Mickelson commits to play Travelers Championship
Phil Mickelson, who at 50 became the oldest player to win a major championship at last month’s PGA Championship, has committed to play in this year’s Travelers Championship. The tournament made the announcement on Thursday afternoon Mickelson, whose wins at TPC River Highlands in
2001 and 2002 are among his 45 career PGA Tour victories, joins a packed field June 21-27 that includes defending champion and world No. 1 Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau (No.
5), Patrick Cantlay (7), Brooks Koepka (8), Patrick Reed (9), Tony Finau (14),
Paul Casey (20), Justin Rose, Marc Leishman, Bubba Watson and Rickie Fowler.
Andy Bessette, the executive vice president and chief administrative officer at Travelers, and Travelers Championship tournament director Nathan Grube has made just one trip to a PGA Tour event since the COVID-19 pandemic began: the Wells Fargo Championship in early May. It was there that the two men chatted with Mickelson.
“We talked a bit and then he said, ‘You know, I love Connecticut, the fans treat me so well and I always play well there. I’m going to try and figure this out for this year,’ ” Bessette said. “Then he goes out and wins the PGA Championship. I told Nathan, ‘I don’t think he is going to (be able to) come with his schedule.’ ”
Bessette didn’t hear anything from Mickelson until his agent, Steve Loy, called on Monday.
It was on that same trip where Fowler expressed interest in returning to play in the Travelers for the first time since 2013. Fowler, a fan favorite like Mickelson, committed on Wednesday along with Tony Finau.
“I’m not sure we have ever said to a player, ‘Hey, will you come play us?’ ” Grube said. “They (the players) know why you are there (at PGA Tour events). … We don’t call it recruiting, we call it relationship-building.”
Mickelson won the Cromwell tournament when it was known as the Greater Hartford Open. After playing the tournament in 2003, Mickelson didn’t return to TPC River Highlands again until 2019.
Mickelson missed the cut that year. He then shot rounds of 64 and 63 to hold the lead at last year’s Travelers, which did not have any spectators in attendance due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Mickelson finished in a tie for 24th place.
The PGA Championship last month vaulted Mickelson to 31st in the World Golf Rankings and 45th in the FedExCup standings.
Mickelson has won the Masters three times (2004, 2006, 2010), triumphed at the Open Championship in 2013 and won his first PGA Championship in 2005. He is tied for eighth on the Tour’s all-time wins list and remains the only player to win at TPC River Highlands in consecutive years.
Travelers will likely have six sponsor’s exemptions for its tournament. Bessette indicated Thursday that one will go to John Pak out of Florida State University. Pak won the Ben Hogan Award, the Jack Nicklaus Award and the Fred Haskins Award all for being the No. 1 ranked amateur in the country. Pak turned pro at this week’s Palmetto Championship.
Spectators will be permitted on-site for this year’s tournament starting Wednesday, June 23. All tickets must be purchased in advance, and there will be no tickets available at the gate. For information and tournament updates, visit TravelersChampionship.com.
Golfers have until June 18 to commit to play in the tournament.