
From 1998-2010, the final US Open warmup tournament was called the “Pilot Pen”.
In its heyday as a joint event in 2005 it drew more than 100,000.
But the men left for Winston-Salem in 2010 when the title sponsor departed. Crowds are small, and tournament director Anne Person Worcester says the event can’t survive any longer without a title sponsor.
According to the New Haven Register, they need it now. Tournament staff is being laid off.
The event needs a better date earlier in the summer. Or they might sell the “Premier” designation and continue as an International-level event.
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