TRAVELERS CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE SPONSORSHIP EXTENDED THROUGH 2024!
Travelers signs 10-year title agreement;
extends marketing sponsorship with PGA TOUR
HARTFORD, Conn. (February 27, 2014) – The PGA TOUR, the Greater Hartford Community Foundation and Travelers (NYSE: TRV) announced today a 10-year title sponsorship extension of the Travelers Championship. Travelers became the title sponsor of its hometown tournament in 2007.
The announcement was made by Travelers Chairman and CEO Jay Fishman, Travelers Executive Vice President and CAO Andy Bessette, PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim Finchem, and Tournament Director Nathan Grube, during a morning press conference at the Connecticut Convention Center in downtown Hartford.
In addition to the title sponsorship, the PGA TOUR and Travelers have extended their official marketing relationship. Travelers will continue as the “Official Property Casualty Insurance Provider of the PGA TOUR, Web.com and Champions Tour” through 2018.
“The Travelers Championship is an important part of the sports history in Connecticut and has presented us a tremendous opportunity to support the community and charities throughout the region,” Fishman said. “Our sponsorship of the Travelers Championship has been a great investment for the community and our business. We are also very pleased to have the opportunity to promote both our commercial and personal property casualty insurance by extending our marketing relationship with the PGA TOUR.”
“As a longstanding pillar of the Greater Hartford community, Travelers took the significant step in 2007 to assure this tournament’s future and the continuation of its significant charitable and economic impact,” Finchem said. “Since that time, the tournament has continued to prosper and remain a tremendous asset to the entire region, thanks to the outstanding partnership between the host organization and Travelers. We are thrilled that this legacy will continue, and we are delighted to expand our relationship with Travelers through our Official Marketing Partner Program.”
“Travelers became the title sponsor of the Travelers Championship because it is good for the community and it benefits charity,” said Bessette. “By extending our title sponsorship, expanding our official marketing partnership with the PGA TOUR, and by adding new fan enhancements, we are well positioned to build upon what we have accomplished in the first seven years as title sponsor.”
The Travelers Championship has generated more than $31 million for charities throughout Connecticut since its inception in 1952, including $1.253 million for 180 charities in 2013. A primary beneficiary of the tournament has been The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, a residential summer camp and year-round center designed to serve children and families coping with cancer and other serious illnesses. It was founded in 1988 by the late Paul Newman.
“Travelers has been incredibly supportive and dedicated to the success of this tournament,” Grube said. “Travelers has been very active in terms of promoting the tournament and engaging the community in it, and has encouraged its employees to become involved as volunteers. It is a wonderful partnership.”
The 2014 tournament will be held the week of June 16-22 at TPC River Highlands in nearby Cromwell, Conn. The defending champion is Ken Duke, who secured his first PGA TOUR win at the Travelers Championship after 187 starts.
About Travelers
The Travelers Companies, Inc. (NYSE: TRV) is a leading provider of property casualty insurance for auto, home and business. A component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average, Travelers has more than 30,000 employees and generated revenues of approximately $26 billion in 2013. For more information, visit www.travelers.com.
About The Greater Hartford Community Foundation, Inc.
The Greater Hartford Community Foundation, Inc. was formed on October 21, 2005, as a nonprofit organization to promote community based fundraising activities and events, including sporting, cultural, educational and other charitable fundraising activities and events. The Foundation’s primary fundraising activity is the Travelers Championship, Connecticut’s annual PGA TOUR golf tournament. The net proceeds realized by the tournament and other such activities and events are for the benefit of the citizens, social welfare organizations and other institutions of the community.
About PGA TOUR
The PGA TOUR is the world’s premier membership organization for touring professional golfers, co-sanctioning more than 130 tournaments on the PGA TOUR, Champions Tour, Web.com Tour, NEC Series-PGA TOUR Latinoamérica, PGA TOUR Canada and PGA TOUR China.
The PGA TOUR’s mission is to entertain and inspire its fans, deliver substantial value to its partners, create outlets for volunteers to give back, generate significant charitable and economic impact in the communities in which it plays, and provide financial opportunities for TOUR players.
Worldwide, PGA TOUR tournaments are broadcast to more than 1 billion households in 225 countries and territories in 32 languages. Virtually all tournaments are organized as non-profit organizations in order to maximize charitable giving. In 2013, tournaments across all Tours generated more than $133 million for local and national charitable organizations and in early 2014 the TOUR’s all-time charitable contributions surpassed $2 billion.
The PGA TOUR’s web site is PGATOUR.COM, the No. 1 site in golf, and the organization is headquartered in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL.
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Contact:
Chris Smith
PGA TOUR
904-273-3379
csmith@pgatourhq.com
Matt Bordonaro
Travelers
860-277-7014
mbordona@travelers.com
Tara Gerber
Travelers Championship
860-502-6814
tgerber@travelerschampionship.com
