Michael:
I remember it moving around from the 3rd week to the 4th week in September and occassionally into the first week of October but I have never seen it moved to before the middle of September.
They're obviously just trying to avoid a schedule conflict with the USGA Middle Amateur which is Sept 25-30. They've very rarely scheduled where they conflict with that tournament since so many of their field play in it. Personally, I think they should get behind it rather than if front of it because I've seen players over the years not compete in the Crump or even pull out of it because they don't want to be tired going into the US Middle Amateur Championship.
In that vein, one time I got completely pummelled by Sigel in the first round of the Crump Cup and on the walk back to the clubhouse he actually conceded the match to me because he said he wanted to rest up for the US Middle Amateur. Technically, within the Rules of Golf, you can't concede a match after it's over but they let him do it anyway even though it did create a bit of a flap at the time.
I actually played on the next day, so I guess technically it was a very rare occurence in golf----eg a match I both lost and then technically won, which is doubly ironic because he beat me worse than I was ever beaten before or since---something like 7 and 6!
You know, thinking back on it, it happened in my very first Crump Cup. I remember because I was in the diningroom when the draw was posted and some of my friends came in and just started laughing at me. When I asked them what was so funny, one said; "You have a good match tomorrow and you should just fly threw it." When I asked who it was one said: "Jay Sigel" and they all started laughing at me again.