Travelers Announces the Start of the 2016 Travelers Championship

HARTFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

The Travelers Companies, Inc. TRV today announced the start of the 2016 Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Connecticut. This year's field includes top PGA TOUR players such as 2015 champion Bubba Watson, Matt Kuchar, Patrick Reed, Ernie Els, Branden Grace, Keegan Bradley, Louis Oosthuizen, Zach Johnson, Paul Casey and others.

The Opening Ceremony begins today at 9:30 a.m., and will feature representatives from Travelers, the Official Property Casualty Insurance Provider of the PGA TOUR; the state of Connecticut; the Travelers Championship; and the tournament's 2016 primary beneficiary, the ALS Clinic at the Hospital for Special Care (HSC) in New Britain, Connecticut.

Each year, HSC cares for more than 250 Connecticut residents with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and it is the only facility in Connecticut that is part of the ALS Association's national network of Certified Treatment Centers of Excellence.

Travelers Executive Chairman of the Board Jay Fishman, who disclosed about a year ago that he had been diagnosed with the disease, and Brian Savo, an ALS patient at HSC, will also take part in the Opening Ceremony and serve as the tournament's Honorary Co-Chairs. They represent the tournament's 2016 charitable focus on ALS-related charities.

"The local economy and more than 100 nonprofits benefit from the Travelers Championship each year," said Andy Bessette, Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer of Travelers. "We're pleased to have the opportunity to continue supporting a diverse mix of charities, including The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, while furthering the work of HSC and supporting Jay and his family in such an important effort."

The Travelers Championship donates 100 percent of net proceeds to charity and has generated more than $33 million since the event began in 1952. Since Travelers became title sponsor in 2007, more than $10 million has been donated to more than 500 nonprofit organizations throughout New England.

Special events will take place throughout the week to help raise funds for charity, including The Umbrella at 15 ½, where pros will compete during Tuesday's practice round for the first hole-in-one or closest to the pin on a 40-foot-wide floating green in the shape of the Travelers red umbrella logo. The winner receives $10,000 for the charity of his choice. The Travelers Championship is also hosting the Bruce Edwards Foundation Benefit Dinner Friday, Aug. 5, which is expected to raise more than $1 million for the Bruce Edwards Foundation for ALS Research.

Celebrities also will show their support during events like the Travelers Celebrity Pro-Am Aug. 3 and Women's Day Aug. 4. Luke Wilson, Kevin Nealon, Chris Berman, Tim Wakefield, Doug Flutie, Dane DeHaan, Ray Allen and other celebrities will participate in Wednesday's Pro-Am. NBC News correspondent Cynthia McFadden and renowned chef Ming Tsai will take part in Women's Day.

Competition rounds of the Travelers Championship will be Aug. 4–7. Golf Channel will provide live coverage from 3 to 6 p.m. EDT Thursday and Friday, and Saturday and Sunday from 1 to 2:30 p.m. EDT. CBS will have coverage from 3 to 6 p.m. EDT Saturday and Sunday.

For more information about the Travelers Championship, follow the tournament on Twitter, become a fan on Facebook or visit TravelersChampionship.com.

About Travelers

The Travelers Companies, Inc. TRV is a leading provider of property casualty insurance for auto, home and business. A component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average, Travelers has approximately 30,000 employees and generated revenues of approximately $27 billion in 2015. For more information, visit www.travelers.com.

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