that has been a statewide icon for more than 50 years
was re-launched with new experiences for players, fans, sponsors, volunteers and
all involved. While the elite golfers of the PGA TOUR competed for a $6 million
purse, the largest in tournament history, and points in the first ever FedExCup
race, thousands of spectators “filled the hill,” surrounding the 18th hole throughout
the week. Fans lining the course and watching from home were treated to what
was arguably the PGA TOUR's best finish of the season, when Hunter Mahan
clinched his first PGA TOUR win in an exciting playoff victory over Jay Williamson.
Mahan, who had finished second at the event in the previous year, overcame bogeys on 16 and 17 and rallied from a one-stroke deficit heading into the 72nd hole to close with a birdie. His final round of 65 sent him and Williamson back to the 18th tee for the first hole of the playoff. As Williamson and Mahan each fought to earn their first PGA TOUR victory, both professionals hit spectacular approaches onto the 18th green. Williamson, a non-PGA TOUR member playing on a sponsor's exemption, missed his seven-foot birdie attempt. Mahan knocked his 134-yard approach shot to within two feet, and went on to convert birdie and clinch his first PGA TOUR victory and the champion's title of the inaugural Travelers Championship. |
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