Opening Ceremony & Aetna Tournament Players Pro-Am Kickoff Week

The 2012 Travelers Championship kicked off today with Opening Ceremony on the first hole at TPC River Highlands. Tournament officials and community leaders gathered together to start the 60th Anniversary of Connecticut’s annual PGA TOUR stop.

Tournament Director Nathan Grube opened up the ceremonies with comments expressing his excitement and enthusiasm for the week ahead. Governor Dannel P. Malloy followed by thanking all the supporters involved in making the tournament a model for success in Connecticut. At the conclusion of the ceremonies, Aaron Baral, a former camper at the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, spoke about his experience as a camper and ended by striking the ceremonial tee shot down the center of the fairway.

Following the Opening Ceremonies, 112 participants headed out to the course to tee it up alongside 28 professionals in the Aetna Tournament Players Pro-Am. Players were able to play the same course the pros will be play come Thursday. Before the round of golf, participants were able to attend a clinic hosted by William McGirt who in his second year on TOUR already has three top-25 finishes.

The winning team consisted of Jay Putterman, Jaime Eden, James Pabst and Frank McCauley, playing alongside PGA TOUR professional Harris English. In second place Brian Lutkiewicz, David Notari, Derrick Duke and Jeff Torreso, playing alongside PGA TOUR professional Gary Christian. The third place team was PGA TOUR professional Roland Thatcher, playing with Ryan Kimble, Cal Ritter, Bob McFillin and Matt Blair.

This year’s impressive field includes defending champion Fredrik Jacobson, Masters champion Bubba Watson, 2007 champion Hunter Mahan, U.S. Open champion Webb Simpson, PGA champion Keegan Bradley, PLAYERS champion Matt Kuchar, Padraig Harrington, Ian Poulter, Zach Johnson, Louis Oosthuizen, Patrick Cantlay and many others.