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This
year’s Travelers Championship, at the TPC River Highlands in
Cromwell, Connecticut, not only exceeded expectations but it
ended in a playoff win for champion Hunter Mahan, his first PGA
Tour Victory. Jay Williamson lost in the playoff but had his
best finish ever and will be playing most of the PGA Tour events
the rest of 2007, one of the best finishes by a sponsor’s
exemption player. The crowds were there on Sunday (60,000) and
even Williamson, who attended Trinity College in Hartford said,
“It was good to play well and in front of the big GHO type
crowds.”
Yes, they came out in droves to experience a great
competitive event with a touch of class thanks to Travelers.
From the charter flight on Sunday night from Oakmont, to the
new scoreboards, new sponsor tents and skyboxes, tastier hotdogs
and hamburgers, along with colder beers, the Travelers
Championship stepped up big time to make this event a cut above
the rest. As a writer for
CTGolfTips.com,
I was part of the media and we were treated with gourmet food
every day, chair massages, and special daily gifts, it was great
to be a part of it all.
Avid golf fan, Dana Reaves said, “The weather was
great, but Travelers has brought you closer and more fan
friendly like the GHO days.” The 18th, a natural
amphitheater was jam packed at the end for the exciting playoff
victory. However, even on the course, spectators saw a
difference, such as Bonnie Hubbard (Hunter Country Club). She
said, “It all looks great and we still love the hill on
seventeen, but you do need binoculars.” Steve and Karen Sztaba
(regular spectators and golfers) said, “Miss the exhibition tent
but Travelers is doing a great job stepping up to the plate.”
Longtime Wethersfield golfer, Marty LaShavio said, “Happy to see
the party back.”
I was also lucky to meet TPC member and owner of
Integralis (Founding Partner Sponsor), Mr. Robin Mayo. He
spotted my Knickers and invited me into his skybox right behind
the 18th hole. What a great view and everyone who
was a guest was very impressed. Integralis is a security
solutions provider – IT securities and firewalls, etc. Heather
Bourgoin (Strategic Alliance Coordinator) said that Integralis
has 500 employees in 7 countries and is traded on the German
Stock Exchange. She said, “Travelers has done an outstanding
job over ’06 and owner Robin Mayo was very pleased with the way
Nathan Grube handled the whole sponsorship.” “Integralis
clients were happy with the food and drink, along with the great
view of the 18th hole, and the hospitality was
amazing.” I personally would like to thank Robin Mayo for his
kind hospitality at his skybox and plan to play some golf with
him in the near future.
One of the best things that happened to me this week
was rekindling my old friendship with Vijah Singh. We met and
became friends over 20 years ago in Australia and he practiced
hard back then. At that time (late 80’s), I was one of the top
players on the Australian PGA and I shared many short game tips
with Vijah who was only a young rookie on the tour. I had not
seen him in some 7 or 8 years and he gave me a big hug; it was
like I was his best mate. I chatted with him several times but,
most importantly, I watched him upfront on the practice tee and
it was amazing. His practice routine was unlike anyone else and
he used the new Heavy Hitter club all the time. It is a very
heavy club that you can hit with, but it gives your golfing
muscles a great workout along with slowing down your swing.
Vijay said, “It is all muscle memory and once you train the golf
muscles, then the swing repeats most every time.” It was great
to be with him all week and experience his generosity to other
players such as giving Brad Faxon a half-hour lesson after Vijah
just practiced for two hours. I will catch up with him in
Boston and N.Y.C., and he is really looking forward to the Open
at Carnoustie in July, going over a week early.
The week was kicked-off with the qualifying on Monday
at Lyman Orchard Golf Club in Middlefield where I shot 75 to
miss qualifying by 6 shots. As a senior, I was a bit out of my
league. On Tuesday, at the TPC, there was a great junior clinic
put on by the First Tee of Connecticut at the driving range and
all the kids had a great time. The Celebrity Pro Am on
Wednesday was another great day with celebrities such as George
Lopez, Joe Pesci, Chris Berman (ESPN), and even Paul Newman made
an appearance and signed autographs for the spectators. On
Thursday, the tournament began and I wandered around the golf
course to see that Buick (former sponsor) still had a presence
on course along with Mohegan Sun and AT&T. The crowds were
fair, however, better than the last couple of years. Friday was
a big day because of the Courant giving free tickets after 12:00
noon. Everything went well until the rains came and held up
play. Both Thursday and Friday were quite windy and tough for
scoring. The 36-hole cut came plus one over 141. Saturday was
a beautiful day on the course, weather-wise, and the crowds
showed up much better than previous years. Jay Williamson took
a two shot lead at 11 under par, and my good buddy Vijah Singh
moved into contention with a 66. Sunday was another beautiful
day and the crowd of 60,000 people was entertained with a
phenomenal finish and playoff which gave the Travelers
Championship an exciting, dramatic finish.
What a
great week for anyone who attended the Travelers Championship,
and thanks go out to Mitzi Koninis, Jaycee Tournament Chairman,
for organizing all the volunteers, etc. Also, to Nathan Grube,
Tournament Director, for all his hard work to make the 2007
Travelers Championship an incredible success. Finally, and most
importantly, thanks to Travelers Chairman and CEO, Jay Fishman,
and Executive Vice President of Travelers, Mr. Andy Bessette,
for saving the former GHO and taking this event to another
level. With the opening of the new practice facility in 2008,
it leaves that entire old driving range open to create an even
greater event. Look forward to the 2008 Travelers Championship
and what thrills it will bring. |
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Although there was
gold in those hills, there wasn’t any for me as
I missed the cut. After a good start in New
Mexico in May, I was only able to buy a one-way
plane ticket back to Aussie and maybe see
Georgia-Lee. When I arrived back, there was a
Pro-Am in Melbourne, and I shot 67 to win about
$1,500 which came in handy for the start of the
tour in Tasmania. We played Tasmania Golf Club
which is across the bay from Hobart out on a
Peninsula. I finished top ten for another good
check and called Georgia a couple times for
inspiration. Then I flew to Sydney to play the
New South Wales Open at the Lakes Golf Club. I
stayed with some great friends, the Phillips
family in the Northern Suburbs. I was like one
of the boys (the Phillips had three sons), and
it was always good fun along with a drop of port
after dinner most nights. |
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I
kept in touch with Georgia because next week we
were in Melbourne for the PGA. I had
another top ten finish in Sydney and, as always,
a great time with the Phillips family.
Margaret and Reg
Phillips treated me like family, and it was good
to be at a home versus a hotel room. They had a
beautiful home in the northern suburbs of
Sydney, we had some great barbecues (cookouts)
with the cockatoos eating right out of your
hands . |
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Melbourne is in the Garden State of Victoria on
the southeastern part of Australia. The
city of Melbourne is at the top end of Port
Phillip Bay and the Yarra River meanders through the city. |
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As you travel into town fro the Tallamarine Airport, you go very close to the
Flemington Racecourse, home of the “Melbourne
Cup”. The Cup is always the biggest race of the
year and in Victoria it is a holiday. It is a
two mile long race amongst some of the best
horses in the world and a gala event for
everyone. When driving south from the airport,
the first major road you cross is Victoria
Street, site of the famous Victoria
Marketplace. For years it was the place to shop
for deals, from food to clothing, etc. You then
get to the Flinders Station next to the Yarra
River and the fabulous new Crown Entertainment
Center. In the city and its suburbs, there is a
mix of Europeans, especially Greeks and
Italians, so there are a multitude of bistros
and restaurants to please any taste. |
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