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May 7, 2008
CONTACT:
Anne Marie McLaughlin
Travelers Championship
860-502-6808
amclaughlin@travelerschampionship.com
HARTFORD, Conn., Monday, May 5, 2008.- Travelers Championship officials announced
powerful growth in the player field today with the confirmation the Vijay Singh, Fred Funk, Chris DiMarco, Boo Weekley, J.B.
Holmes, Bubba Watson and 2004 Champion Woody Austin will all compete in Connecticut's PGA TOUR event. The Travelers Championship
will be held June 16 - 22, 2008 at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Conn.
"We're pleased to announce that the field will include three additional top-30 players in Singh, Austin and Weekley. Watson
and Holmes currently lead the PGA TOUR as Nos. 1 and 2 for driving distance and they've both been playing tremendously this
year. The combination of those PGA TOUR leaders should result in some outstanding golf to see at the Travelers Championship,"
states Nathan Grube, tournament director. "We're pleased to welcome back Funk and DiMarco, who bring a lot of strength to
the quality of the field. With the commitment of those noteworthy players, we are certain we will deliver a world-class event
filled with action for the fans."
Vijay Singh is currently ranked No. 9 in the Official World Golf Rankings and in No. 5 in the PGA TOUR
FedExCup points race. Holding a remarkable 31 PGA TOUR victories, Singh has four majors to his name. In 2008, Singh has netted
four top-10 finishes and eight top-25 finishes in 11 events played. Singh will make his fifth appearance in Connecticut's
PGA TOUR event, where he finished fourth in 2007.
Fred Funk, a popular fan favorite holding eight PGA TOUR victories and three Champions Tour victories,
will make his fourteenth appearance in Connecticut. This season, Funk has had top-10 finishes on both the PGA TOUR and the
Champions Tour, finishing tied for tenth at the Sony Open in Hawaii and capturing the win at the MasterCard Championship at
Hualalai on the Champions Tour. In 2007, at age 50, Funk had wins on both the PGA TOUR and the Champions Tour, winning the
PGA TOUR's inaugural Mayakoba Golf Classic at Riviera Maya-Cancun and the Turtle Bay Championship.
Chris DiMarco is a three-time winner on the PGA TOUR and also captured an international victory at the
Abu Dhabi Golf Championship in 2006. DiMarco has played twice on both The President's Cup and the Ryder Cup teams. In 2005,
DiMarco finished a career-best No. 7 on the PGA TOUR money list. That same year, he was a standout member of the victorious
United States Presidents Cup squad, posting a 4-0-1. DiMarco clinched the matches with a 13-foot birdie putt to win 1-up over
Stuart Appleby.
Current world No. 30 player and 2004 Champion Woody Austin returns for his eleventh appearance in Connecticut.
Last year, Austin had the best season of his career including a PGA TOUR victory, finishing second in the PGA Championship,
earning a spot on The President's Cup team and garnering his highest earnings in one season. Also last year, Austin shot the
best final round on the PGA TOUR season, an 8-under-par 63 at the Stanford St. Jude Championship, to win the event. The five-stroke
victory was the third of his career and first since his win in Connecticut in 2004. This year, Austin has had two top-10 finishes,
trying for fourth at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans and trying for fifth at the World Golf championships-Accenture Match
Play.
Two-time winner of the Verizon Heritage, Boo Weekley is currently ranked No. 23 in the Official World
Golf Rankings and holds the No. 9 position on the PGA TOUR money list. Weekley had a solid run on the PGA TOUR in 2007, finishing
with five top-10 finishes and eight top-25 finishes year to date. Weekley currently ranks No. 17 in the FedExCup points race.
Known for his powerful long drive Bubba Watson is a young gun to watch, having lead the PGA TOUR in driving
distance since his rookie season in 2006. Watson is currently ranked No. 1 in driving distance at an average of 311.4 yards.
Last year, in his second year on the PGA TOUR, Watson collected five top-10 finishes including a runner-up finish at Shell
Houston Open. This season, Watson's best finish was at the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by MasterCard where he tied
for eighth place.
Trailing right behind Watson in driving distance is J.B. Holmes a young player who has also shown immense
talent in his first few years on the PGA TOUR. Holmes is currently ranked No. 2 for driving distance with an average of 308.9
yards. Earlier this year, Holmes sank a 13-foor birdie putt on the 18th hole to force a playoff at the FBR Open. He then birdied
again on the first playoff hole to beat Phil Mickelson and earn his second FBR Open title. Holmes won the tournament in 2006,
his rookie year on TOUR. This year, Holmes has two top-10 finishes.
The Travelers Championship player field will also include defending champion Hunter Mahan, David Toms, and Stewart Cink.
For tickets and additional information, visit www.TravelersChampionship.com.
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About the Travelers Championship
The Travelers Championship will be held June 16 - 22, 2008, at 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 has more than 6,000 employees 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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