(June 8, 2023) – The Travelers Championship has announced that Ludvig Aberg, Sam Bennett, Ben James, and Michael Thorbjornsen have accepted sponsor exemptions into the 2023 tournament. James and Thorbjornsen received exemptions into last year’s Travelers Championship, while Aberg and Bennett will be making their first appearance.
James led the University of Virginia to the quarterfinals of the NCAA Championship as a freshman this season and had a school-record scoring average of 69.00 for the Cavaliers. James was named the Atlantic Coast Conference freshman of the year and was co-medalist at the NCAA Las Vegas Regional, one of five tournaments he either won or tied for first. A 20-year-old from Milford, Connecticut, James is No. 7 in the latest national college rankings by Golfstat and is the top-ranked freshman. James received a sponsor’s exemption into the Travelers Championship a year ago and shot 69 in the second round.
“These are always some of my favorite phone calls to make, because every year we look for opportunities to invite the world’s top amateurs, college players, and young professionals to our tournament, and they always come from a deep pool with dozens of strong candidates,” said Travelers Championship Tournament Director Nathan Grube. “Ludvig, Sam, Ben, and Michael are among the best young players in the game, and we’re thrilled to have all four of them joining us this year.”
Andy Bessette, Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer at Travelers said, “This continues the tournament’s long history of inviting up-and-coming standouts ready to test themselves against the best players in the world. Each of these outstanding young players were thrilled when we made the calls to offer them a spot in our field and I’m looking forward to continuing our relationship with Ben and Michael and getting to know Ludvig and Sam even better. I’m sure it’s going to be exciting for these collegiate stars to compete against the best PGA Tour players at TPC River Highlands.”
Editors Note: This article is a Travelers Championship press release. In addition, the hero image is courtesy of the University of Virginia.
About the Connecticut State Golf Association
The Connecticut State Golf Association functions as an extension of the USGA and provides stewardship for amateur golf in Connecticut. Founded in 1899, it is the country’s oldest state golf association and conducts over 60 Championships, Qualifiers, and One Day Tournaments throughout the year.
