After it stopped, the course was readied, standing water squeegeed away, bunkers re-raked, and the second round was finished just before sunset at about 8:30 p.m.

On Saturday, a more violent storm passed through. There were lightning strikes near the course as the long delay was waited out. The TV cameras caught one worker, knee deep in water, reaching down to find the drain cover at the bottom of a bunker on the 15th hole. Once he removed it, the water ran out, a scene repeated all over the course.

The club’s agronomy team has about 30 staffers, and for the Travelers about 30 more, some professionals, some volunteers, are brought in for such emergencies. Play resumed at 6:20 p.m. Saturday and, again, finished just before sundown.

“We had to get 11 holes ready in about an hour’s time,” Corrado said. “It was all hands on deck. So proud of the team and how quickly they reacted, there are a lot of moving parts in that moment. Jason Cannata and his assistants were like orchestra conductors, with 50-something people you’re trying to direct over a multi-acre property.”

With more storms expected late Sunday, start times were moved up and twosomes became threesomes. The tournament ended about 4:30 p.m., just before more lightning was detected that would have halted play.

Bessette and Grube were compiling their list of things to look at following the tournament, including wider paths and better ways to move such large crowds around the course, , and adding cooling stations.

The Field

The field included all of the top 50 golfers eligible to play, excluding players who jumped to the LIV Golf circuit, such as U.S. Open champ Bryson DeChambeau. The one exception was Rory McIlroy, who lost the U.S. Open after missing two short putts and pulled out of the Travelers the following day.

“He texted me Monday morning, he’s a good friend,” Bessette said. “He said, ‘Andy, I have to recharge.’ And I said, we’re going to be here for years to come and you’re going to be here for years to come.”

Negotiations are ongoing between LIV and the PGA that could one day bring all the top golfers back. The leadership now includes Red Sox owner John Henry and Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank.

“Working on the model of PGA golf is very important, but I’m confident we have the right people,” Bessette said.

On the age-old question, whether Tiger Woods will ever grace the Travelers with his participation? The PGA has granted him a special exemption to play in Signature Events, and the Travelers, signed with The Tour through 2030, will be a Signature Event again in 2025.

“Being able to give him the opportunity to compete in these events,” PGA commissioner Jay Monahan said, “any event he’s ever played in he’s made it bigger, he’s made it better, he’s drawn more eyeballs to it, and I think just as an organization we wanted to celebrate his exceptionalism in that manner.”

Bessette will continue the hunt for Tiger, though odds get longer as he gets older and plays fewer tournaments.

“He’s very supportive and positive about our tournament,” Bessette said. “We never give up, we’ll keep trying on that one forever.”

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