Ken Duke remembers win at 2013 Travelers Championship

Editor’s Note: In his career, Ken Duke has won at every level he’s played: mini tours, the Canadian Tour, the Korn Ferry Tour, the PGA TOUR and PGA TOUR Champions, most recently at the 2023 Shaw Charity Classic four-and-a-half years after turning 50. Ten years prior to his PGA TOUR Champions title in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, following two Korn Ferry Tour titles, two wins on the Canadian Tour and even a victory on the Golden Bear Tour, Duke made up for numerous PGA TOUR close calls by breaking through and picking up his lone PGA TOUR triumph. Eleven years later Duke reminisces about one great week in Connecticut.

Before the start of the 2013 Travelers Championship, my long-time coach, Bob Toski, asked me when I was going to win the tournament he won in 1953 when it was called the Insurance City Open.

How about that week?

I first joined the PGA TOUR in 2004 but lost my card and returned to play on what is now known as the Korn Ferry Tour. In 2006, I was that Tour’s leading money-winner, beating Johnson Wagner by a little less than $10,000. That earned me a return trip to the PGA TOUR, and this time I was intent on staying out there.

But by the 2013 season, despite a bunch of top-10s and two runner-up finishes between 2007 and 2012, at the U.S. Bank Championship of Milwaukee and the Ginn Sur Mer Classic in Palm Coast, Florida, I was winless. I was just another player on the PGA TOUR.

But I’ve always thought if you’re playing at golf’s highest level, you have a chance to win. Where — and when — that is, you don’t know. But if you put it all together, it can happen. My week came in Cromwell, Connecticut, home of the Travelers Championship. It was my eighth full season on TOUR.

Everything about that week is quite vivid, from going to dinner with some friends from Boston who were in town for the tournament. We went to this little pub for dinner on Thursday night after the first round. It happened to be trivia night, and for fun we joined in, playing against guys who were prepared for the evening, had team shirts and everything.

Well, the guys I was with are brilliant—like “Jeopardy!” brilliant. I’m pretty sure I didn’t answer a single question, but we ended up winning and taking home a $100 gift certificate to the bar. We gave the certificate to the people at the table next to us, and I remember that so well because little things like that — good things — add up when you’re having a special week.

That whole week, I just felt like it was my turn. TPC River Highlands is a golf course that I can play. It’s not too long for someone like me, who is not a big hitter. I am also a consistent player — always been that way — and I was really consistent that week.

Then there are the breaks. I got a few good bounces as the tournament went on. They happen when you need them, and they, too, add up.

Through 54 holes, I was alone in sixth but right in the hunt, two shots behind Graham DeLaet, Charley Hoffman and Bubba Watson. I had opened with rounds of 69-68-65 at the par-70 course, and I felt really good about the 65 because I was bogey-free Saturday coming off a double bogey-6 on my final hole Friday.

I was ready to make a Sunday move. The problem was, I never got anything going on the front nine. I started par-birdie then made seven consecutive pars. When I made the turn, I got one of those breaks that are so important. On my second-shot approach on No. 10, I was in the middle of the fairway, but I pulled a pitching wedge, and my ball hit an overhanging tree limb left of the green. The ball could have gone anywhere, included in the bunker where I would have been short-sided to the pin. Instead, the ball bounced on the green and rolled to five feet. Instead of a likely bogey?

Birdie.

I then poured in another birdie putt on 11, and that moved me to 11-under. After a par at 12, I moved to the par-5 13th. I had a bad (yardage) number on my approach, and I hit it long, my ball stopping about 40 feet from the hole. That meant a downhill, breaking-right birdie putt.

A funny thing happened on that green, and with my ball as I faced a putt nobody expects you to make. I read the right break the whole way, but the last three feet, the ball inexplicably broke back left. It caught the right lip of the cup and fell in.

Those were two important moments right there, exactly what I needed to help me. The bounce and the surprise break of the putt meant the difference between me winning and another disappointment. Although I bogeyed No. 14, to fall back to 11-under, I rebounded with a birdie at the 15th. Graham was even-par for his day, and Charley was having a poor day. Bubba had the lead, and I knew Chris Stroud was making a move.

And what was odd, what’s weird to say, is through all this I was really calm. There have been times I’ve been in a similar situation, and I’ve been really nervous. But it seemed like that week I didn’t feel the nerves and was able to keep my poise.

Then another break happened.

Bubba made triple bogey-6 at the par-3 16th, something I certainly didn’t expect. Bubba had won Travelers in 2010 (and he would go on to win again in 2015 and 2018). He liked the course and knew that course, but because of his mistake, suddenly I was in the lead. To finish my round, I made a pair of pars to post a 12-under score. I then waited to see if what I did was enough to win.

Sitting in the scorer’s tent, I heard this big roar from the crowd, which is always huge at Travelers. I found out it was Chris Stroud chipping in from off the green on 18. It was the kind of roar that wasn’t good for me.

I had twice lost tournaments that way, playing on PGA TOUR Canada. Iain Steele holed out of a bunker in a playoff in 2002 to beat me in Vancouver. And New Zealand’s Paul Davenport made a 60-foot eagle putt at the Telus Open outside Montreal in 2001 to also beat me in a playoff.

That chip-in secured Stroud’s spot in a playoff against me. Once I found out there was more golf to play, I was actually excited to be where I was at. It’s a playoff. I had a 50-50 shot, and I knew if I hit a couple of good shots, I could win the championship.

On the first tee of the playoff, I had no idea what Chris was feeling because he had never been in that situation, either, at least not on the PGA TOUR. After we hit our tee shots, Chris took his towel and started waving it above his head as he walked down the fairway. It seemed like he was trying to get everybody riled up. But I’m thinking, He has to be a little shaky with his nerves. I think he’s waving the towel to try to take pressure off of himself.

On the first extra hole, No. 18, I lagged my long birdie putt close and had an easy tap-in for par. Chris had to get up and down after missing the green on his approach, and he buried a clutch, 10-footer to keep the playoff going. For the second extra hole, we played 18 again, and this time I left no doubt. I had a good number for my second shot. It was a perfect number, really. I had 105 yards to carry the bunker and 110 to the hole. I stuffed it to about three feet. Off the club, I knew it was a good shot.

Chris’ approach left him probably 20 feet for birdie. I think he knew he needed to make his putt because I was in there so close. He hit a really good putt, but it just trailed to the right at the end.

My three-footer was a putt I had hit 1,000 times as a kid, a putt to win the U.S. Open, the Masters, the British. That’s what we all did as kids, practice putts that would “win” a big tournament.

I looked at my caddie and said, “It’s our time. It’s our turn.”

I stood over the putt, and if you watch the video or if you’ve seen pictures, you can see me with my eyes closed, and I’m already pumping my fist as the ball is halfway to the hole. I knew it was in. I never thought it wouldn’t go in. You have to think that way.

The putt dropped, and I became part of a special group: a PGA TOUR winner.

After the award ceremony on the green and my press conference in the media center, I began signing pin flags for the tournament. Nathan Grube, the Travelers Championship Tournament Director, was with me, and I said, “I need to go grab my phone out of my locker.” I noticed my phone was completely dead, which was odd. I always leave my phone in my locker. I hadn’t used it for hours.

Nathan went and found a charger, and once I had a little power, I realized why my phone had no charge.

Between the time I won and the charging of my phone, 1,150 texts had arrived. I guess all the calls and texts completely drained the battery. I didn’t even know I knew 1,150 people. But it was great just reading those, and listening to the voice mails, as well.

I immediately called my wife, and that was a very happy phone call. I then called my parents in Arkansas. That was special. My parents were 9-to-5 workers. I grew up with nothing. When I was 15, I found out I had scoliosis, so I have a steel rod in my back. It was unlikely I would even play golf, let alone play golf at a high level. I didn’t grow up with the finest things or the nicest clubs. I played at a nine-hole golf course, hit beat-up range balls and practiced at an intramural field hitting shag balls.

And here I was, a PGA TOUR winner, sharing a sweet moment with Mom and Dad.

That night, I watched the replay of the tournament from my hotel room, and it was satisfying to watch without the pressure of doing it. The next morning, after maybe three hours of sleep, I flew to Toronto for a charity golf tournament my friend Brian Mogg was hosting. I had committed to play, and I wasn’t about to back out. Charity has always been a big component of my life as a professional, and I wasn’t about to let down Brian. On the first tee the following morning, I met my group and said, “I just gotta let you know if I don’t play very well, I apologize in advance. I’m still in another world right now.”

They completely understood, and we had a relaxing, great day, laughing and cutting up. I’m so glad I played in Brian’s tournament. It was really a fun time. That night, I again watched the replay on TV of the 2013 Travelers Championship.

The ending hadn’t changed.