Sony Open TV ratings down, but attendance up

Advertiser Staff

As Michelle Wie goes, so go the Sony Open in Hawai'i television ratings?

Ratings for the 2005 event, in which Wie hardly challenged to make the cut, were down slightly from 2004, when Wie went down to the final hole of the second day with a chance to make the cut and history.

Five-day attendance (including the Wednesday pro-am and Thursday-through-Sunday tournament) at the Waialae Country Club was just under 56,000, according to tournament officials. Last year's tournament drew 51,717 for the five days, a 47-percent increase from 2003 when Wie did not participate.

An ESPN spokesman said the four-day ratings on ESPN averaged a 1.0 in 2004 (838,000 households) but a 0.9 (783,000 households) in 2005.

The ratings on ESPN2, which showed a two-hour block on Thursday, were an 0.6 (547,000 households).

No female has made the cut in a PGA Tour event since Babe Didrikson Zaharias at the 1945 Tucson Open.

Wie missed the 2004 cut by one stroke with an even-par 140. This year she shot 9-over 149.