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- Western Open redirects here. There is also a BMW Championship on the European Tour; see BMW Championship (European Tour). For the former women's tournament, see Western Open (women's golf).
The BMW Championship, previously known as the Western Open, is the second oldest professional golf tournament in the United States after the U.S. Open. It was founded in 1899 and that year the prize fund was $150, out of which the winner received $50. Like the U.S. Open, in its early days it was usually won by visiting professionals from the United Kingdom. In its early decades it was regarded by some as a major championship, although this designation was unofficial and it is never included in tallies of golfers' major championship wins nowadays. It is a regular stop on the PGA Tour.
From the event's inception until 1961, it was played at a variety of midwestern golf courses (with a handful of exceptions). Beginning in 1962, the event settled into the Chicago area, being played at different courses in and around the city. In 1974, the event began a stretch of close to two decades being played exclusively at Butler National Golf Club in Oak Brook, Illinois, staying there through the 1990 event. Since 1991, the host club has been Cog Hill Golf & Country Club in Lemont, Illinois. It is currently played in late June or early July; however, it will be moved to the weekend after Labor Day in 2007, and will be the last FedEx Cup playoff event before The Tour Championship. The event will also be renamed the BMW Championship as part this restructuring, and also will go on a rotation of courses in the Upper Midwest, including Cog Hill, Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota, Crooked Stick Golf Club in Carmel, Indiana, and Bellerive Country Club in St. Louis, Missouri.
Beginning in 1987, the tournament has borne a sponsorship name. The last sponsor of the event as the Western Open was Eli Lilly and Company's Cialis brand of tadalafil.
[edit] Winners
Cialis Western Open
100th Western Open presented by Golf Digest
Advil Western Open
Motorola Western Open
Sprint Western Open
Centel Western Open
Beatrice Western Open
Western Open
[edit] Winners During Period Tournament Moved
| Year |
Champion |
Venue |
Location |
| 1973 |
Billy Casper |
Midlothian Country Club |
Midlothian, Illinois |
| 1972 |
Jim Jamieson |
Sunset Ridge Country Club |
Northfield, Illinois |
| 1971 |
Bruce Crampton |
Olympia Fields Country Club |
Olympia Fields, Illinois |
| 1970 |
Hugh Royer, Jr. |
Beverly Country Club |
Chicago, Illinois |
| 1969 |
Billy Casper |
Midlothian Country Club |
Midlothian, Illinois |
| 1968 |
Jack Nicklaus |
Olympia Fields Country Club |
Olympia Fields, Illinois |
| 1967 |
Jack Nicklaus |
Beverly Country Club |
Chicago, Illinois |
| 1966 |
Billy Casper |
Medinah Country Club |
Medinah, Illinois |
| 1965 |
Billy Casper |
Tam O’Shanter Country Club |
Niles, Illinois |
| 1964 |
Chi Chi Rodriguez |
Tam O’Shanter Country Club |
Niles, Illinois |
| 1963 |
Arnold Palmer |
Beverly Country Club |
Chicago, Illinois |
| 1962 |
Jacky Cupit |
Medinah Country Club |
Medinah, Illinois |
| 1961 |
Arnold Palmer |
Blythefield Country Club |
Belmont, Michigan |
| 1960 |
Stan Leonard |
Western Golf & Country Club |
Redford, Michigan |
| 1959 |
Mike Souchak |
Pittsburgh Field Club |
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
| 1958 |
Doug Sanders |
Red Run Country Club |
Royal Oak, Michigan |
| 1957 |
Doug Ford |
Plum Hollow Country Club |
Southfield, Michigan |
| 1956 |
Mike Fetchick |
Presidio Golf Club |
San Francisco, California |
| 1955 |
Cary Middlecoff |
Portland Golf Club |
Portland, Oregon |
| 1954 |
Lloyd Mangrum |
Kenwood Country Club |
Cincinnati, Ohio |
| 1953 |
E.J. "Dutch" Harrison |
Bellerive Country Club |
Saint Louis, Missouri |
| 1952 |
Lloyd Mangrum |
Westwood Country Club |
Saint Louis, Missouri |
| 1951 |
Marty Furgol |
Davenport Country Club |
Pleasant Valley, Iowa |
| 1950 |
Sam Snead |
Brentwood Country Club |
Los Angeles, California |
| 1949 |
Sam Snead |
Keller Golf Course |
Saint Paul, Minnesota |
| 1948 |
Ben Hogan |
Brookfield Country Club |
Clarence, New York |
| 1947 |
Johnny Palmer |
Salt Lake City Country Club |
Salt Lake City, Utah |
| 1946 |
Ben Hogan |
Sunset Country Club |
Saint Louis, Missouri |
| 1945 |
Cancelled due to World War II |
| 1944 |
Cancelled due to World War II |
| 1943 |
Cancelled due to World War II |
| 1942 |
Herman Barron |
Phoenix Golf Club |
Phoenix, Arizona |
| 1941 |
Ed Oliver |
Phoenix Golf Club |
Phoenix, Arizona |
| 1940 |
Jimmy Demaret |
River Oaks Country Club |
Houston, Texas |
| 1939 |
Byron Nelson |
Medinah Country Club |
Medinah, Illinois |
| 1938 |
Ralph Guldahl |
Westwood Country Club |
Saint Louis, Missouri |
| 1937 |
Ralph Guldahl |
Canterbury Golf Club |
Beachwood, Ohio |
| 1936 |
Ralph Guldahl |
Davenport Country Club |
Pleasant Valley, Iowa |
| 1935 |
Johnny Revolta |
South Bend Country Club |
South Bend, Indiana |
| 1934 |
Harry Cooper |
Country Club of Peoria |
Peoria Heights, Illinois |
| 1933 |
Macdonald Smith |
Olympia Fields Country Club |
Olympia Fields, Illinois |
| 1932 |
Walter Hagen |
Canterbury Golf Club |
Beachwood, Ohio |
| 1931 |
Ed Dudley |
Miami Valley Golf Club |
Dayton, Ohio |
| 1930 |
Gene Sarazen |
Indianwood Golf & Country Club |
Lake Orion, Michigan |
| 1929 |
Tommy Armour |
Ozaukee Country Club |
Mequon, Wisconsin |
| 1928 |
Abe Espinosa |
North Shore Country Club |
Glenview, Illinois |
| 1927 |
Walter Hagen |
Olympia Fields Country Club |
Olympia Fields, Illinois |
| 1926 |
Walter Hagen |
Highland Golf & Country Club |
Indianapolis, Indiana |
| 1925 |
Macdonald Smith |
Youngstown Country Club |
Youngstown, Ohio |
| 1924 |
Bill Mehlhorn |
Calumet Country Club |
Homewood, Illinois |
| 1923 |
Jock Hutchison |
Colonial Country Club |
Cordova, Tennessee |
| 1922 |
Mike Brady |
Oakland Hills Country Club |
Bloomfield Hills, Michigan |
| 1921 |
Walter Hagen |
Oakwood Club |
Cleveland, Ohio |
| 1920 |
Jock Hutchison |
Olympia Fields Country Club |
Olympia Fields, Illinois |
| 1919 |
Jim Barnes |
Mayfield Country Club |
Cleveland, Ohio |
| 1918 |
Cancelled due to World War I |
| 1917 |
Jim Barnes |
Westmoreland Country Club |
Wilmette, Illinois |
| 1916 |
Walter Hagen |
Blue Mound Golf & Country Club |
Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
| 1915 |
Tom McNamara |
Glen Oak Golf Club |
Glen Ellyn, Illinois |
| 1914 |
Jim Barnes |
Interlachen Country Club |
Minneapolis, Minnesota |
| 1913 |
John McDermott |
Memphis Country Club |
Memphis, Tennessee |
| 1912 |
Macdonald Smith |
Idlewild Country Club |
Flossmoor, Illinois |
| 1911 |
Robert Simpson |
Kent Country Club |
Grand Rapids, Michigan |
| 1910 |
Chick Evans (Am) |
Beverly Counry Club |
Chicago, Illinois |
| 1909 |
Willie Anderson |
Skokie Country Club |
Glencoe, Illinois |
| 1908 |
Willie Anderson |
Normandie Golf Club |
Saint Louis, Missouri |
| 1907 |
Robert Simpson |
Hinsdale Golf Club |
Clarendon Hills, Illinois |
| 1906 |
Alex Smith |
Homewood Country Club |
Flossmoor, Illinois |
| 1905 |
Arthur Smith |
Cincinnati Golf Club |
Cincinnati, Ohio |
| 1904 |
Willie Anderson |
Kent Country Club |
Grand Rapids, Michigan |
| 1903 |
Alex Smith |
Milwaukee Country Club |
River Hills, Wisconsin |
| 1902 |
Willie Anderson |
Euclid Club |
Cleveland Heights, Ohio |
| 1901 |
Laurie Auchterlonie |
Midlothian Country Club |
Midlothian, Illinois |
| 1900 |
No tournament |
| 1899 |
Willie Smith |
Glen View Club |
Golf, Illinois |
[edit] External links
