CT Golf Headlines

Hartford, CT (April 24, 2008) -- As the golf season opens in New England and fans across the region begin to take to the courses, the Travelers Championship, the only PGA Tour stop in the Northeast in early summer, is pleased to announce the first wave of commitments to the player field include defending champion Hunter Mahan; Stewart Cink, who won the event in 1997; and David Toms, who holds both a PGA Championship title and a World Golf Championships title.

Mahan picked up his first PGA Tour victory at the Travelers Championship last year in a dramatic sudden death playoff with Jay Williamson. In what the Golf Channel nominated as one of the "Shots of the Year," Mahan knocked a 134-yard approach to 2 feet and converted birdie to capture the title of the inaugural Travelers Championship, while thousands of fans watched from the hill.

Following the win, Mahan continued to have a career year on the PGA Tour, including being named a Captain's Selection by Jack Nicklaus for the President's Cup, recording three 62s and closing the season with six top-10 finishes. At just over 25 years old, Mahan was the youngest winner on the PGA Tour in 2007. Mahan concluded the 2007 season ranked No. 34 in the Official World Golf Rankings and No. 15 in the FedExCup standings. Mahan is currently ranked No. 37 in the Official World Golf Rankings and has captured two top-10 finishes this year.

"I look forward to defending my title at the Travelers Championship. It was a great event to be part of last year -- fantastic crowds, a terrific course, and I could not think of a better place for my first win on Tour," states Mahan.

Stewart Cink has netted five top-10 finishes in nine events played this year, including a second-place finish at the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship and tying for third at the Masters. Currently, he is ranked No. 3 in the PGA Tour FedExCup point's race and No. 4 on the PGA Tour Money List. Cink, the Travelers Championship's 1997 champion, returns for his 11th appearance in Connecticut.

David Toms will be returning to Connecticut for his eighth appearance, his best finish coming last year when he tied for sixth. Toms holds 12 PGA Tour victories, including the 2001 PGA Championship and the 2005 World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play. Toms had a solid season last year, finishing with seven top-10s and leading the United States team with a 4-0-1 record at the President's Cup.

"We are pleased to welcome Hunter back to defend his title and to host Stewart and David in what promises to be another exciting week of professional golf in Connecticut. We are excited by this first wave of commitments and look forward to announcing more of the player field in the coming weeks," states Andy Bessette, executive vice president and chief administrative officer of Travelers. "As we all gear up for golf season, fans certainly have a lot to look forward to at the Travelers Championship, including an exciting field to watch on the course and a variety of new experiences for fans."