Four receive exemptions to compete at Travelers

CROMWELL, June 15 — The Travelers Championship golf tournament announced that Wyndham Clark, Brett Coletta, Beau Hossler and Ryan Ruffels have received exemptions and will compete in the 2017 tournament next week at the TPC River Highlands in Cromwell. Coletta, Hossler and Ruffels all turned professional in the past year. Clark intends to make his professional debut at this year’s Travelers Championship. 

Clark recently graduated from the University of Oregon, where he helped the Ducks advance to this season’s NCAA Tournament championship match. Clark spent his first four college seasons at Oklahoma State, where he was first team All American after redshirting as a freshman.

Coletta is a 21-year-old from Australia and will be making his third appearance on the PGA Tour. He recently made his first cut, at The Memorial. As an amateur, Coletta became the first player since Stuart Appleby in 1991 to win the Queensland Open.

Hossler already has a professional victory. The 22-year-old won an event on the Adams Tour in December. Hossler has played in seven PGA Tour events in 2017, making three cuts, with a best finish of T39 at the Shell Houston Open (tied 39). He played his college golf at the University of Texas, and led the Longhorns to the 2016 NCAA title match, which he was forced to miss due to an injury. The 2016 winner of the Haskins Award as the nation’s most outstanding collegiate golfer, Hossler has played in three U.S. Opens, in 2011 (as a 16-year-old), 2012 and 2015. 

Ruffels was born in Florida but grew up in Australia. Ruffels turned professional in 2016 as an 18-year-old and has played in 11 PGA Tour events during his career, including three this year.

All four join a player field that includes Rory McIlroy, Jason Day, Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas, Bubba Watson, Jim Furyk, Zach Johnson and Russell Knox, the 2016 Travelers Championship winner.