Tuesday, September 10, 2002
Kroger event draws estimated 100,000
By Dustin Dow, ddow@enquirer.com
The Cincinnati Enquirer
A week without rain and Arnold Palmer's last official tournament appearance in Cincinnati gave the Kroger Senior Classic its second-highest attendance in the Senior PGA Tour stop's12-year history, according to tournament director Margie French.
French estimated between 100,000 and 105,000 people attended the seven-day event in Maineville.
The first four days were practice rounds andpro-ams, while the 54-hole competition ran Friday to Sunday. French's estimations were based on bus and car counts, and included volunteers.
Even though the weather was hot — in the upper 80s and low 90s — French said the lack of rain was key.
“It was nice out there,” she said. “So people just decided to come out and see the new course.”
The tournament was played at the TPC at River's Bend, a Palmer-designed course, for the first time following an 11-year stint at the Grizzly course at the Golf Center at Kings Island.
In 1991, when Jack Nicklaus, Palmer and Lee Trevino played together in the first round and drew 40,000 in one day, July 5. That boosted the year's attendance to an event-high 120,000.
French said about 30,000 people attended Sunday's final round this year, the second-highest single-day mark. Palmer, who turns 73 today, is retiring from regular playing after this season and said he will probably not play the Kroger Senior Classic again.
French has asked the Senior PGA Tour for the Sept. 1-7 dates for next season's event. The final decision will be made in October.
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Kroger event draws estimated 100,000