Western Open
| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Location |
Greater Chicago area (1962–2006) |
| Established | 1899, 116 years ago |
| Course(s) |
Cog Hill Golf & Country Club, Dubsdread Course (1991–2006) |
| Par | 71 in 2006 |
| Length | 7,326 yards (6,699 m)[1] |
| Organized by | Western Golf Association |
| Tour(s) | PGA Tour |
| Prize fund |
$5 million (2006)[1] $150 (1899) |
| Final year | 2006 |
| Defunct |
renamed BMW Championship in 2007 |
| Final champion | |
 Trevor Immelman | |
G&CC
G&CC
The Western Open was a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour, first played in 1899 at the Glen View Club in Golf, Illinois. At the time of its final edition in 2006, the Western Open was the third oldest active PGA Tour tournament, after the British Open (1860) and U.S. Open (1895).
Beginning in 2007, the Western Open was renamed the BMW Championship, part of the FedEx Cup playoff series, and played with the PGA Tour's point system as the sole qualification standard. It is not open to amateurs.
Western Open title sponsors have included Beatrice, Centel, Sprint, Motorola, Advil, Golf Digest, and Cialis.
History
The Western Open, founded and run by the Western Golf Association, was first played in 1899. Like the U.S. Open, in its early days it was usually won by visiting professionals from the United Kingdom, or by immigrant pros from the British Isles. In its early decades it was widely regarded as a major championship, although this designation was unofficial and it is generally not included in tallies of golfers' major championship wins.
From the event's inception until 1961, it was played at a variety of midwestern locations, as well as places such as Arizona (Phoenix), Utah (Salt Lake City) and California (San Francisco, Los Angeles). In 1923, the Western Open was held at the Colonial Country Club in Memphis, Tennessee.
Beginning in 1962, the Western Open settled within the Chicago, Illinois area, being played at different courses in and around the city. In 1974, the Western Open found an annual home at the Butler National Golf Club in Oak Brook, Illinois. It stayed this way until shortly after the 1990 tournament, when the PGA Tour adopted a policy of holding events only at clubs which allowed minorities and women to be members. This resulted in Butler National being replaced by the Cog Hill Golf & Country Club in Lemont, southwest of Chicago. Its Dubsdread Course hosted the Western Open from 1991 to 2006.
In 1899, the prize fund was $150, and Willie Smith's winner's share was fifty dollars. The purse in 2006 was $5 million, with $900,000 to the final winner, Trevor Immelman.
During the second round of the 1975 tournament, Lee Trevino and Jerry Heard were struck by lightning on the 13th green of Butler National while waiting out a rain delay. Also struck at other parts of the course were Bobby Nichols, Jim Ahern, and Tony Jacklin.[2][3]
BMW Championship
In 2007, the Western Open was renamed—and changed in terms of invitational criteria—to the BMW Championship, part of the four-event FedEx Cup Playoff Series. The Western Golf Association continues to run the tournament. The BMW Championship is played the weekend after Labor Day, and is the last FedEx Cup playoff event before The Tour Championship.
Winners: 1974–2006
|
Cialis Western Open
100th Western Open
Advil Western Open
Motorola Western Open
Sprint Western Open
|
Beatrice Western Open
Western Open
|
Winners: 1899–1973
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Scoreboard: PGA Tour". Eugene Register-Guard. July 10, 2006. p. D4.
- ↑ "Lightning hits Trevino, 4 other golfers". Milwaukee Journal. press dispatches. June 28, 1975. p. 11.
- ↑ "Lightning is a big shocker for 3 golfers". Miami News. Chicago Daily News Service. June 28, 1975. p. 3B.
External links
Coordinates: 41°40′37″N 87°57′07″W / 41.677°N 87.952°W