Wednesday, June 20, 2012

The Travelers Championship 2012 Preview

The next stop on the PGA Tour this week is the TPC River Highlands course in Connecticut for the Travelers Championship.  After the second major championship of the year last week at the US Open, the PGA Tour returns to normal scheduling for the next month before the Open Championship. 

Coming off the biggest victory of his life, Webb Simpson is looking to build on a solid 2012 and win his second tournament in a row.  Essentially guaranteed a spot on the 2012 US Ryder Cup team, Simpson can now concentrate on winning each tournament he plays.  With the US Open victory comes a five-year exemption on the PGA Tour, entry into the US Open for the next 10 years, and entry into The Masters, the PGA Championship, and the Open Championship for the next five years as well.  Simpson will not be playing in the 2012 Open Championship due to the birth of his second child.

The Travelers Championship also marks the professional debut for Patrick Cantlay, who relinquished a spot in the Open Championship to turn professional this past Tuesday.  Cantlay was the top ranked amateur in the world and had completed his sophomore year at UCLA.  Cantlay made the cut last season at The Travelers Championship, shooting a second-round 60 to take the lead into the weekend.  He finished in a T24, but the 60 is the lowest round ever recorded on the PGA Tour by an amateur.  Cantlay signed with Tiger Woods' super-agent Mark Steinberg.

Also returning to competition this week is John Peterson, the 2011 NCAA Champion from LSU.  Peterson is coming off a T4 in the US Open, his best finish as a professional.  Peterson earned a birth into The Masters with his T4 finish and is looking to continue his strong play to try to earn a PGA Tour card for 2013.

Hope you all enjoy The Travelers Championship!  See if Frederik Jacobson can defend his title, or if one of the players mentioned above can keep the strong play going.

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