CROMWELL, Conn. -- Andy Bessette was hurriedly scurrying between meetings, both of the formal and informal variety. This is a big week for the Travelers Championship, and as executive vice president for the title sponsor, he's had a lot to do with it. There's already a palpable buzz in the air, even before the tournament rounds have begun, and much of that is related to the impressive collection of superstars that have gathered here in the heart of the Constitution State.
For the first time, Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth will compete at TPC River Highlands, while Jason Day returns for the first time in three years, giving the tournament three players ranked in the top half-dozen in the world.
When each of them officially committed to this event, Bessette is often the first to hear about it, either through phone call or text message, from the player or his agent. In between those meetings he's been attending all week, he was asked for his initial reaction when he receives these commitments.
"When I get those kinds of messages, I feel like our friendship has meant something," Bessette said. "Not that we're friends, we're not going fishing together -- well, maybe we will. I've been talking about going fishing with Kevin Streelman and Brandt Snedeker ..."
That answer alone speaks to how -- and why -- these big-name players traveled from the U.S. Open at Erin Hills last week to a tournament that was on the brink of extinction just over a decade ago. It's about the relationships.
Bessette and tournament director Nathan Grube make about four "recruiting" trips per year to other events, speaking with players and getting to know them. It's not unlike a college coach recruiting high school prospects, as they promote these relationships as much as their tournament itself.
"It's about seeing them all the time and following up; it's about being with them throughout the year," explained Bessette. "That's how you get them here -- you do things for the players, for their wives, for their caddies. It's everything."
He recalled a specific conversation with McIlroy at last year's Players Championship. After a get-to-know-you conversation, they were walking out of the locker room together when the four-time major champion asked about the tournament's dates. Bessette told him that it was pushed to August that summer, a result of golf's return to the Olympics, but that he'd love to have him play in June this year.
One year later, here he is, perhaps the most popular drawing card for this event since Phil Mickelson removed it from his annual schedule years ago.
"It's nice to be able to play an event you haven't played the last few years," McIlroy said. "I may come back next year, because I like it so much."
Now, let's not be so naïve to think relationships are the only reasons these players -- along with the likes of usual competitors Bubba Watson, Justin Thomas and Patrick Reed -- have decided to tee it up at this event.
Last year, the PGA Tour instituted a rule which states that players who don't play a minimum of 25 tournaments each season must compete in at least one event that they haven't played during the previous four seasons.
Couple that with the fact that the Travelers Championship has an improved world-class practice facility, a less imposing golf course in the wake of U.S. Open venues and, yes, those relationships, and the new faces in this part of the world make sense.
"What put me over the edge was other players' recommendations," explained Spieth. "I was kind of in between what I'm going to do scheduling-wise after the U.S. Open. ... And it was universal. It was all positive comments from every player I asked."
"It's a feel-good event," McIlroy said. "If you want to play a round of golf, there is no better place to come than here where you can make birdies. The U.S. Open can zap your confidence a little bit, as well. So it's nice to come back to a venue where you can see shots going close to the hole, you can see putts going in, you can make birdies. Sometimes you need that."
The feeling is mutual. As much as the players need a less stressful week after the year's second major, the tournament needs the shot in the arm they provide for everything from ticket sales to television ratings to sponsor interest.
This event, which dates back to 1952 when it was called the Insurance City Open, was on life support in late 2006. In fact, it was even legally dead for a few hours, off the PGA Tour and potentially gone forever, until Travelers swooped in as the title sponsor and revived it.
It isn't just living now; it's thriving. This week's event will feature its most world ranking points, a formula based on field strength, in the past decade. Once the PGA Tour's little-engine-that-could, tournament officials now have their sights set on the loftiest of goals.
"Our goal has been to make this the best stop on the PGA Tour," Bessette said. "We're not there yet, but I want to be the best. That's always been our goal."
It all starts with those relationships -- a main reason why some of the world's best golfers are competing around here this week.