Field among strongest in tourney history

Travelers has built more than a golf tournament each year at TPC River Highlands.

From a Fan Zone to a Concert Series, from Women’s Day to a Celebrity Miniature Golf Tournament and among the new things being introduced, an Event Lawn, the Mohegan Sun Club, there is plenty to do. The tournament staff has not only catered to the golfers and their families, but also to the wishes of the paying customers.

“Some of the ideas we launched this year were from fan’s suggestions, from the fan survey and from other tournaments,” Travelers tournament director Nathan Grube said.

To keep those customers coming back, you need to keep adding to a good product. You also need to keep bringing back a good field and Travelers has done that again in 2019.

Sixteen of the world’s top 30 golfers will tee it up beginning Thursday through June 23, including the world’s No. 1 Brooks Koepka, who is in contention for his third consecutive U.S. Open this weekend at Pebble Beach Golf Links.

The world rankings will be updated one more time on Monday. If Koepka remains in that position, he would become the first top-ranked golfer to come to play TPC River Highlands since Greg Norman in 1996.

“What I like about Brooks is he wins the U.S. Open last year and comes here the following week.

And he was the first one to commit this year (in January),” Grube said. “It would be pretty cool if it happens again and I hope it happens a lot more. It would be pretty cool for fans to see that.”

Koepka is slowly becoming one of the sport’s drawing cards. There are several of those on hand, including three-time champion Bubba Watson (ranked 20th), 2017 winner Jordan Spieth (28th) and two-time winner Phil Mickelson (24th), making his first appearance in the field since 2003.

Reigning Open Championship winner Francesco Molinari is the next-highest ranked player in the field at No. 6, followed by Justin Thomas (7), Patrick Cantlay (8), Bryson DeChambeau (9), Tony Finau (14), Paul Casey (15), Jason Day (16), Tommy Fleetwood (18), Marc Leishman (21), Louis Oosthuizen (22), Patrick Reed (23) and Kevin Kisner (27) .

In addition to Watson (2010, 2015 and

2018), Spieth and Mickelson (2001 and

2002), other former champions in the field are: Russell Knox (2016), Kevin Streelman

(2014), Marc Leishman (2012), Freddie Jacobson (2011), Hunter Mahan (2007) and J.J. Henry (2006).

Two past champions on the PGA Tour, Aaron Baddeley and Boo Weekley, were granted sponsor’s exemptions from Travelers.

“Boo was in that final group with Jordan in 2017. He’s been injured,” Grube said. “Aaron has been very supportive of our tournament over the years.”

Grube also said there were no additions at the deadline, but there was one withdrawal: former two-time champion Stewart Cink (1997 and 2008).

A variety of ticket options are still available by visiting travelerschampionship.com.