[tlavin]

An article from the Chicago Tribune reports that the PGA tour may have agreed to move the BMW Championship (nee Western Open) to San Francisco after 2010.  This would signal the death knell of the century-old Western as we know it, which is already on life support in the wake of the PGA's decision to move the tournament out of Chicago on alternate years (to St. Louis and Indy).

Does anybody out there care?  

Here's the link:

http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sports/golf/cs-0702120072feb12,1,7134020.story

[John Kavanaugh]

Speaking as a midwesterner who lives closer to Indy and St. Louis than Chicago I can safely say that no one cares.  We are happy to play golf and watch baseball and football.  Championship that is...

[tlavin]

Speaking as a midwesterner who lives closer to Indy and St. Louis than Chicago I can safely say that no one cares.  We are happy to play golf and watch baseball and football.  Championship that is...

Okay, I'll take that as a well-aimed broadside at the Bears who were humbled by the team from Kentucky, er, Indianapolis, in the Super Bowl.

But seriously folks, does anybody care about the Western Open?  I would like to think that true golf fans and people who care about caddies (the Evans Scholars Foundation is the beneficiary) would care about the denouement of this tournament.

[John Kavanaugh]

Terry,

Don't forget about the Cardinals.  Seriously, I don't think anyone cares about watching golf anymore.  note:  I went to the Western Open on my honeymoon when it was at Butler.  Times have changed.

[jeffwarne]

The Western Open is/was a great event on the PGA Tour.

Sadly it appears to be a victim of the new PGA Tour.

Maybe someone's watching it. All I know is I used to be an avid fan. As of last year I pronounced it unwatchable due to commercial interruptions.
This year, without the Golf Channel my choice has been made for me most weeks.
CBS's Saturday coverage was the worst I've ever seen.
I didn't even bother Sunday.

I may be out of touch, but I'm not watching-and I'm stuck in the northeast with little to do on a Sunday afternoon.

The Western's fate may be similar to the PGA Tour's fate ,but I'm probably just out of touch.
And by the way, I think the talent level is the highest it's ever been on TOUR.

[JESII]

Terry

I can't get to the link, but tell me something. Wasn't the heritage of the Western a rotating event? When did it "settle down" in Chicago? Isn't it possible that the event will still benefit (possibly significantly) other worthy charities as it has the Evans Trust?

Don't get me wrong, if it were my vote 100%, I would leave the Western in Chicago...or at the very least play it in Chicago the way the R&A plays the Open at St. Andrews...move it around, but Chicago gets the most play. That being said, who's to say the event in San Francisco will not be a tremendous success. From my seat here in Philadelphia I would say they are the two leading candidates as a home for the Western Open...and let's be honest, it is the Western Open, not the BMW...

[SL_Solow]

The point is; its not the Western Open anymore.  Its part of the new Fed Ex Cup and the Western name has been removed.  Too hard to get a sponsor if you have to share the name with one of the oldest tournaments extant.  The WGA was not consulted about the schedule or name change.  However the Evans Scholar Foundation remained the principal charity.  It will be interesting to learn whether that remains true if the tournament goes to San Francisco.

Clearly Finchem et al have no regard for history or for the sponsors who have helped build the tour.  Time will tell if this new strategy works.  But now that Jack Vickers has folded his tent and the old Western July 4 dates are available why not reinstate the Western in Chicago and move this new tourney around to a lot of other places.  The tour pros love coming to Chicago every year and generally praise Cog Hill.

[John Kavanaugh]

Shel,

I'm surprised that the pros would love Chicago around July 4th.  It just seems too sweaty to me.  I bet Tiger would rather be in San Fran that time of year.  Who wouldn't.

[SL_Solow]

Tiger comes every year and says it is one of his favorites.  Also, the new tourney has been moved to Sept., admittedly a great time of year in northern Cal.

[John Kavanaugh]

Sept in Chicago is as fine as weather can get, my mistake.

[John_Cullum]

Dropping the title "Western Open" is the thing that irks me the most out of the PGA Tour chnages. I always looked at the Western Open as a very high second tier event, probably just behind TPC in my order of priorities to win. I could live with it moving around, and San Fran is definitely part of West, but it seems idiotic for BMW to not want to sponsor the BMW Western Open.

[John Kavanaugh]

I lost interest in the event when it moved to Cog Hill.  I'm having trouble getting past the fact that Tiger says it was one of his favorites.  I know that if I was running the tour I would be having back room meetings with Tiger's people and the sponsors and getting at the truth of the matter.  I know that if I was Tiger I would tell the tour where and when I wanted to play.  I guess I'm cynical.

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

It may be a great time of year in California but it is a dead period on the tour. I am not sure the Fed Ex cup bs will ever fly like they want it too.  

[SL_Solow]

Attendance is always great at the end of June/start of July.  I wonder how they'll do at the start of the football season and during the baseball pennant races, particularly if my beloved Sox continue to contend and/or the wretched north siders ever resurface.

[Bill_McBride]

I thought the Cialis Western Open was an up and coming event!  

[Philippe Binette]

too bad every tradition of the game is being blasted away by corporate suitcase carriers...

would the WGA dissociate from the tour and keep the western open going..with a weaker field.

to me FedEx cup is a total mess up...

I don't care about it
Most people don't care about it
Tiger doesn't care about it

why have a complicated point system that would give a champion of Tied for 4th all year long win 10 M$...

Money leaders was good enough for me

[David_Tepper]

Sorry boys, but the Western Open (now the BMW) has been held in San Francisco before. It has not always been held in the Chicago-land area.

In 1956, it was held at the Presidio GC in San Francisco. It was won by Mike Fetchik and the score, relative to par, was higher than you might have thought.

[PThomas]

Finchem really can't be considering abandoning Chicago permanently, can he?

that would be so silly that even he can't be considering it, right?

what are we missing?  the third biggest city in the country whose tournament has always drawn great crowds....not having a tournament???

this is straight out of the Twilight Zone

a golden opportunity for the LPGA, if THAT commissioner is awake at the wheel

[John Kavanaugh]

a golden opportunity for the LPGA, if THAT commissioner is awake at the wheel

Don't even think of insulting Carolyn Bivens, implied or not.  I'm pumped for the LPGA.  I would have to sneek out of the house and not tell my wife but I would go to an LPGA event at the drop of a hat.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/golf/lpga/2007-02-13-lpga-cover_x.htm

[PThomas]

a golden opportunity for the LPGA, if THAT commissioner is awake at the wheel

Don't even think of insulting Carolyn Bivens, implied or not.  I'm pumped for the LPGA.  I would have to sneek out of the house and not tell my wife but I would go to an LPGA event at the drop of a hat.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/golf/lpga/2007-02-13-lpga-cover_x.htm

Ms. Bivins had some missteps last year, in case you aren't aware
Chicago seems like a great opportunity for her....let's she if she makes it happen

[John Kavanaugh]

Please name one misstep she has made.  The LPGA is the finest run professional sport in the world.  I might guess it is the only one showing respectable growth with little turmoil amongst the athletes.

[PThomas]

Please name one misstep she has made.  The LPGA is the finest run professional sport in the world.  I might guess it is the only one showing respectable growth with little turmoil amongst the athletes.

for one, there was something last year when she wouldn't allow certain agnecies to take pictures at an event

[John Kavanaugh]

Please name one misstep she has made.  The LPGA is the finest run professional sport in the world.  I might guess it is the only one showing respectable growth with little turmoil amongst the athletes.

for one, there was something last year when she wouldn't allow certain agnecies to take pictures at an event

That is genius.  The success of the LPGA depends on controlling the images we see.

[Bill Shamleffer]

Terry,

I agree with your concerns 100%.  As a former St. Louisan, and friend of many Evans Scholar alumni from both Chicago and St. Louis, what the PGA is doing to the Western is a disgrace.

I am aware of the history of the Western Open traveling around the country, however, at that time Chicago also had other PGA tournaments, such as George May's old tournament.  Also, Chicago is one of the great golf and sports cities in the country.

If having the Evans Scholar charity being a FedEx event will generate more money for this great scholarship, then let it stay that way.  But, Chicago should ALWAYS have a PGA event, and this should be a must for Finchem.

Second, unfortunately Bivens does not yet appear to be on the ball.  The LPGA really should get a quality tournament in Chicago.  And it should not be at some new course in a housing development 90 minutes outside of the city.  Instead they should try to get on one of the great old Chicago courses.

[Kalen Braley]

Shel,

I'm surprised that the pros would love Chicago around July 4th.  It just seems too sweaty to me.  I bet Tiger would rather be in San Fran that time of year.  Who wouldn't.

I'm not going to quote the famous quote that has been wrongly attributed to Mark Twain, but I'm sure you all know it.

But summer is often the worst time to be in San Fran, weather wise.  With the thick fog that chills right to the bone, they will be wearing thick sweaters and beanie caps while playing in July. Its a trip.

Meanwhile only a short drive away in San Jose or Concord (distance-wise, not time-wise), it'll be in the high 90s or even 100s.

[Tags:]

Tags:

[Tags:]

Tags:

Call to undefined function theme_linktree()