The Connecticut Section PGA has selected Ellington Ridge Country Club to serve as the host site of the 2012 Connecticut PGA Championship, the longest running professional golf tournament in the section. It will be the 18th time that the 52-year old Ellington Ridge venue will be used to stage this championship, the last coming in 2007.

The 2012 championship will be played on Sept. 24-26.


The 54-hole stroke-play tournament that dates back to 1929 has the largest purse of any championship for PGA Professionals in the section. This year's event will be held Sept. 12-14 at the Black Hall Club in Old Lyme.

Evan Beirne of North Haven and New Haven Country Club shot a 1-over-par 72 to be one of five golfers to survive local US Open qualifying Tuesday at Shorehaven GC in East Norwalk.

Also surviving included medalist Colin Amaral and Stratford's John Bushka. The sectional qualifier, one step from the actual Open, is 36 holes on June 6. The closest site is Canoe Brook in New Jersey.

Watson was in Cromwell Tuesday for Travelers Championship Media Day. This will be the first title he has defended since he played collegiately at the University of Georgia.

Here's the story.

Englishman Ian Poulter will be making his first appearance at the Travelers Championship next month and Rickie Fowler his third. The two golfers were among six commitments announced at Tuesday's Media Day for the Travelers.
The other players announced were David Toms, Ricky Barnes, Corey Pavin and Trevor Immelman.
Poulter has won 11 tournaments across the world, including the 2010 Accenture World Match Play Championship. He is ranked 22nd in the world. The only two players ranked ahead of him currently in the Travelers field is defending champion Bubba Watson (11) and Hunter Mahan (18).
Fowler, ranked 41st, is still searching for his first tour win. Like Poulter, is known for his outlandish wardrobe while playing.
Toms just lost in a sudden-death playoff to K.J. Choi at the Players Championship last week. He is nearly 10 years removed from his only major title, the 2001 PGA Championship.
Pavin lost in a sudden-death playoff to Watson here last year. This is his 19th appearance at the tournament, where he has six top-10 finishes.
Immelman, the 2008 Masters champion, will be making his first appearance at River Highlands since 2006. Barnes tied for fifth here last year.