Organisers have hailed this year’s Butterfield Bermuda Championship as the “best ever”.

The four day standalone PGA Tour event was well attended throughout, with a record number of spectators showing up for an exciting final round in glorious sunshine on Sunday.

“I think by far this was our most successful year to date,” director Danielle Baiunco, the tournament director, told The Royal Gazette. “Not only with the charitable impact that we will announce in December, but also just with the support of the community and the amount of general-admission spectators.

“This was the largest Sunday we have ever had. We had a great champion so we really could not have asked for a better display over the week to showcase the growth that we have had in the community. We had great crowds and I loved seeing all the families and the children out. I think the things that we did with the Autograph Alley really made for an experience for families.

“Of course we battled the weather. It is Fall in Bermuda but we got a few great days and to end with Sunday being so sunny and so beautiful, I really think that it just made a for a great weekend for the entire island.

“I am really proud of the team and thankful for our vendors, our supporters and all of our partners. I’m just really proud of all the work we have done but we could not have done it without all the support that we have from the Bermuda Tourism Authority and Butterfield Bank.”

Baiunco and her fellow colleagues overcame the obstacles they encountered to ensure the event was a resounding success.

“We always have hiccups, just things that you would never expect to have to deal with,” she added. “But one of the things that I am perhaps most proud about is that no matter what came our team’s way, we handled it without hesitation and without panic, and that’s what makes a successful event but also what makes a successful team in general.

“Nothing that came our way was not handled and ultimately we provided a fantastic product for our partners. Every comment I heard was about what a great year this was and ee’ve seen the growth, the enhancements the team has made and ultimately I think this was a very smooth year.

“We are always in pursuit of perfection for an event. We know that does not exist, but we certainly give it our best try.”

This year saw the continuation of the Butterfield Bermuda Championship Birdies for Charity programme, which raised nearly $650,000 for almost 50 local charities last year.

Various local charities are now poised to benefit from the charity programme, established by the PGA Tour in 1971 as an integral part of many official tournaments to help raise millions of dollars for host communities.

“We will be announcing our charitable impact in December and we are really excited,” Baiunco said.

“As everyone knows this event does support the entire island and everything that we make, everything bottom-linewise, goes back to the island in charitable dollars.

“We are just really excited to announce that number this year and to really just continue to grow in years to come and to try to make it even bigger and better in 2023.”

Irishman Power, the highest ranked player in the field, won the 72-hole championship by a solitary shot to clinch his second PGA Tour title.

Local foursome Michael Sims, Nick Jones, Jarryd Dillas and Kim Swan were among those who did not make the 36-hole cut, including former world No 1 and European Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald and PGA Championship and Open Championship winner John Daly.

Dillas, one of four amateur players in the field, shot an opening round 69 to become the first Bermudian in tournament history to break 70.