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April 25, 2008
CONTACT:
Anne Marie McLaughlin
Travelers Championship
860-502-6808
amclaughlin@travelerschampionship.com
TRAVELERS CHAMPIONSHIP DEFENDING CHAMPION HUNTER MAHAN, PAST CHAMPION STEWART CINK AND DAVID TOMS COMMIT TO PLAY
Hartford, Conn., April 25, 2008 - As 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 62's, 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 5 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 eleventh 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 the 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."
Travelers Championship tickets are now available on www.TravelersChampionship.com
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About the Travelers Championship
The Travelers Championship will be held June 16 - 22, 2008 at the
TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Conn. As the only PGA TOUR event in the Northeast in early summer, the Travelers Championship
is one of the region's premier sporting events. Primary beneficiaries of the Travelers Championship are The Hole in the Wall
Gang Camp, serving children facing serious illness, and the Greater Hartford Jaycees, a leadership development and community
service organization. The event is sponsored by Travelers, a leading provider of property and casualty insurance. Travelers
has been doing business in the community for nearly a century and a half, and today more than 6,000 employees are in the Greater
Hartford area. Travelers has been a sponsor of this event each year since its inception in 1952, becoming title sponsor in
2007. Complete details are available on www.TravelersChampionship.com
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