Since 2007, the Cromwell, Connecticut, PGA Tour stop has been known as the Travelers Championship.
First played in 1952 and staged at different venues in the Greater Hartford area, the tournament initially known as the Insurance City Open was a stalwart on the PGA Tour and an institution in Connecticut. Billy Casper won it four times, Arnold Palmer and Phil Mickelson each took the title twice and entertainer Sammy Davis Jr. lent his name to the event for 16 years, from 1973 to 1988.
But it was set to disappear after the 2006 edition. As popular and well-attended as it may have been, the event was losing its title sponsor (Buick) as well as its spot on the PGA Tour calendar.
“We had a situation,” said Nathan Grube, who had only recently become tournament director of what was then called the Buick Championship. “And it looked like this long-standing event was over, so much so that we had started considering alternatives, such as the Cha...