Our golf tourney

This editorial appeared in the Hartford Courant.

And to think that a dozen years ago Connecticut almost lost its spot on the PGA Tour. Today, the Travelers Championship is a glorious success, named 2017 PGA Tour tournament of the year. Take a moment to savor that comeback, Connecticut.

How good is this event? Rather than take a rest from last week’s grueling U.S. Open, five of the world’s top 10 players have come to the plush greens at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell to perform magic — like Jordan Spieth’s incredible sudden-death bunker shot that earned him victory and $1.2 million in 2017.

Naturally, Mr. Spieth is returning this year, and it’s also not surprising that he says, “I love this golf course.” But he’s far from alone. Bubba Watson called it one of his favorites. Rory McIlroy gushes: “I love everything about the Travelers Championship.” For players and caddies, the tournament is “an absolute lovefest,” said Matt Ginella of the Golf Channel.

The future of Connecticut’s largest sporting event didn’t seem so bright a dozen years ago, when Buick was pulling its sponsorship, the field was far from this stellar and attendance was dismal. Travelers thankfully parachuted in to the rescue with its red umbrella. Many other Connecticut companies stepped up too.

The tournament is now the state’s signature sporting event. Many pros come to Cromwell because Andy Bessette at Travelers and tournament director Nathan Grube do such a superb job of cultivating relationships with them and making sure their families are comfortable here. Local companies like New Britain’s Stanley Black and Decker also pour a lot of heart and treasure into the event.

Talk about heart: A hundred percent of the Travelers Championship’s net proceeds go to charity.

This tournament is high on the list of things that Connecticut does right. The love is amply returned.