Liguori: What A Week It Was For The Travelers Championship
By Ann Liguori
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What a week it's been for Travelers!
Kevin Streelman birdied the last seven holes to win the Travelers Championship by a stroke on Sunday, shooting his second straight 6-under 64 to finish at 15-under 265, breaking the tour record for consecutive closing birdies by a winner. (Mike Souchak had six in a row in the 1956 St. Paul Open.) Streelman also matched the tournament record with a 7-under 28 on the final nine.
On Monday evening, Travelers won the Bing Crosby Tournament Sponsor Award at the annual Metropolitan Golf Writers Association National Awards Dinner in Westchester. The award is presented to an individual or organization that promotes and supports the game of golf through the commercial sponsorship of commercial events. Travelers joined Freddie Couples, winner of the Gold Tee Award, Nancy Lopez, John Feinstein, the Blackwelder Family, New Jersey PGA and the Knickerbocker Country Club as award winners that evening.
The Travelers Companies, identified by its iconic red umbrella, is the official insurance provider of the PGA Tour and its been the title sponsor of the Travelers Championship since 2007. It recently extended its title sponsorship of the Travelers Championship for 10 more years.
Travelers' commitment to charity is quite extraordinary. 100 percent of the net proceeds from the tournament go to charity. Last year, a record $1.23 million was raised for 180 charities across New England.
Nathan Grube, the very capable tournament director for the Travelers Championship, told me that his favorite day -- with all the fun events they have during tournament week -- is in September, when the Travelers' team presents the checks to the many charities who benefit. The Hole In the Wall Gang Camp, which enables children with cancer and other serious illnesses to enjoy a camping experience, is one of its main beneficiaries.
Travelers' commitment to the military is also impressive. The company provides free admission to all active, reserve and retired military service members and their dependents. It hosts a hospitality center -- the Patriots' Outpost -- on site, and it organizes a baby shower for military wives who are expecting, It also hosts a job fair for veterans and more.
It's no wonder that Travelers has won the following awards from the PGA Tour: Most Fan Friendly, Best Title Sponsor Integration, Best Marketing Plan and Best Charity Integration.
Talk to many of the players and they'll tell you it's their favorite tourney on the schedule. Travelers flies the players to the tournament from the U.S. Open venue each year on its private jet and often meets with the players and their families throughout the year.
Bubba Watson, who never misses the tournament and enjoyed his first PGA Tour win at the 2010 Travelers Championship, said: "They're all about giving back to the community, to charities and to the families who show up."
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