Young stars shine in the Travelers Championship,
Hunter Mahan was coming down the back nine of his second round in his first PGA Tour event with an eye toward the weekend. He was playing well, the large crowds and his competition weren’t intimidating and he reached the 16th hole in good shape of making the cut.
Then he hit his tee shot into heavy rough and his second shot into the water.
Goodbye weekend — by one shot. That memory sticks with Mahan, even though no one expected him to make the cut. He was, after all, just 17. The year was 2000, and as the America Junior Golf Association’s player of the year, Mahan received a sponsor’s exemption into the Canon Greater Hartford Open. He has returned to Cromwell, Conn., for the tournament, now the Travelers Championship, every year since turning pro in 2003.
“It was a great experience. To see the world you want to be in was great. I just messed up on that one hole,” Mahan said. “I love the tournament. The Travelers people have done a great job making the tournament fun, and one of the reasons is they showcase the stars of tomorrow today.”
Mahan fits one of the tournament’s missions to a T: find the best young players and introduce them to the golf world. Fans caught a glimpse of him in 2000 and watched as he earned his first Tour win in the 2007 Travelers.
“Everything we have done is about building relationships with people,” said Andy Bessette, chief administrative officer for the Travelers. “We strongly believe building relationships with the young guys is a good investment for our future. You do something good for them, they remember that forever.
“We market the players, and people ask about the young kids playing.”
Their track record in this regard includes Masters champion Bubba Watson, who earned his first Tour win at TPC River Highlands in 2010; Rickie Fowler, who played as an amateur in 2009; and U.S. Open champion Webb Simpson, who tied for 37th in the 2008 Travelers in his second Tour start.
While Mahan, Watson and Simpson, as well as reigning PGA Championship winner Keegan Bradley, headline the start of today’s Travelers, a good many eyes will be on Patrick Cantlay. The former UCLA standout, who finished runner-up in the 2011 U.S. Amateur and recently won the prestigious Ben Hogan Award given to the player with the most outstanding collegiate and amateur record, makes his pro debut today.
He’ll be pressed to match his play in last year’s Travelers: He joined Hall of Famer Tommy Bolt as the only players to fire a 60 in tournament history, en route to a tie for 24th.
“The tournament director called me right after NCAA championships last year and asked if I wanted to play. I wasn’t about to pass up the opportunity to play the Travelers,” said Cantlay, who tied for 41st in the U.S. Open. “I feel very fortunate and honored that they gave me an opportunity. Whenever you get to play against the best players on the biggest stage is the best thing for your game. I gained a lot of experience and gained a lot of confidence.”
Amateur Patrick Rodgers, the Pac-12’s freshman of the year this season at Stanford, is hoping for the same result. Rodgers played on last year’s Walker Cup team and turned pro after playing in this year’s Masters.
Australian Bryden Macpherson, a former top-flight amateur who turned pro after the 2012 Masters, is hoping to make a name for himself this week, too.
And Japan star Ryo Ishikawa is another youngster playing this week.
Add John Peterson to the list. Last year, the former LSU star won the individual title in the NCAA championship. Last week, Peterson made an ace on the 13th hole at Olympic Club and finished in a tie for fourth in the U.S. Open.
“There are a lot of great young players out there,” Mahan said. “And every year I go to the Travelers, I see a bunch of them. Every year.”