With the world sliding more deeply every day into financial crisis and the US already in a recession, we approached this year's US Open with some trepidation. Our attendance is a major factor in making the event a success and we are very happy to report that our attendance this year was actually up form last year. The gate is how we recoup approximately one-half of the $150,000 it cost to produce the US Open and, as I said, we were very concerned about this year that we could fall short of the mark in this troubled economy. We thank all of our loyal fans for their support. We know they have a choice of which events to attend and the fact that they chose us is very much appreciated. This gives me the inspiration to make next year's US Open (which will be our 34th annual event) the best one to date. Plans are underway! I am already contacting sponsors personally to create a bigger and better US Open for the future.
Those of you who know me know that I do this event out of my passion for the game and the players. This year, I was very happy to see contingents from foreign soils such as Kuwait and the Philippines join our field. Hopefully, the actions we are taking to encourage their participation will mean that next year we can reach the goal of a full field of 256 players. So again, let me just say thanks to all of our players and our fans, both new and old and take this opportunity to wish you all a very happy holiday season. May you all have a 2009 filled with happiness and good health and we look forward to seeing you back in Chesapeake next October 18th-24th!
