Travelers championship set to deliver world-class experience for pga
tour players and fans
Hartford, conn.--(business wire)--travelers, the official insurance provider of the pga tour, is pleased to announce the start of the 2013 travelers championship, which kicks off today with opening ceremonies at 9:00 a.m. edt at tpc river highlands in cromwell, conn. some of the world’s top pga tour professionals are ready to tee it up and vie for the more than $6 million purse, including justin rose, lee westwood, bubba watson, hunter mahan, keegan bradley, webb simpson, and many more. world-class golf and entertainment for the entire family has earned the travelers championship the distinction of being rated the pga tour’s most fan-friendly event. the combination of professional golf and other events gives the tournament the ability to reach a wide audience and generate significant funds for charity, with 100 percent of net proceeds donated to more than 100 charities in the northeast region, including the hole in the wall gang camp, a summer camp for children coping with cancer, sickle cell anemia and other serious illnesses. the tournament generated more than $1.15 million for charity in 2012, surpassing $30 million for charity since its inception in 1952. “we are proud to be affiliated with a pga tour event that gives us a unique way to support the community and local charities that are helping families throughout new england,” said andy bessette, executive vice president and chief administrative officer of travelers. “we are focused on delivering a world-class experience for players and fans so that we can raise more money for charity and make a meaningful impact on the region.” one new addition to the tournament this year is the northstar wealth partners celebrity mini golf tournament, which will take place on the northstar nine in the subway® fan zone. actor, alec baldwin; wwe legends sgt. slaughter and bob backlund; 1984 olympic gold medalist and current nbc commentator tim daggett; young actor c.j. adams from the disney film the odd life of timothy green; on-air personalities from the local and national media and other special guests will compete for a chance to win a total of $5,000 for charity. the june 19 event will consist of two waves of tee times – 9:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. the winning team from each wave of golfers will receive $2,500 for the charity of their choice. there are many other fan-favorite events throughout the week: the travelers celebrity pro-am is june 19, with stars including chris berman, geno auriemma, sgt. slaughter, tim wakefield, doug flutie and others; women's day is june 20, featuring a networking breakfast with uconn women’s basketball coach geno auriemma, celebrity chef ming tsai and lafayette 148 new york president and co-founder deirdre quinn, along with a golf clinic and other activities for women; the powerstation events concert series featuring edwin mccain on friday, june 21, and three dog night on saturday, june 22 after the last golfer of the day finishes his round; and farmington bank fan and family day, featuring the golf digest hot list tour, on june 18. in addition, the event is focused on military appreciation. all active, reserve and retired military servicemembers and their dependents will gain free admission throughout the week. the tournament has partnered with operation shower for the third straight year to provide a baby shower for expectant military wives. operation shower is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization whose mission is to provide joyful baby showers for military families to ease the burden of deployment. a unique experience for fans and players is the chance for pga tour professionals to win $10,000 for their favorite charity, donated by travelers, during tuesday's practice round. to win, the pros will compete for the first hole-in-one or closest to the pin on the umbrella at 15 ½, a 40-foot floating green in the shape of the iconic travelers red umbrella logo on the pond between holes 15 and 16. fans will also enjoy a number of activities in the subway® fan zone, an entertainment area in the center of the course, including the travelers chipping challenge which is modeled after the umbrella at 15 ½. there, fans will get a chance to win a prize by taking a golf shot at a smaller version of the floating red umbrella green. for every hole-in-one throughout the week at the travelers chipping challenge, travelers will donate $100 to the hole in the wall gang camp. in recognition of the official start of the 2013 travelers championship on june 17, the lights on travelers tower in hartford will shine a bright red throughout the week. the competition rounds of the travelers championship will be played june 20 - 23, and will be broadcast live on golf channel from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. edt on thursday and friday and 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. edt on saturday and sunday; and on cbs at 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. edt on saturday and sunday. for more information, download the travelers championship flyover app, follow the tournament on twitter, become a fan on facebook, or visit travelerschampionship.com. about travelers the travelers companies, inc. (nyse: trv) is a leading provider of property casualty insurance for auto, home and business. the company’s diverse business lines offer its global customers a wide range of coverage sold primarily through independent agents and brokers. a component of the dow jones industrial average, travelers has more than 30,000 employees and operations in the united states and selected international markets. the company generated revenues of approximately $26 billion in 2012. for more information, visit www.travelers.com.
