STARS RETURN TO CROMWELL
Before the actual competition gets started at TPC River Highlands, the course will be full of stars for the Travelers Championship celebrity pro-am. The field for the pro-am, which is set for June 19, is full of familiar faces who are returning to Cromwell to play alongside professional golfers ahead of the Travelers Championship.
“Our celebrity pro-am gives fans a unique opportunity to see those from the sports and entertainment world tee it up with some of the best golfers in the world,” said tournament director Nathan Grube. “It’s always been a fun part of tournament week that the galleries enjoy seeing every year.”
The pro-am has become a staple of the tournament, regularly drawing big names with and without Connecticut ties. Local celebrities have been known to show an interest in the tournament, but in 1973 legendary singer Sammy Davis Jr. lent his name to the Greater Hartford Open, which opened the door for some headliners.
The pro-am became a significant part of the tournament thanks to Davis Jr., Grube said, and has remained so ever since. Davis Jr.’s name stopped being attached to the tournament in 1989, but the celebrity interest didn’t wane.
The pro-am has a limited number of spots, Grube said, so only 18-20 celebrities are able to participate each year. Amateurs who want the chance to play alongside the celebs and tour players have to pay $8,500 per person or $25,500 per threesome.
This year’s field includes a host of UConn coaches and alumni, celebrities like George Lopez, Dane DeHaan and Christopher Jackson, and former professional athletes. UConn women’s basketball associate head coach Chris Dailey, hockey coach Mike Cavanaugh, women’s field hockey coach Nancy Stevens and football coach Randy Edsall will all be in attendance.
Also participating are former professional athletes and UConn alums Ray Allen and Dan Orlovsky, as well as former UConn coach Jim Calhoun. Former NFL players Doug Flutie and Boomer Esiason and former Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira and former Red Sox pitcher Tim Wakefield are also in the pro-am, along with Angie Watson — a former Georgia basketball player and the wife of defending champion Bubba Watson — and Nashville Predators forward Nick Bonino, a Farmington native.
Representing the media world are ESPN broadcaster Chris Berman, golf analyst Brandel Chamblee, Celtics play-by-play announcer Mike Gorman and Golf Channel host Bailey Mosier.
The opportunity to play golf alongside professionals means celebrities get plenty of tips and encouragement, while the pros get to use the morning for a more relaxed practice session ahead of the first round of the tournament.
Just last year Watson, a three-time Travelers champion, was part of the pro-am’s most interesting group. On the 13th hole, his caddie Ted Scott held the group up a bit when he decided it was the opportune time to practice catching frogs. As fans and the rest of his group looked on, Watson took a video of Scott catching a frog for the first time ever.
With Watson and Scott returning this year and plenty of charismatic celebrities in the lineup, the 2019 pro-am is sure to be full of good-natured competition and memorable moments.