WESTERN OPEN


The 'Western Open', a professional golf tournament, was first played in 1899. At the time of its 2006 playing, the Western Open was the 3rd oldest active PGA Tour tournament, after the British Open (began 1860) and U.S. Open (began 1895). Beginning 2007, the Western Open will be renamed the BMW Championship, part of the FedEx Cup playoff series, and played through 2012 with the PGA Tour's point system as the sole qualification standard. It will not be open to amateurs.
Western Open title sponsors have included Beatrice, Centel, Sprint, Motorola, Advil, Golf Digest and Cialis.

Contents
History
BMW Championship
Winners: 1974-2006
Winners: 1899-1973
External Links

History


The Western Open, founded and run by the 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. 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 1962, the Western Open settled into 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, Illinois. The Dubsdread Course at Cog Hill played host to the Western Open from 1991 to 2006.
In 1899, the prize fund was $150, and the winner's share was $50. In 2006, the purse was $5,000,000, and the winner took home a 1st prize of $900,000.

BMW Championship


In 2007, the Western Open is being renamed - and changed in terms of invitational criteria - by the BMW Championship, part of the four-event FedEx Cup Playoff Series. The Western Golf Association will continue to have input in the running of the tournament.
The BMW Championship is to be played the weekend after Labor Day, and will be the last FedEx Cup playoff event before The Tour Championship. The event will go on a rotation of courses in the Upper Midwest, including Cog Hill Golf & Country Club, Crooked Stick Golf Club in Carmel, Indiana, and Bellerive Country Club in St. Louis, Missouri.

Winners: 1974-2006


'Cialis Western Open'

★ 2006 Trevor Immelman - South Africa

★ 2005 Jim Furyk - United States

★ 2004 Stephen Ames - Trinidad & Tobago / Canada
'100th Western Open presented by Golf Digest'

★ 2003 Tiger Woods - United States
'Advil Western Open'

★ 2002 Jerry Kelly - United States

★ 2001 Scott Hoch - United States

★ 2000 Robert Allenby - Australia
'Motorola Western Open'

★ 1999 Tiger Woods - United States

★ 1998 Joe Durant - United States

★ 1997 Tiger Woods - United States

★ 1996 Steve Stricker - United States

★ 1995 Billy Mayfair - United States

★ 1994 Nick Price - Zimbabwe
'Sprint Western Open'

★ 1993 Nick Price - Zimbabwe
'Centel Western Open'

★ 1992 Ben Crenshaw - United States

★ 1991 Russ Cochran - United States

★ 1990 Wayne Levi - United States
'Beatrice Western Open'

★ 1989 Mark McCumber - United States

★ 1988 Jim Benepe - United States

★ 1987 D. A. Weibring - United States
'Western Open'

★ 1986 Tom Kite - United States

★ 1985 Scott Verplank - United States (amateur)

★ 1984 Tom Watson - United States

★ 1983 Mark McCumber - United States

★ 1982 Tom Weiskopf - United States

★ 1981 Ed Fiori - United States

★ 1980 Scott Simpson - United States

★ 1979 Larry Nelson - United States

★ 1978 Andy Bean - United States

★ 1977 Tom Watson - United States

★ 1976 Al Geiberger - United States

★ 1975 Hale Irwin - United States

★ 1974 Tom Watson - United States

Winners: 1899-1973


YearChampionVenueLocation
1973Billy CasperMidlothian Country ClubMidlothian, Illinois
1972Jim JamiesonSunset Ridge Country ClubNorthfield, Illinois
1971Bruce CramptonOlympia Fields Country ClubOlympia Fields, Illinois
1970Hugh Royer, Jr.Beverly Country ClubChicago, Illinois
1969Billy CasperMidlothian Country ClubMidlothian, Illinois
1968Jack NicklausOlympia Fields Country ClubOlympia Fields, Illinois
1967Jack NicklausBeverly Country ClubChicago, Illinois
1966Billy CasperMedinah Country ClubMedinah, Illinois
1965Billy CasperTam O’Shanter Country ClubNiles, Illinois
1964Chi Chi RodriguezTam O’Shanter Country ClubNiles, Illinois
1963Arnold PalmerBeverly Country ClubChicago, Illinois
1962Jacky CupitMedinah Country ClubMedinah, Illinois
1961Arnold PalmerBlythefield Country ClubBelmont, Michigan
1960Stan LeonardWestern Golf & Country ClubRedford, Michigan
1959Mike SouchakPittsburgh Field ClubPittsburgh, Pennsylvania
1958Doug SandersRed Run Golf ClubRoyal Oak, Michigan
1957Doug FordPlum Hollow Country ClubSouthfield, Michigan
1956Mike FetchickPresidio Golf ClubSan Francisco, California
1955Cary MiddlecoffPortland Golf ClubPortland, Oregon
1954Lloyd MangrumKenwood Country ClubCincinnati, Ohio
1953E.J. "Dutch" HarrisonBellerive Country ClubSaint Louis, Missouri
1952Lloyd MangrumWestwood Country ClubSaint Louis, Missouri
1951Marty FurgolDavenport Country ClubPleasant Valley, Iowa
1950Sam SneadBrentwood Country ClubLos Angeles, California
1949Sam SneadKeller Golf CourseSaint Paul, Minnesota
1948Ben HoganBrookfield Country ClubClarence, New York
1947Johnny PalmerSalt Lake City Country ClubSalt Lake City, Utah
1946Ben HoganSunset Country ClubSaint Louis, Missouri
1945''Cancelled due to World War II''
1944''Cancelled due to World War II''
1943''Cancelled due to World War II''
1942Herman BarronPhoenix Golf ClubPhoenix, Arizona
1941Ed OliverPhoenix Golf ClubPhoenix, Arizona
1940Jimmy DemaretRiver Oaks Country ClubHouston, Texas
1939Byron NelsonMedinah Country ClubMedinah, Illinois
1938Ralph GuldahlWestwood Country ClubSaint Louis, Missouri
1937Ralph GuldahlCanterbury Golf ClubBeachwood, Ohio
1936Ralph GuldahlDavenport Country ClubPleasant Valley, Iowa
1935Johnny RevoltaSouth Bend Country ClubSouth Bend, Indiana
1934Harry CooperCountry Club of PeoriaPeoria Heights, Illinois
1933Macdonald SmithOlympia Fields Country ClubOlympia Fields, Illinois
1932Walter HagenCanterbury Golf ClubBeachwood, Ohio
1931Ed DudleyMiami Valley Golf ClubDayton, Ohio
1930Gene SarazenIndianwood Golf & Country ClubLake Orion, Michigan
1929Tommy ArmourOzaukee Country ClubMequon, Wisconsin
1928Abe EspinosaNorth Shore Country ClubGlenview, Illinois
1927Walter HagenOlympia Fields Country ClubOlympia Fields, Illinois
1926Walter HagenHighland Golf & Country ClubIndianapolis, Indiana
1925Macdonald SmithYoungstown Country ClubYoungstown, Ohio
1924Bill MehlhornCalumet Country ClubHomewood, Illinois
1923Jock HutchisonColonial Country ClubCordova, Tennessee
1922Mike BradyOakland Hills Country ClubBloomfield Hills, Michigan
1921Walter HagenOakwood ClubCleveland, Ohio
1920Jock HutchisonOlympia Fields Country ClubOlympia Fields, Illinois
1919Jim BarnesMayfield Country ClubCleveland, Ohio
1918''Cancelled due to World War I''
1917Jim BarnesWestmoreland Country ClubWilmette, Illinois
1916Walter HagenBlue Mound Golf & Country ClubMilwaukee, Wisconsin
1915Tom McNamaraGlen Oak Golf ClubGlen Ellyn, Illinois
1914Jim BarnesInterlachen Country ClubMinneapolis, Minnesota
1913John McDermottMemphis Country ClubMemphis, Tennessee
1912Macdonald SmithIdlewild Country ClubFlossmoor, Illinois
1911Robert SimpsonKent Country ClubGrand Rapids, Michigan
1910Chick Evans (Am)Beverly Country ClubChicago, Illinois
1909Willie AndersonSkokie Country ClubGlencoe, Illinois
1908Willie AndersonNormandie Golf ClubSaint Louis, Missouri
1907Robert SimpsonHinsdale Golf ClubClarendon Hills, Illinois
1906Alex SmithHomewood Country ClubFlossmoor, Illinois
1905Arthur SmithCincinnati Golf ClubCincinnati, Ohio
1904Willie AndersonKent Country ClubGrand Rapids, Michigan
1903Alex SmithMilwaukee Country ClubRiver Hills, Wisconsin
1902Willie AndersonEuclid ClubCleveland Heights, Ohio
1901Laurie AuchterlonieMidlothian Country ClubMidlothian, Illinois
1900''No tournament''
1899Willie SmithGlen View ClubGolf, Illinois

External Links



Official site

Coverage on the PGA Tour's official site

Western Open results from 1970 to 2006 - Winners, Finishers, Scores and Earnings - includes 2007-and-after results of the BMW Championship

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