The Board of Directors for the Bermuda Golf Association (BGA) has decided to withdraw the Bermuda Open from the 2016 local golf calendar, after efforts to secure sponsorship for the event ultimately proved unsuccessful. In the interim, the Board will channel its efforts toward the development of the sport and expanding the number of players on the Island across all age groups.
BGA President, Craig Brown: “The previous model of running the event on a year-by-year basis just wasn’t sustainable. Over the years, the BGA has needed to make a large financial commitment to stage the Bermuda Open, and given the current financial position of the association, this is no longer a viable option. As such we are disappointed that we will not be able to conduct the event this year.
“This is not a decision that our Board takes lightly; exhaustive efforts were made to find a suitable solution that would have allowed us to keep the tournament on the calendar for this year. However, after an internal review, the Board decided that given the current global trends in golf, our primary responsibility as the governing body of the sport should be on facilitating and assisting the growth and development of the game locally, in particular at the introductory level.
“The BGA has a clear vision for the Bermuda Open moving forward – we believe that a sport’s national championship should be of a standard befitting the title, and as such our Board has undertaken to find a way to revitalize the event for the future. After meeting with key stakeholders, it was agreed that in order to bring the tournament to a higher standard and attract a large quality field, a greater financial commitment than the BGA can provide is required.
“We are fully committed to preserving the rich history of the Bermuda Open. Discussions with local stakeholders including the Bermuda Tourism Authority and overseas entities are ongoing, and we are confident that a collaborative approach will ensure that when the Bermuda Open does return to the calendar it will be a much-improved event of which we can all be proud,” concluded Brown.
