Hartford Attendance

Jeff Jacobs in the Harford Courant:

This used to be the annual state fair, and it can be again.

There were an estimated 305,000 for four days as late as 2002. In 1994, there were 322,000, and the following year 300,000. It always was more than 200,000.

In 2004, it had dropped to a four-day total of 150,000. Last year, it was 80,000.

Tournament officials don't release attendance figures until the end of the event these days, but before the numbers come out, here's the unofficial first-round count for Thursday.

Dismal.

The attendance was much better on Saturday, definite sparks of glory, a harbinger of good things, but still not like in past years. We've seen 80,000, 90,000, 100,000 for a single weekend round. They couldn't have all been freebies. Those are mind-boggling numbers matched only by the tournament in Phoenix, which, incidentally, is the only place where Henry previously has played in the final group on a Sunday.