Travelers Championship tees off this week

Photo | Travelers Championship via Twitter Dustin Johnson, winner of the 2020 Travelers Championship title, will be back in 2021.

Write a Comment

By Zachary Vasile

Following a year without spectators, the Travelers Championship will get underway this week, with some of golf’s biggest stars once again expected to draw sizable crowds to TPC River Highlands in Cromwell.

The tournament features the return of defending champion Dustin Johnson, currently the No. 2-ranked player in the world, along with Bryson DeChambeau, recent PGA Championship winner Phil Mickelson, Patrick Reed, Brooks Koepka and Bubba Watson, among many others. Competition rounds will be held from Thursday through Sunday.

The event will be broadcast live on the Golf Channel on Thursday and Friday from 3 to 6 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 1 to 3 p.m. CBS will provide live coverage Saturday and Sunday from 3 to 6 p.m.

Fans will be allowed on the course starting Wednesday for the Travelers Celebrity Pro-Am. Participants in that match will include sportscaster Chris Berman, college basketball coach Jim Calhoun and singer Javier Colon.

According to organizers, vaccinated attendees will not be required to wear masks indoors or outdoors. Unvaccinated individuals are being encouraged to wear a mask at all times.

Travelers, which has served as the event’s title sponsor since 2007, announced in March that it would be extending its title sponsorship through 2030.

“We sponsor this event in large part because of its incredible impact on the region — from the economic boost it provides local businesses to the funds it generates for hundreds of worthy charities,” said Travelers Chairman and CEO Alan Schnitzer. “The Travelers Championship means a lot to our community and to us. We’re proud to carry on this tournament’s legacy, and we’re looking forward to the return of fans to TPC River Highlands.”

The 2020 Travelers Championship was played with no spectators due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was the first PGA Tour event, and one of the first sports events anywhere, to be played under COVID-19 testing and social distancing requirements.