Justin Rose returned for his eighth Travelers Championship on Wednesday, looking equal parts tired, elated, focused and relieved. Rose turned pro in 1998, the day after a fourth-place finish as an amateur at The British Open. When I look back on my career, Rose added, I can say I did that. Hell, every golfer hopes to win multiple majors, the ultimate validation. [...] a few months before the 2010 Memorial Tournament, Rose, searching for that elusive major victory, visited Gio Valiante, a Florida-based sports psychologist who grew up in Naugatuck. Rose controlled the 2010 Memorial, finishing 18-under par, three strokes better than runner-up Rickie Fowler. [...] was last year's Ryder Cup, where he got the best of Phil Mickelson. Since the Memorial, Rose has four wins and 13 top-five finishes. Sunday was the final confirmation: A 17-year-old prodigy had grown, slowly, into everything he was supposed to become. Rose spoke of his father, of his text conversation with 2013 Masters champion Adam Scott, of a "depth of confidence" that's been learned. Today, Rose carries himself with composure, with the "quiet confidence of a champion golfer," as Valiante put it. [...] with the label "champion golfer" comes all the other stuff:

[...] recently, the event has seen more than its share of top European players committing to play in the tournament --before they head back across the pond to prepare for the British Open. At the 2013 Travelers, newly crowned U.S. Open champ Justin Rose of England, the No. 3 player in the world rankings, is here, along with England's Lee Westwood (No. 12). [...] Ian Poulter of England (No. 18), Sweden's Carl Pettersson (No. 42), Colsaerts of Belgium (No. 43), Sweden's Jacobson (No. 57) and Ireland's Padraig Harrington (No. 65) are just some of the top Europeans playing at the TPC River Highlands. "The last time I was here, I was a member of the (PGA) Tour, but this time, I'm living in the States," he said. Normally after the U.S. Open, I would go home to Europe and play in the Irish Open, the French Open, the British Open, things like that. [...] this year, having moved to the States (Westwood lives in West Palm Beach, Fla.), it makes it easier for me to stay on after the U.S. Open and play this event. The way I prepared for the U.S. Open, only getting there Tuesday night was intentional to play well at the U.S. Open, but I knew I was also playing two tournaments on the back end of the U.S. Open as well. [...] like Rose, he's using the Travelers as the middle of a three-week string of PGA Tour events. The Travelers is Colsaerts' 13th PGA Tour event of the season in addition to playing seven events on the European Tour. The first time Poulter came here in 2011, he played because he needed to play.

After enduring a grueling week at the U.S. Open, Hunter Mahan is ready to kick back, relax and let the birdies fly at TPC River Highlands. Casting aside the grind of a U.S. Open, Mahan has plenty of reasons to feel good about teeing it up at the Travelers Championship, starting with his 2007 tournament win here -- the first victory of his PGA career -- in a one-hole playoff against Jay Williamson. On Sunday, Mahan was paired in the final group with Phil Mickelson at Merion. While every golfer strives to be in the final pairing of the tournament, being paired with Mickelson or a Tiger Woods there can take some adjustment. Even though Mahan shot 75 in the final round of the U.S. Open, he brings no bad mojo with him to his next Tour stop.

Not only is he regarded as one of the world's top competitors, he is also a member of the PGA Tour's first boy band, Golf Boys, with Ben Crane, Hunter Mahan and Bubba Watson. Fowler, sporting his own Puma hat Wednesday, looked very relaxed during his scheduled news conference. Fowler is making his first appearance at the Travelers Championship -- third overall -- since finishing tied for 13th in 2010 at 10-under. Fowler, who turned pro in 2009 and has earned $9,855,949 in his career, is 46th on the money list in 2013 ($1,227,724) in 14 tournaments. [...] one of our toughest majors, the U.S. Open, to come to a place where possibly you could get back into the swing of things and get used to the week to week life on the PGA Tour where there's some more birdies to be made than bogeys.''

TPC River Highlands (6,841 yards, par-70), Cromwell Justin Rose (No. 3), Lee Westwood (No. 12), Keegan Bradley (No. 14), Bubba Watson (No. 19), Ian Poulter (No. 18), Jason Dufner (No. 17) Fredrik Jacobson (2011), Bubba Watson (2010), Kenny Perry (2009), Stewart Cink (2008), Hunter Mahan (2007), J.J. Henry (2006) Mobile phones and PDAs are allowed on site but must be kept in silent mode and must be used in accordance with posted media device policy. Coolers, backpacks, chair bags, large purses, bags, food or beverage are not permitted.