Day 3 Recap
HARTFORD, Conn., August 4, 2016 – Day 3 of the Travelers Championship witnessed plenty of celebrities playing real golf and mini golf, dozens of amateurs competing in the tournament’s official pro-am and two unexpectedly large donations supporting ALS causes, this year’s charitable focus.
The Travelers Celebrity Pro-Am combined PGA TOUR players, amateurs and celebrities playing TPC River Highlands on a Wednesday that featured fog in the morning, followed by sun and warm temperatures in the afternoon. Celebrities included actors Luke Wilson and Kevin Nealon; ESPN sportscaster Chris Berman; 10-time NBA All-Star Ray Allen; former Red Sox pitcher and World Series champion Tim Wakefield; actor Dane DeHaan; Pittsburgh Penguins center and Stanley Cup champion Nick Bonino; former NFL quarterback Doug Flutie; singers Ken Casey from the Dropkick Murphys and Javier Colon; UConn coaches Kevin Ollie, Chris Dailey and Mike Cavanaugh; and former UConn coach Jim Calhoun. The team of Marc Leishman, Karim Guessous, HRH Prince Moulay Rachid of Morocco, and Omar Lahjomri had the low pro-am score.
Luke Wilson and Tim Wakefield hosted the Farmington Bank Celebrity Mini Golf Tournament, held in the Farmington Bank Kids Zone. Three-person teams were split into two waves, with each wave competing for $2,500 to go to a charity of their choice. The iHeartMedia team of Rob Dibble (97.9 ESPN), Joe Aguiar (The River 105.9), and Cory Myers (Country 92-5) won the 9:30 a.m. wave, selecting the Boys & Girls Club of Waterbury, and the WFSB team of Nicole Nalepa, Eric Parker, and Marc Robbins won the 10:30 a.m. wave, giving the Channel 3 Kids Camp $2,500.
Bubba Watson pledged a donation of $100,000 to the Bruce Edwards Foundation Benefit Dinner, which will be held on Friday night at the Connecticut Convention Center. After his pro-am round, Watson, winner of the Travelers Championship in 2010 and 2015, shared the news with Jay Fishman, Executive Chairman of the Board at Travelers who announced a year ago that he had been diagnosed with ALS. Fishman is an Honorary Co-Chair of this year’s tournament, and will be a featured speaker at Friday’s benefit dinner.
Brian Gay, who won Tuesday’s The Umbrella at 15 ½ Challenge with a shot that finished less than 1 inch from the hole at the floating red green, directed the $10,000 prize to the Bruce Edwards Foundation Benefit Dinner.
Wednesday also gave fans an opportunity to see a new jetpack that was recently developed in consultation with Bubba Watson. The jetpack was on display near the main spectator entrance. Also held Wednesday was the INROADS and Travelers EDGE ice cream social to celebrate volunteer day.
The first competition round of the 2016 Travelers Championship is scheduled for Thursday, which will also be Women’s Day. A sold-out crowd will be entertained by television journalist Cynthia McFadden and celebrity chef Ming Tsai. The first of two Powerstation Events Concerts will begin not long after the conclusion of play, with the county music duo Big & Rich set to hit the stage in the MetroHartford Alliance Fan Zone.
