12-Year-Old New Canaan Golfer Plays At Travelers Course

NEW CANAAN, CT — Twelve-year-old New Canaan resident Dylan Azzopardi, an avid golfer and soon-to-be Saxe Middle School seventh grader, has been selected as one of 40 golfers to tee it up at this year's Eversource PGA TOUR Player Experience for Junior Golfers at the TPC River Highlands in Cromwell. The event is in conjunction with this week's Travelers Championship - which starts Thursday - at the famous upstate Connecticut golf course.

When Azzopardi is not at weekly clinics and golf summer camps, he’s practicing in his basement which has been converted into an indoor "golf zone" complete with fake turf, swing trainers, net for ball returns and a putting green, according to the utility company. He started playing golf when he was just 3-years-old and this week got to swing the clubs with some of golf’s elite players at the tournament, which is drawing a lot of big-name players following last week's U.S. Open.

"I was hoping to learn some good tips from these pros and I did!" said Dylan in a statement. "I think the things I learned will really help me boost my game."

He was selected for the Player Experience based on a personal essay about his golf experience and how he could benefit from the opportunity to participate. In addition to playing with some of the pros, Dylan and the other chosen participants attended private golf clinics, a Q-and-A session with the elite players, and a dinner reception.

"This is an excellent opportunity for these young golfers. They are learning and developing lifelong skills through the game of golf from some of the games’ best," said Eversource President of Corporate Citizenship Rod Powell in a statement. "We’re committed to serving the neighborhoods where we work and live and that includes supporting the health and well-being of the young people in our communities, which is why we are so proud to sponsor the Player Experience."

From the Eversource release:

The partnership between Eversource, the Travelers Championship, The First Tee of Connecticut and the Connecticut Section PGA Junior Golf Association focuses on bringing the game to young people, improving player development, increasing accessibility to the game, and retaining golfers for the future of the sport.

The Travelers Championship has generated more than $38 million for charity since 1952 and donates 100 percent of net proceeds to those organizations. Last year alone, the Travelers Championship generated more than $1.7 million for more than 165 charities throughout the New England region.

Eversource (NYSE: ES) transmits and delivers electricity to 1.2 million customers in 149 cities and towns, provides natural gas to 232,000 customers in 73 communities, and supplies water to approximately 197,000 customers in 51 communities across Connecticut. Recognized as the top U.S. utility for its energy efficiency programs by the sustainability advocacy organization Ceres, Eversource harnesses the commitment of about 8,000 employees across three states to build a single, united company around the mission of safely delivering reliable energy and water with superior customer service. For more information, please visit our website (www.eversource.com) and follow us on Twitter (@EversourceCT) and Facebook (facebook.com/EversourceCT). For more information on our water services, visit www.aquarionwater.com.

Photo: Dylan Azzopardi. Photo credit: Eversource

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