After the COVID-19 pandemic forced the PGA Tour to shut down last March, the Travelers Championship was the third event held after professional golf resumed in June. Played at TPC River Highlands, the Travelers Championship retained its date and was won by Dustin Johnson after he shot a blistering 61-67 over the weekend.
Now, the tournament is retaining its title sponsor for another nine years after Travelers Companies announced on Monday afternoon that it had signed an agreement with the PGA Tour to be the event’s title sponsor through 2030.
Historically, the Travelers Championship is the largest sporting event in Connecticut, drawing huge crowds and raising millions of dollars for charity. According to Travelers, since it became the title sponsor in 2007, the tournament has generated more than $20 million for nearly 800 nonprofits. Before the pandemic, the event raised $2.1 million in 2019, and last year, with no fans in attendance and the tournament held as a TV-only event, it still raised $1.6 million.
While some events have struggled with dates that are a week after a major championship, the Travelers has thrived in its slot, the week after the U.S. Open. Tournament organizers have arranged charter flights from West Coast U.S. Open sites to get players and caddies across the country quickly. They have also historically of giving sponsor exemptions to promising young players who turn pro. Two years ago, Matthew Wolff, Collin Morikawa and Victor Hovland all played at TPC River Highlands on sponsor exemptions.
Since 2007, Webb Simpson, Rickie Fowler, Ryo Ishikawa, Kyle Stanley, Morgan Hoffmann and Patrick Cantlay also received sponsor exemptions as young pros.
This year, the 2021 Travelers Championship will be held June 24-27. Johnson has already committed to returning in June. Other notables who have committed include 2020 U.S. Open winner Bryson DeChambeau, three-time Travelers champion winner Bubba Watson and 2018 Masters winner Patrick Reed.