More big names commit to Travelers Championship

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HARTFORD, Conn. -- The Travelers Championship player field continues to grow in strength with the commitment of last year's No. 1 ranked player on the European Tour and three players who have been champions of major tournaments. The latest commitments include Justin Rose, who finished No. 1 on the European Tour's Order of Merit last year, 2007 Masters champion Zach Johnson, 1995 PGA Championship winner Steve Elkington and 1995 U.S. Open winner Corey Pavin. The Travelers Championship is the PGA TOUR's only early summer stop in the Northeast and will be played June 16 - 22 at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Conn.

Clockwise from top left: Justin Rose, Corey Pavin, Zach Johnson and Steve Elkington. (Getty Images)

"These players have steadily produced notable results on TOUR over the years. They are strong and reliable players who will surely enhance the competition at our event," said Nathan Grube, tournament director. "With the addition of these players, our field continues to grow in strength, and we look forward to delivering another great tournament for golf fans."

Currently the No. 6 ranked player in the Official World Golf Rankings, Justin Rose finished tied for second at last week's Memorial Tournament presented by Morgan Stanley. Rose has had three other top 25 finishes on the PGA TOUR this year, including a tie for 15th at the World Golf Championships-CA Championships. In 2007, Rose captured the No. 1 spot on the European Tour's Order of Merit, fueled by a win at the Volvo Masters. Rose has five international victories to his name, including the 2006 Australian Masters. Last season, Rose earned personal bests on the PGA TOUR in both earnings ($2,705,875) and top-10 finishes (7) after making 15 of 16 cuts during the season. Rose closed out the 2007 season at No. 16 on the FedExCup points list and No. 19 on the PGA TOUR money list.

Last year was a breakout season for Zach Johnson, when he captured his first major title with a win at the Masters Tournament and followed it up with a victory at the AT&T Classic. Johnson went on to play in the Presidents Cup and finished with a 2-2-0 record. He earned a total of five top-10 finishes and ten top-25 finishes in 23 events played, eventually closing out the season with career best earnings of $3,922,338 to place him at No. 8 on the PGA TOUR money list. This year, Johnson has had four top 25 finishes, including tying for 20th at the Masters and tying for 9th at the World Golf Championships-CA Championship. Johnson is currently ranked No. 25 in the Official World Golf Rankings.

Including his 1995 PGA Championship win, Steve Elkington holds a total of 10 PGA TOUR victories, inclusive of two wins at The PLAYERS Championship in 1991 and 1997.

Elkington has posted a solid season this year, making the cut 10 times in 13 events played and earning six top-25 finishes. Within his best showings this year, Elkington finished tied for fifth at the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic, followed by a tie for fourth at the FBR Open just two weeks later.

The 1995 U.S. Open champion Corey Pavin holds titles for 15 PGA TOUR victories and 12 international victories. This season, Pavin has earned four top-25 finishes, including a tie for third at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am. Last year, Pavin made the cut 15 times in 25 starts and earned three top-25 finishes. In 2006, Pavin earned his 15th PGA TOUR victory with a wire-to-wire win at the U.S. Bank Championship in Milwaukee, where he had a record-breaking performance that included setting a PGA TOUR nine-hole record of 26 and matching the PGA TOUR's lowest first 36-hole record by shooting 61-64-125. Pavin will return for his 16th appearance in Connecticut, where his best finish came in 2005 when he finished in eighth place.

Rose, Johnson, Elkington and Pavin join a strong player field for the upcoming tournament, which also features Vijay Singh, Stewart Cink, Stuart Appleby, Kenny Perry and defending champion Hunter Mahan.

Festivities will kick off two days early at Golfweek's Golfest Connecticut presented by Golfers' Warehouse, a free event to be held at the new driving range at TPC River Highlands in which the public will have access to test and purchase the season's latest equipment on the new range. A complete schedule of tournament week events, updated player field details and event tickets are now available on the tournament Web site.