TRAVELERS CHAMPIONSHIP TO HOST CHARLIE SIFFORD CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION GOLF OUTING AT WETHERSFIELD COUNTRY CLUB
Event will recognize accomplishments of first Black golfer to earn a PGA TOUR card and generate money to help fund The Dr. Charles L. Sifford Scholarship
Tournament will posthumously name its 1967 champion as honorary chairperson for this year’s Travelers Championship
HARTFORD, Conn., June 2, 2022 – The Travelers Championship today announced that it is working with Travelers and Skins & Pins Golf Club to host the Charlie Sifford Centennial Celebration Golf Outing. The event will take place Tuesday, June 21, at Wethersfield Country Club. Proceeds from the outing will generate money for The Dr. Charles L. Sifford Scholarship, which will help cover college tuition for students who attend a historically Black college or university, or for minority students focusing their education on a golf management program.
Sifford became the first Black golfer to earn a PGA TOUR card in 1961, and he secured his first TOUR win at Wethersfield in 1967. Today would have been Sifford’s 100th birthday, and the Travelers Championship is recognizing his accomplishments by posthumously naming him honorary chairperson for the 2022 tournament.
“Charlie Sifford made golf history, and we’re thrilled to celebrate his accomplishments and what he means to the game for such a good cause,” said Nathan Grube, Travelers Championship Tournament Director. “Because of everything that Charlie represents and stood for, we believe it’s important to honor his name and memory, especially during this centennial year of his birth.”
Sifford’s pioneering efforts created a pathway for all minority golfers to develop successful careers in professional golf. Similarly, the goal of The Dr. Charles L. Sifford Scholarship is to help support college students who qualify, as they pursue their professional career of choice.
The Cobbs Creek Foundation will serve as the fiscal sponsor of The Dr. Charles L. Sifford Scholarship. From its founding in 1916, Cobbs Creek has embraced both Black and women golfers and acted as the home course to Sifford during the time he was a Philadelphia resident.
“The Sifford family is immensely proud and honored that the Travelers Championship is recognizing my father, Dr. Charles L. Sifford, with an exhibition tournament in his name,” said Charles Sifford Jr. “This tournament is an example of his vision of diversity and inclusion by the golf establishment. The Greater Hartford Open in 1967 was his first PGA TOUR victory. This recognition, and others planned during the week, are especially noteworthy during his centennial celebration year honoring my father’s contributions as an African American golfer. We sincerely appreciate all the sponsors for continuing to honor his legacy.”
Sifford was born in Charlotte, North Carolina, and became the first Black golfer to play on the PGA TOUR. In addition to his victory at Wethersfield Country Club, he also won a TOUR event at the Los Angeles Open in 1969, then won a tournament on the PGA TOUR Champions in 1980. Sifford was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2004 and was given the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2014.
“Charlie was a trailblazer who holds a special place in the hearts of many golf fans, especially in Connecticut after he won here,” said Andy Bessette, Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer at Travelers. “We want golf to be inclusive. We believe in and are committed to diversity in how we operate our company. Recognizing Charlie for all he did, not only in golf but in the pursuit of equality, speaks to that.”
The event at Wethersfield will consist of breakfast, followed by a 9 a.m. shotgun scramble, lunch on the course and a reception after play concludes. The cost to play is $300 per person or $1,200 for a foursome. Sponsorship opportunities are also available.
The Travelers Championship will take place June 20-26 at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Connecticut, featuring many of the world’s best golfers, led by Scottie Scheffler, winner of the Masters Tournament and the No. 1-ranked player in the world. The field also includes PGA Championship winner Justin Thomas, reigning PGA TOUR Player of the Year Patrick Cantlay, Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka and defending Travelers Championship winner Harris English, among others.
Ticketed spectators are permitted on-site starting Wednesday, June 22. For tickets and tournament updates, visit 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. The tournament proudly supports the TOUR’s Tradition of Giving Back by donating 100% of net proceeds to charities. Travelers, a leading provider of property and casualty insurance for auto, home 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 TravelersChampionship.com.
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CONTACT:
Tara Gerber, Travelers Championship
860.502.6815, tgerber@travelerschampionship.com
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