ANOTHER Bermuda Open teed off yesterday amid little fuss or fanfare.

An event once billed as the Island?s premier golf tournament ? and maybe in the opinion of some it still is ? has stirred little interest either on these shores or anywhere else.

And with a total purse of just $30,000, some $20,000 less than in recent years, that?s hardly surprising.

Should this year?s winner come from the handful of overseas pros who have entered, he?ll barely cover expenses.

Sadly, the Open these days holds little attraction even for the average club pro on the east coast of the US or members of our own Bermuda Professional Golfers Association, many of whom are conspicuously absent from this year?s tournament.

Some, such as Belmont?s Brian Morris and Darren Swan, have even opted to skip the local event in order to play in the Azores Open which they apparently consider a much more attractive proposition.

It was only last year that former top local pro Kim Swan spoke passionately about the need to reinvent the tournament, to push for a substantial infusion of cash which would considerably raise its profile and make it a worthwhile venture for those players who regularly compete in the Caribbean and along the Eastern Seaboard.

After all, Bermuda still considered itself a golfing destination . . .

Unfortunately, exactly the opposite has happened.

Neither Government nor the corporate sector have shown any interest in pumping up the Open?s profile.

Indeed, if it wasn?t for a generous contribution from Ace Ltd, this year?s tournament might not have got off the ground.

For a country in which golf is considered a major sport ? this very month we have six young amateurs, all products of Bermuda Junior Golf Association, representing the Island at the World Team Championships in Puerto Rico ? it?s a pity the Open has been reduced to an event of such little significance.

If we can host world class sailing (King Edward VII Gold Cup), tennis (XL Open) and rugby (World Rugby Classic), then we should be able to put on a golf tournament representative of the sport?s stature.

In recent years Tucker?s Point and Belmont have both poured millions of dollars into upgrading their courses and Government makes a substantial annual investment in its own three courses, all in the interests of promoting the Island as a golf destination.

The Open, as a showcase tournament, should be one of the main avenues through which that promotion is channelled.

Both professionals and amateurs flying in for the tournament are likely going to play, or at least visit, other courses during their stay and the knock-on effect as they spread the word to their fellow players across the US and Europe is potentially lucrative.

Conversely, an Open with little appeal, has the opposite effect.

When the Open suffers, Bermuda golf in general suffers as well.