WATSON, SNEDEKER, MAHAN, REED AND 2013 CHAMPION KEN DUKE COMMIT TO 2014 TRAVELERS CHAMPIONSHIP
HARTFORD, Conn., March 11, 2014 – Five top PGA TOUR players have announced their commitment to play in the 2014 Travelers Championship. Bubba Watson, Brandt Snedeker, Hunter Mahan, Patrick Reed and defending champion Ken Duke will compete at TPC River Highlands from June 19-22. These commitments come on the heels of Travelers’ announcement that it has extended its title sponsorship agreement of Connecticut’s only PGA TOUR event through 2024. Tickets for this year’s tournament are currently on sale at TravelersChampionship.com.
“We pride ourselves on having top players participate in our event each year, and this group of players shows that some of the best golfers on the PGA TOUR are committed to playing in Connecticut,” said Travelers Championship Tournament Director Nathan Grube. “This list of players includes many past champions and some great ambassadors for our tournament. We are proud to secure their commitments so early, which will help build upon our fans’ excitement about this year’s tournament.”
Bubba Watson is one of the Travelers Championship’s most successful players and has been in fine form this year. In 2014, in just six events, Watson has already garnered a victory at the Northern Trust Open, tied for second place at the World Golf Championships – Cadillac Championship and the Waste Management Phoenix Open, tied for eighth at WGC-HSBC Champions, and has nearly $3 million in earnings. His play has him ranked fourth in the FedExCup and 12th in the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR). Since winning the Travelers Championship in 2010, Watson’s career has soared, earning five victories, including his biggest career victory coming in 2012, when he won the Masters Tournament. Watson excels at TPC River Highlands; along with his 2010 victory, he finished fourth in 2013 and tied for second in 2012.
Brandt Snedeker is making his fourth appearance at the Travelers Championship and his first since 2011. Since Snedeker turned pro a decade ago, he has become one of the game’s premier players, earning six TOUR victories, five second-place finishes, 44 top-10 finishes, and has nearly $22 million in career earnings. Snedeker won twice in 2013, and in 2012 he won the FedExCup title and TOUR Championship. Looking to continue the momentum of the last two years, Snedeker currently sits at 19th in the OWGR.
2007 Travelers Championship winner Hunter Mahan will be making his 13th appearance at TPC River Highlands, a course where he has had exceptional success. Since earning his first TOUR victory at the Travelers Championship, Mahan has been one of the TOUR’s top players, earning five career wins, seven second-place finishes, 50 top-10s, and more than $25 million in career earnings. Mahan had a very strong 2013, finishing tied for fourth in the U.S. Open, and tied for ninth in The Open Championship. This season, Mahan has four top-10 finishes and is 32nd in the OWGR and 34th in the FedExCup.
Patrick Reed has been one of the TOUR’s hottest players. Just last weekend, Reed won the WGC-Cadillac Championship, becoming the youngest player to ever win a WGC event. The 23 year old already has two wins in 2014 – including the Humana Challenge in January – and three TOUR wins since August 2013. In 10 events this year, he has earned seven top-25 finishes and already has more than $3 million in earnings. His tremendous play has him at third in the FedExCup and 20th in the OWGR.
Reigning Travelers Championship winner Ken Duke returns to TPC River Highlands in hopes of defending his title. Last year’s victory was the first of Duke’s professional career in his 187 starts on the PGA TOUR. Duke has made the cut in eight of nine starts this season on TOUR with two top-25 finishes, and has nearly $9 million in career earnings since turning professional in 1994. His win at TPC River Highlands earned him a spot in the 2014 Masters field, and will be the first time he has played the major since 2009. This will be Duke’s sixth appearance at the tournament.
Tickets for the Travelers Championship, which will take place from June 16 to 22 at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Conn., are on sale now at www.TravelersChampionship.com.
