Travelers Championship: Wednesday Wrap, Thursday Tee Times

CROMWELL, CT — Celebrity Pro-Am day at the Travelers Championship always brings out an eclectic mix of personalities, both inside and outside the ropes, and Wednesday was no exception at the TPC River Highlands.

Regional sports heroes such as Geno Auriemma, Tim Wakefield, Ray Allen and Rebecca Lobo and entertainer Kevin Nealon toured the links, as well as three of the top six golfers in the world: Rory McIlroy, Jason Day and Jordan Spieth, who had the largest following of fans in the afternoon.

With few exceptions, the celebrities and golf professionals were quite accommodating to the legions of adoring fans, signing countless autographs, posing for photos and answering questions ranging from "what is the fondest memory of your career?" to "are you married, and if so, why?"

Scores of people from Hartford and Tolland counties were spotted in various roles on the course. Enfield mayor Scott Kaupin, the 2002 tournament chairman, was introducing players on the first tee; Kensington resident Aileen Kennedy and her son Patrick kept busy as hole marshals on the third green and fourth tee; Farmington police chief Paul Melanson was part of the law enforcement detail; and volunteer scorer Ladd Gowen of Enfield spent the morning keeping statistics for the group headed by Day, the 29-year-old Australian superstar currently ranked fourth in the world.

Things get much more serious at 7 a.m. Thursday, when Kyle Stanley and 2014 champion Kevin Streelman hit the first tee shots on holes 1 and 10, respectively, to begin official competition, as 156 players chase the $1.224 million first-place prize.

Click here for Thursday's starting times.

Photo credits: Peter Jonaitis, Tim Jensen