2009 Travelers Championship Impressions - Part II

.


The photos in the gallery above are just an overview, but I think they capture the lighthearted vibe that was the 2009 Travelers Championship. Obviously I'm biased, but it's my favorite PGA event.

The way this tournament is put together and presented makes it an ideal event for introducing golf to a whole new swath of the population. I met numerous spectators who'd never played golf, or even watched a televised tournament. The only golfer most could name was Tiger Woods. Yet they had come... with friends or family members, or through a work invitation...and they were enjoying it.

I spent some time with a group of non-golfing wives and daughters whose men folk had gone off in pursuit of Vijay or Sergio, leaving them to take the sun and watch players approach the challenging 17th green. The hole is a beauty; a 420-yard par-4, and one of three (15 and 16 are the others) built around a large pond. 17 is ultra special though, because of the way it doglegs right... around the pond... putting water into play on both the drive and the approach shot. When I played this hole a couple of months ago I lost two balls and ended up with a...never mind...on my scorecard.

Anyway, as pairings approached, I "presented" the various golfers to my newfound entourage of non-golfing friends. I told the backstories and pointed out idiosyncrasies in swings and personal style. For example, I told them about Ryan Moore's independent, logo-shunning spirit (thank you Stephanie Wei), then expounded on Anthony Kim's brilliant Ryder Cup performance and predilection for pimped-out belt buckles. As Boo Weekley approached, I told the gathered girls how popular he was, and how he had won so many hearts (and offended a few Europeans) with his spirited play at the Ryder Cup, so they were quite surprised to hear the loud chorus of Boos that greeted hims as he went by. "There must be a lot of Europeans in the crowd," one gal mused. I quickly explained the Boo/Booing connection. Everyone laughed. Then one young spectator asked her mom if they could "go follow Ryan Moore... because he's really, you know, hot."

The thing is, if you're a golf blogger or a golf blog reader, you're considered a hardcore fan...like me. Spending time at the Travelers Championship - and talking to spectators there - made me realize that we're in a great position to "promote" the fascinating, amazingly talented players who aren't Tiger Woods. Casual golf fans often don't bother to watch tournaments when Sir Eldrick is absent. Not to mention the non-golfers who don't watch golf, period. I feel that if they were made more aware of who the players are... and what they're all about, it would go a long way towards growing the sport's fan base. And I'm not the only one who believes this. Richard Smith wrote a perceptive and elegant piece about it yesterday in his A Lesson Learned column for PGA.com.

The Travelers Championship, like so many golf events, is above all, about charity. 100 percent of net proceeds from this event go to Connecticut charities, primarily The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, which serves children suffering from serious diseases, and the Greater Hartford Jaycees Foundation, a leadership development and community service organization. Notably, on the final day of the 2009 tournament, the Travelers Foundation announced an additional gift that brings the total charitable contribution to $1,080,000.

So there you have it, my reflections on the 2009 Travelers Championship. And as you can imagine, I'm already looking forward to 2010.

2009 Travelers Championship Impressions - Part I

.
The 2009 Travelers Championship is in the books and the PGA Tour has packed up and headed south. Today I'll be sharing my impressions in a couple of quick posts.

As a CT native and resident, The Travelers is special to me. It's our state's biggest sporting event and I feel a connection to it that goes back to my childhood when, even as a non-golfer, one week of each summer was subliminally colored by the CT PGA tournament.

This year at TPC River Highlands, the dominant colors were a leaden gray... prominently featured in the cloud-covered sky... and the jungle green of lush vegetation. It's been an extremely rainy June here, and play was interrupted a couple of times when thunder rolled in and the skies opened up.

But most of each day was spared. Thursday, Saturday and Sunday actually saw substantial sunshine and the mood seemed to remain upbeat regardless of the wet conditions. I'd even venture to say that the damp conditions and resulting softer course made the golf more entertaining for the spectators, as a barrage of birdies provoked continual cheers.
The galleries were clearly content when the ultra-affable Kenny Perry came out on top. His final round 22-under not only set a tournament record, but was one of the best scores in PGA Tour history... and his four-day total of 258 was the fourth-best score in tour history. I never understood Mr. Perry's appeal before, but I do now. His warmth really resonates in person. I'm a newly minted fan.

There was the inevitable scuttlebutt in the media center about the course being too easy. However, many of the players were quick to point out that this is simply a different kind of challenge...one where shot-making skills are tested and consistency is crucial.

In the post-tournament press conference runner-up David Toms, who finished at 19-under in a tie with Paul Goydos, put it this way, “If you look at years past when it got firm and fast with a breeze, the scores weren’t as low as they were this week. I love to play here, and I think that’s why they get a good field. Everybody likes to play here. Bombers like to play it, the short-hitters like to play it. I think it’s a golf course that anyone can do well on.”

I'm quite certain most who were watching in Cromwell agreed. Look for additional observations on the Travelers Championship, along with my tournament photo gallery, later today.