TRAVELERS CHAMPIONSHIP WINS ‘PLAYERS CHOICE’ AWARD FROM PGA TOUR FOR SECOND CONSECUTIVE YEAR
HARTFORD, Conn., Dec. 7, 2018 – The 2018 Travelers Championship was honored Dec. 6 by the PGA TOUR at its annual Tournament Meetings, earning the “Players Choice” award for the second consecutive year.
“On behalf of the PGA TOUR, I am pleased to congratulate the Travelers Championship for this special recognition,” said PGA TOUR Chief Tournaments and Competitions Officer Andy Pazder. “The tournament committee should be extremely proud of its hard work and innovation in making the tournament the best among its peers on TOUR.”
The “Players Choice” award is voted on exclusively by PGA TOUR members and is based on players’ experiences with tournament services, hospitality, player and family amenities, community support, attendance, golf course and other attributes.
“We’re honored to receive this award and try to think of everything when it comes to the players, because we want them to enjoy their week,” said Andy Bessette, Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer at Travelers. “We take great pride in the relationships we build with the players on the PGA TOUR, so having them give this to us makes it very special.”
The Travelers Championship goes above and beyond to assist players, caddies and their families, not only during tournament week, but throughout the FedExCup season. One of the major perks for players is a charter flight provided from the U.S. Open, played the week before the Travelers Championship.
“This award is incredibly meaningful to us because it comes directly from the players on the PGA TOUR, and we work hard to deliver a world-class experience for them,” said Travelers Championship Tournament Director Nathan Grube. “The tremendous support we receive each year from the players and the PGA TOUR helps us to generate significant money for charity and deliver an economic boost to our community and state.”
Travelers became the title sponsor of the Travelers Championship in 2007 and has been supporting the event in some capacity since the tournament’s debut in 1952. The tournament, Connecticut’s largest annual professional sporting event, has generated more than $40 million for charity in its history, including a record $2 million in 2018.
In addition to receiving the “Players Choice” award each of the past two years, the Travelers Championship was named “Tournament of the Year” by the PGA TOUR in 2017 and has now won 14 TOUR awards since 2009. Others include “Most Fan Friendly Event” (2010, 2012, 2017), “Best Title Sponsor Integration” (2009, 2010, 2012), “Best Marketing Program” (2011), “Best Use of Players” (2012), “Best Charity Integration” (2013), “Best Special Event” (2016, when it hosted the Bruce Edwards Foundation Dinner) and “Best Tournament Sales” (2017).
The 2019 Travelers Championship will be held June 17-23 at TPC River Highlands. For more information, visit www.TravelersChampionship.com.
About the Travelers Championship
The Travelers Championship, held in Cromwell, Connecticut, is one of the premier events on the PGA TOUR and part of the FedExCup series. Named by the PGA TOUR as the 2017 “Tournament of the Year” and the 2017 and 2018 recipient of the “Players Choice” award, the Travelers Championship proudly supports the TOUR’s Tradition of Giving Back by donating 100 percent of net proceeds to charities. Travelers, a leading provider of property and casualty insurance for home, auto and business, is the Official Property Casualty Insurance Provider of the PGA TOUR. The company became the tournament’s title sponsor in 2007. Travelers has been doing business in the Hartford community for more than 160 years and has been a corporate sponsor of this event each year since its inception in 1952. Complete details are available at www.TravelersChampionship.com.
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