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By Kyle Caron
One of the most anticipated events of the week at the Travelers Championship in Cromwell, Connecticut is the Celebrity Pro-Am, which will take place on Wednesday, June 20. This year’s field is once again dominated by past and present UConn stars such as Jim Calhoun, Ray Allen and Randy Edsall. In total, seven of the 14 participants have UConn ties.
Many of the biggest names in UConn history will be making their return after competing in the 2017 tournament. One of those celebrities is Jim Calhoun, who was the head coach of the UConn men’s basketball team from 1986-2012. In that time, Calhoun won 873 games, three national titles (1999, 2004 and 2011) and was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006.
UConn legend and soon-to-be Hall-of-Famer Ray Allen will also be back this year for the Pro-Am. As a junior, Allen was named a first-team All-American and Big East Player of the Year, leading the Huskies to a 1996 Big East Tournament Championship and a Sweet 16 appearance. His success continued into the NBA as a 10-time all-star and two-time NBA champion.
UConn football star Dan Orlovsky will also participate in the tournament. Orlovsky led the Huskies to their first bowl game in program history with a win over Toledo in the 2004 Motor City Bowl. He would then go on to play for six different teams in the NFL from 2005-17 and is still considered one the football program’s most famous alumni.
The lone Husky newcomer to the tournament is field hockey head coach Nancy Stevens. Since her start at UConn, Stevens has won three national championships and reached the Final Four every year since 2013. She currently has the most wins of any coach in NCAA Division I Field Hockey with 662. Under Stevens, the UConn field hockey team has won the last six Big East Conference Tournaments and the last five Big East regular season titles.
Other UConn stars that will be participating include Chris Dailey, Randy Edsall and men’s hockey head coach Mike Cavanaugh. The Traveler’s Tournament Pro-Am is a fantastic opportunity to meet some of these UConn greats. Morning tee times run from 6:50 a.m. to 8:50 a.m. and afternoon tee times from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m.