Carmen Bandea (above) won the Connecticut Women's Open on Wednesday in a three-hole playoff over Liz Caron at Wampanoag Country Club.

It was Bandea first time playing in the tournament. She lives in Georgia.

Caron was looking to win the Women's Open for a fifth time.

Check out the full story on the final round and playoff and for the full tournament results.

A fourth top-10 player and three former major champions are among the latest group of golfers who have committed to play in the Travelers Championship.

Sergio Garcia, currently ranked eighth in the world, will be coming along with former U.S. Open champions Retief Goosen and Angel Cabrera and ex-British Open winner Stewart Cink, Graham DeLaet and Ryan Moore are all coming to play June 19-22 at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell.

Garcia (pictured above) joins Matt Kuchar (4), Bubba Watson (5) and Jason Day (7) among top-10 players committed. Garcia who has eight PGA Tour wins, will be making his third appearance at the Travelers, his first since 2009.

Goosen, who won both the 2001 and 2004 U.S. Open titles, is making his second appearance, tying for fifth in 2010. Cabrera, who won the 2007 Open and 2009 Masters, makes his third straight appearance, tying for ninth last year.

Cink's first PGA Tour win came at the former Greater Hartford Open in 1997. He also won the event in 2008 and the British Open in 2009. This is his 15th appearance at TPC River Highlands.

DeLeat finished third at the Travelers last year and is making his fifth straight appearance. He is 32nd in the World Golf Rankings. Moore is ranked 40th and owns four top-10 finishes at the Travelers in eight previous trips to TPC River Highlands.

Through Sunday, Travelers is offering a family package. For $65, fans will receive two any One Day Tickets, one Lot B Parking Pass and $20 in food and beverage vouchers, a $43 savings off tournament week pricing. Visit www.TravelersChampionship.com.

Also, children 15 and under are admitted free with a ticketed adult any day during tournament week.

For one day, he looked like the old Tom McCarthy (pictured above), the standout golfer from Yale University who was one of the best golfers in Connecticut just three years ago.


McCarthy shot a 3-under-par 66 at Country Club of Waterbury in the final round of the Russell C. Palmer Cup Wednesday to finish in eighth place.


“I was 11-over par in my first 12 holes. I said to myself, ‘This is going to be interesting,’” said McCarthy, who shot 2-under over his final 42 holes. “One swing kills me and I can’t recover like I used to. But I guess the birdies were still there.”



McCarthy, 25, made seven birdies in his final round, more than the first two rounds combined. Not too bad for someone who hadn’t competed in almost two years.

So what has McCarthy been doing? Check that out and relive his great 2011 season.

Joe LaCava (pictured above, left)  is currently spending his time away from golf like any other parent of high school-aged athletes would: sitting in his lawn chair watching baseball and softball games.


LaCava, a Southbury resident, unexpectedly got the spring off from caddying on the PGA Tour. His boss is a familiar name, even to those with just a passing interest in the sport. LaCava caddies for Tiger Woods.

Woods had back surgery on March 31 and will likely be out for at least the next month.

While the public found out after the fact, LaCava said even he only found out either the day before or the day of the surgery.



“I know he was in a lot of pain. Was I surprised? Not really,” said LaCava, who is in his third year working for Woods. “I haven’t talked to him, so I have no idea (when Woods will return to the tour). I’m hoping for July. His doctor initially said 3-4 months, so three months is wishful thinking on my part. Am I hopeful for the British (Open)? Of course. Do I know if he will play there? I don’t know, and I don’t think he even knows when he will be ready to play.”

Check out more about how LaCava began working for Tiger and his working relationship with him.