As Jordan Spieth clinched Hartford’s Travelers Championship with a stellar sand shot Sunday, tourney organizers tallied up $1.6 million generated for charity.
The tournament, which drew several of the world’s top golfers at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, fell short of topping the record $2.8 million raised last year.
Alan Schnitzer, Travelers’ current CEO, said 100 percent of net proceeds will help more than 160 organizations this year. Primary beneficiary, The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, provides a camp experience for children facing serious illnesses.
“Giving back will always be the most important part of the Travelers Championship, and we couldn’t be more proud of what the tournament does for so many important charities and the local economy,” Schnitzer said.
He also congratulated Spieth for his “impressive win against our best field yet.” Spieth bested a field of more than 150 players that included Rory McIlroy, the No. 2 golfer in the world, No.3-world-ranked pro Jason Day and Bubba Watson.
“It was another great week of world-class golf, with the largest crowds the tournament has experienced in the past decade,” Schnitzer said
A tally of the crowd size was not immediately available.
Events contributing to the fundraising draw included the Liberty Bank Concert Series, with shows from Gin Blossoms and Drake White & The Big Fire, and a sold-out Women’s Day Breakfast headlined by entrepreneur Tory Burch and chef, author and TV personality Andrew Zimmern.
Last August, a Bruce Edwards Foundation Benefit Dinner, hosted by the late Travelers Chairman and CEO Jay S. Fishman, raised more than $1.3 million of the $2.8 million. A major beneficiary was the ALS Clinic at the Hospital for Special Care in New Britain. Fishman, who suffered from the disease, died shortly after last year’s tourney.
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The tournament will make a donation to the Jay S. Fishman Fund at the Bruce Edwards Foundation for ALS Research, which was established in his memory.
Since it became a title sponsor in 2007, The Travelers Championship has generated more than $14.5 million for more than 600 local charities, Schnitzer said.
