For decades, women played their first (of two) green clay tournaments in April, at the Bausch & Lomb Championships in Amelia Island, Florida. Then, when Bausch & Lomb was no longer legally permitted to entertain physicians at the event, the company withdrew its sponsorship. The tournament was taken over by the MPS Group, and it was moved to Ponte Vedra Beach. Now, because of tour re-scheduling, the sponsors have decided to cancel the the event altogether. The tournament, in some form or other, has been held for 31 years.
The tour suggested that the tournament be moved to February or to some time during the summer. However, challenges regarding weather and court surface have resulted in the event's demise. The Sony Ericsson WTA Tour hopes to create a new tournament in the U.S.
Wouldn't it be funny if Hilton Head got another shot at hosting a WTA event :) I would go as long as the Heritage of Golf isn't going on at the same time.
ReplyDeleteI didn't think of that. I suppose it's possible. Reading between the lines, it sounds as though the tour wants to keep two clay tournaments.
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