For a comparatively small state, Connecticut boasts a major international sporting event, The Travelers Golf Tournament.
Andy Bessette, Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer of Travelers has a rich sports history. He was a 1980 United States Olympian in the hammer and he beams like a proud, expectant father throughout the five days of the event in mid-June.
Bessette spends a great deal of time working on The Travelers, involved in most intimate details.
Even though the event is held during the week after the US Open, Bessette was able to reel in another strong field, headed by Jordan Speith, Rory McIlroy and Jason Day.
Bessette’s motto was a simple one, but a highly important one: “Treat people the way you want to be treated.”
The motto has clearly worked for him, as The Travelers is one of the most popular stops on the PGA Tour, not only for players but for the hordes of fans who populate the tournament, especially on the weekend.
The mission of The Travelers is charity and charity is well served as a result of the event.
Since 1952, the Tournament has generated well over $40 million dollars for charity and last year the event generated $1.7 million for 165 charities throughout Connecticut.
The primary beneficiary for this year’s tournament is the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp in Connecticut. The camp was founded in 1988 by Paul Newman and services seriously ill children and family members annually, all completely free of charge. The Tournament boasts a strong field once again this year, including recent US Open Champion Brooks Koepka, Jordan Speith and Rory McIlroy.
The crowds are among the biggest on the PGA Tour and the excitement is brewing already in Cromwell,Connecticut.