Travelers sponsorship
Travelers extends sponsorship of Travelers Championship to 2030.
The Travelers Championship will not be all the way back to a pre-COVID-19 normal when the PGA Tour returns to Cromwell on June 21-27, but it will be much closer than 2020.
As the tournament welcomes fans back to TPC River Highlands, it is with the knowledge that the title sponsor is in place until 2030.
The Travelers and the PGA Tour announced the extension of their agreement Monday, continuing a long, successful relationship for nine more years. The Travelers has been involved in the PGA Tour since 1952 as the Insurance City Open. In 2006, whenit looked like the event might leave for good, the Travelers stepped in as title sponsor. Over the years, the Travelers Championship
has raised more than $20 million for 800 nonprofits. Even in 2020, when it was staged as a TV-only event, it raised $1.6 million, as many longstanding corporate sponsors stayed the course.
“I’ll walk down the street in Hartford and 15 years later someone will stop and say, ‘Thank you for saving the Travelers Championship,’ ” said Andy Bessette, executive vice president and chief administrative officer at Travelers. “That’s the pride in the community, charitable giving, the community’s excitement over this. These are all the reasons we keep doing this.”
In 2021, the Travelers will not be TV-only. Though the crowds of 300,000 or more in normal times will not be possible, there will be thousands, tournament director Nathan Grube said.
“It’s not in the hundreds. It’s in the thousands,” Grube said. “There’s going to be a good bit of access out there for the tournament, but it’s going to look different. Players are saying, ‘I can’t wait to be back playing in front of your fans.’ ”
Said Bessette, “Safety is No. 1, and I’d say right now there’s a pretty good chance people are
going to have to wear masks, but that’s a small price to pay to be able to be back out and watch the event and just be safe.”
Tickets will be on sale soon, but officials have not announced a date.
Last year, the PGA Tour was among the first organizations to
bring live sports back after the coronavirus pandemic shut everything down in mid-March. The Travelers was the third event on the schedule, with no fans and very limited media access. This year, elements like the pro-am will be back.
“Last year was one of the most
depressing things I’ve ever seen, and I don’t want to be depressed two years in a row,” Bessette said. “So we have been pushing, pushing, pushing. We want fans back. I want somebody to go scream and yell with me rather than just me. Nathan and I were out there saying, ‘Yeah, this is really cool, but we’re just here by ourselves.’ ”
The Travelers Championship has become a favorite among players. It was awarded the tournament of the year in 2017, players choice in 2017 and 2018, and most fan friendly event in 2010, 2012 and 2017.
“The Travelers Championship has established itself as a premier PGA Tour event, thanks to the inspirational leadership provided by Travelers, the dedication of thousands of volunteers and the passionate fans who watch or attend every year,” PGA Commissioner Jay Monahan said. “We are extremely excited about the future of the Travelers Championship.”
Despite its scheduling, a week after the U.S. Open, the Travelers has consistently attracted the biggest names on the tour. Dustin Johnson, the top-ranked player in the world, Bubba Watson, Bryson DeChambeau and Patrick Reed have committed for 2021.
“So many historic and exciting moments in golf have happened at the Travelers Championship over the years, but it’s the amazing moments that are made off the course that capture the real value of our hometown tournament,” said Alan Schnitzer, chairman and chief executive officer at Travelers.