Great Golf
At the Buick Championship
by George Scott
CCM Photography
Bradford Babbitt, the 2006 Buick Championship chairman (right), watches the action as ESPN personality Chris Berman (left) and Karl Ravetch (center), host of "The Baseball Show," entertain fans at the celebrity long-drive.
A gallery of fans of all ages were delighted by Family Day events which included trick-shot golfer performances, appearances by area media celebrities, and costumed sports mascots, including the UConn Huskies white-furred husky, who sometimes stole the show.
Babbitt, principal, business litigation, at Robinson & Cole LLP, is from the firm's corporate office in Hartford.
The PGA Tour in Connecticut was born in 1952 with the Insurance City Open at Wethersfield Country Club. The event moved to the Tournament Players Club (TPC) at River Highlands, Cromwell, in 1984. Stellar players such as Sam Snead, Arnold Palmer, Billy Casper, Curtis Strange, Paul Azinger, Nick Price, Greg Norman, Phil Mickelson and Peter Jacobsen have all been crowned champion in Connecticut. Brad Faxon won the 2005 Buick Championship.
The TPC at River Highlands is located on a bluff overlooking the Connecticut River, and is about 10 miles south of Hartford and within a two-hour drive from Boston and New York City.
The Buick Championship is the sole fundraiser for the Greater Hartford Jaycees, who for more than 50 years have supported hundreds of community organizations throughout Connecticut. The Greater Hartford Jaycees have contributed more than $25 million dollars since the event's inception.
Buick is one of the original corporate sponsors of the PGA Tour, beginning with the 1958 Buick Open, and is now the largest sponsor on the entire PGA Tour.
Resources:
For Buick Championship tournament events (including views of the course) visit www.buickchampionship.com. Contact the Buick Championship at One Financial Plaza, 2nd Floor, Hartford, CT 06103; or call (860) 522-4171.
A complete listing of PGA player profiles are located at www.pgatour.com. For information about TPC at River Highlands, visit www.tpc.com/private/river_highlands.
For details about the Greater Hartford Jaycees visit www.greaterhartfordjaycees.org.
