The host Thunderbirds on Monday announced that the tournament raised $4.3 million for charity.
That was half as much as 2008 when the Open set a tournament and PGA Tour record of $8.6 million for charity. The Open has raised $66 million for charity since its inception in 1932, including almost $38 million the past six years. The nonprofit Thunderbirds will meet in September to decide which groups will receive charitable donations. In recent years, the group has donated to Special Olympics, St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance, Boy Scouts of America, Foundation for the Blind and the Arizona Science Center. The 2010 Open will be played nearly a month later than usual from Feb. 22-28 and will not coincide with the Super Bowl, which should help attendance on the final day of the tournament.
The Open is hoping to attract additional players, including Tiger Woods, next year because the Accenture Match Play Championship will be played in the Tucson area the previous week.