Western Open

Template:Short description Template:Confused Template:More footnotes Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox golf tournament The Western Open was a professional golf tournament in the United States, for most of its history an event on the PGA Tour.

The tournament's founding in 1899 actually pre-dated the start of the Tour, which is generally dated from 1916, the year the PGA of America was founded. The Western Open, organized by the Western Golf Association, was first played in September 1899 at the Glen View Club in Golf, Illinois, the week preceding the U.S. Open. At the time of its final edition in 2006, it was the third-oldest active PGA Tour tournament, after The Open (1860) and U.S. Open (1895). The tournament was held a total of 103 times over the course of 108 years. The event was not held in 1900, 1918 (World War I), and 1943–45 (World War II). Players from the U.S. won the tournament 77 times, followed by Scotland with fifteen wins. Walter Hagen had the most victories with five, and seventeen others won the event at least twice. The champions' list includes two amateurs: Chick Evans in 1910 and Scott Verplank in 1985.

Beginning in 2007, the Western Open was renamed the BMW Championship, the penultimate event of the FedEx Cup playoff series. Played with the PGA Tour's point system as the sole qualification standard, it is no longer open to amateurs.

Title sponsorship was introduced in 1987, and 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 in Illinois at the Glen View Club in Golf, a northern suburb of Chicago Like the U.S. Open, in its early days it was almost exclusively won by immigrant golf professionals from the British Isles, most of whom gained full citizenship to the United States. In its early decades it was widely regarded as one of the premier golf tournaments in the USA, along with other notables of the day like the North and South Open, the PGA Championship and the Shawnee Open.

The Western Golf Association was, in some ways, and for some years, something of a rival to the United States Golf Association, especially in the midwestern and western sections of the country.

From the event's inception through 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, it was held in Tennessee at the Colonial Country Club in Memphis.

Beginning in 1962, the Western Open settled within the Chicago metropolitan area and was held at a variety of courses through 1973. In 1974, it found an annual home at the Butler National Golf Club in Oak Brook, a western suburb. It was played here through 1990, when the PGA Tour adopted a policy of holding events only at clubs which allowed minorities and women to be members. It moved in 1991 to Cog Hill Golf & Country Club in Lemont, southwest of Chicago. A 72-hole public complex, its Dubsdread Course hosted the Western Open for sixteen editions, through 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 on Friday, June 27, 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.

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 the last FedEx Cup playoff event before The Tour Championship

Winners

Year	Winner	Score	To par	Margin of victory	Runner(s)-up	Venue	Location
Cialis Western Open
2006	Template:Flagicon Trevor Immelman	271	−13	2 strokes	Template:Flagicon Mathew Goggin Template:Flagicon Tiger Woods	Cog Hill	Lemont, Illinois
2005	Template:Flagicon Jim Furyk	270	−14	2 strokes	Template:Flagicon Tiger Woods	Cog Hill	Lemont, Illinois
2004	Template:Flagicon Stephen Ames	274	−10	2 strokes	Template:Flagicon Steve Lowery	Cog Hill	Lemont, Illinois
Western Open
2003	Template:Flagicon Tiger Woods (3)	267	−21	5 strokes	Template:Flagicon Rich Beem	Cog Hill	Lemont, Illinois
Advil Western Open
2002	Template:Flagicon Jerry Kelly	269	−19	2 strokes	Template:Flagicon Davis Love III	Cog Hill	Lemont, Illinois
2001	Template:Flagicon Scott Hoch	267	−21	1 stroke	Template:Flagicon Davis Love III	Cog Hill	Lemont, Illinois
2000	Template:Flagicon Robert Allenby	274	−14	Playoff	Template:Flagicon Nick Price	Cog Hill	Lemont, Illinois
Motorola Western Open
1999	Template:Flagicon Tiger Woods (2)	273	−15	3 strokes	Template:Flagicon Mike Weir	Cog Hill	Lemont, Illinois
1998	Template:Flagicon Joe Durant	271	−17	2 strokes	Template:Flagicon Vijay Singh	Cog Hill	Lemont, Illinois
1997	Template:Flagicon Tiger Woods	275	−13	3 strokes	Template:Flagicon Frank Nobilo	Cog Hill	Lemont, Illinois
1996	Template:Flagicon Steve Stricker	270	−18	8 strokes	Template:Flagicon Billy Andrade Template:Flagicon Jay Don Blake	Cog Hill	Lemont, Illinois
1995	Template:Flagicon Billy Mayfair	279	−9	1 stroke	Template:Flagicon Jay Haas Template:Flagicon Justin Leonard Template:Flagicon Jeff Maggert Template:Flagicon Scott Simpson	Cog Hill	Lemont, Illinois
1994	Template:Flagicon Nick Price (2)	277	−11	1 stroke	Template:Flagicon Greg Kraft	Cog Hill	Lemont, Illinois
Sprint Western Open
1993	Template:Flagicon Nick Price	269	−19	5 strokes	Template:Flagicon Greg Norman	Cog Hill	Lemont, Illinois
Centel Western Open
1992	Template:Flagicon Ben Crenshaw	276	−12	1 stroke	Template:Flagicon Greg Norman	Cog Hill	Lemont, Illinois
1991	Template:Flagicon Russ Cochran	275	−13	2 strokes	Template:Flagicon Greg Norman	Cog Hill	Lemont, Illinois
1990	Template:Flagicon Wayne Levi	275	−13	4 strokes	Template:Flagicon Payne Stewart	Butler National	Oak Brook, Illinois
Beatrice Western Open
1989	Template:Flagicon Mark McCumber (2)	275	−13	Playoff	Template:Flagicon Peter Jacobsen	Butler National	Oak Brook, Illinois
1988	Template:Flagicon Jim Benepe	278	−10	1 stroke	Template:Flagicon Peter Jacobsen	Butler National	Oak Brook, Illinois
1987	Template:Flagicon D. A. Weibring	207	−9	1 stroke	Template:Flagicon Larry Nelson Template:Flagicon Greg Norman	Butler National	Oak Brook, Illinois
Western Open
1986	Template:Flagicon Tom Kite	286	−2	Playoff	Template:Flagicon Fred Couples Template:Flagicon David Frost Template:Flagicon Nick Price	Butler National	Oak Brook, Illinois
1985	Template:Flagicon Scott Verplank (a)	279	−9	Playoff	Template:Flagicon Jim Thorpe	Butler National	Oak Brook, Illinois
1984	Template:Flagicon Tom Watson (3)	280	−8	Playoff	Template:Flagicon Greg Norman	Butler National	Oak Brook, Illinois
1983	Template:Flagicon Mark McCumber	284	−4	1 stroke	Template:Flagicon Tom Watson	Butler National	Oak Brook, Illinois
1982	Template:Flagicon Tom Weiskopf	276	−12	1 stroke	Template:Flagicon Larry Nelson	Butler National	Oak Brook, Illinois
1981	Template:Flagicon Ed Fiori	277	−11	4 strokes	Template:Flagicon Jim Colbert Template:Flagicon Greg Powers Template:Flagicon Jim Simons	Butler National	Oak Brook, Illinois
1980	Template:Flagicon Scott Simpson	281	−7	5 strokes	Template:Flagicon Andy Bean	Butler National	Oak Brook, Illinois
1979	Template:Flagicon Larry Nelson	286	−2	Playoff	Template:Flagicon Ben Crenshaw	Butler National	Oak Brook, Illinois
1978	Template:Flagicon Andy Bean	282	−6	Playoff	Template:Flagicon Bill Rogers	Butler National	Oak Brook, Illinois
1977	Template:Flagicon Tom Watson (2)	283	−5	1 stroke	Template:Flagicon Wally Armstrong Template:Flagicon Johnny Miller	Butler National	Oak Brook, Illinois
1976	Template:Flagicon Al Geiberger	288	+4	1 stroke	Template:Flagicon Joe Porter	Butler National	Oak Brook, Illinois
1975	Template:Flagicon Hale Irwin	283	−1	1 stroke	Template:Flagicon Bobby Cole	Butler National	Oak Brook, Illinois
1974	Template:Flagicon Tom Watson	287	+3	2 strokes	Template:Flagicon J. C. Snead Template:Flagicon Tom Weiskopf	Butler National	Oak Brook, Illinois
1973	Template:Flagicon Billy Casper (4)	272	−12	1 stroke	Template:Flagicon Larry Hinson Template:Flagicon Hale Irwin	Midlothian	Midlothian, Illinois
1972	Template:Flagicon Jim Jamieson	271	−13	6 strokes	Template:Flagicon Labron Harris Jr.	Sunset Ridge	Northfield, Illinois
1971	Template:Flagicon Bruce Crampton	279	−5	2 strokes	Template:Flagicon Bobby Nichols	Olympia Fields	Olympia Fields, Illinois
1970	Template:Flagicon Hugh Royer Jr.	273	−11	1 stroke	Template:Flagicon Dale Douglass	Beverly	Chicago, Illinois
1969	Template:Flagicon Billy Casper (3)	276	−8	4 strokes	Template:Flagicon Rocky Thompson	Midlothian	Midlothian, Illinois
1968	Template:Flagicon Jack Nicklaus (2)	273	−11	3 strokes	Template:Flagicon Miller Barber	Olympia Fields	Olympia Fields, Illinois
1967	Template:Flagicon Jack Nicklaus	274	−10	2 strokes	Template:Flagicon Doug Sanders	Beverly	Chicago, Illinois
1966	Template:Flagicon Billy Casper (2)	283	−1	3 strokes	Template:Flagicon Gay Brewer	Medinah	Medinah, Illinois
1965	Template:Flagicon Billy Casper	270	−14	2 strokes	Template:Flagicon Jack McGowan Template:Flagicon Chi-Chi Rodríguez	Tam O'Shanter	Niles, Illinois
1964	Template:Flagicon Chi-Chi Rodríguez	268	−16	1 stroke	Template:Flagicon Arnold Palmer	Tam O'Shanter	Niles, Illinois
1963	Template:Flagicon Arnold Palmer (2)	280	−4	Playoff	Template:Flagicon Julius Boros Template:Flagicon Jack Nicklaus	Beverly	Chicago, Illinois
1962	Template:Flagicon Jacky Cupit	281	−3	2 strokes	Template:Flagicon Billy Casper	Medinah	Medinah, Illinois
1961	Template:Flagicon Arnold Palmer	271	−13	2 strokes	Template:Flagicon Sam Snead	Blythefield	Belmont, Michigan
1960	Template:Flagicon Stan Leonard	278	−10	Playoff	Template:Flagicon Art Wall Jr.	Western	Redford, Michigan
1959	Template:Flagicon Mike Souchak	272	−8	1 stroke	Template:Flagicon Arnold Palmer	Pittsburgh	Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
1958	Template:Flagicon Doug Sanders	275	−13	1 stroke	Template:Flagicon Dow Finsterwald	Red Run	Royal Oak, Michigan
1957	Template:Flagicon Doug Ford	279	−5	Playoff	Template:Flagicon George Bayer Template:Flagicon Gene Littler Template:Flagicon Billy Maxwell	Plum Hollow	Southfield, Michigan
1956	Template:Flagicon Mike Fetchick	284	−4	Playoff	Template:Flagicon Doug Ford Template:Flagicon Jay Hebert Template:Flagicon Don January	Presidio	San Francisco, California
1955	Template:Flagicon Cary Middlecoff	272	−16	2 strokes	Template:Flagicon Mike Souchak	Portland	Portland, Oregon
1954	Template:Flagicon Lloyd Mangrum (2)	277	−7	Playoff	Template:Flagicon Ted Kroll	Kenwood	Cincinnati, Ohio
1953	Template:Flagicon Dutch Harrison	278	−2	4 strokes	Template:Flagicon Ed Furgol Template:Flagicon Fred Haas Template:Flagicon Lloyd Mangrum	Bellerive	Saint Louis, Missouri
1952	Template:Flagicon Lloyd Mangrum	274	−6	8 strokes	Template:Flagicon Bobby Locke	Westwood	Saint Louis, Missouri
1951	Template:Flagicon Marty Furgol	270	−10	1 stroke	Template:Flagicon Cary Middlecoff	Davenport	Pleasant Valley, Iowa
1950	Template:Flagicon Sam Snead (2)	282	−2	1 stroke	Template:Flagicon Jim Ferrier Template:Flagicon Dutch Harrison	Brentwood	Los Angeles, California
1949	Template:Flagicon Sam Snead	268	−20	4 strokes	Template:Flagicon Cary Middlecoff	Keller	Saint Paul, Minnesota
1948	Template:Flagicon Ben Hogan (2)	281	−7	Playoff	Template:Flagicon Ed Oliver	Brookfield	Clarence, New York
1947	Template:Flagicon Johnny Palmer	270	−18	1 stroke	Template:Flagicon Bobby Locke Template:Flagicon Ed Oliver	Salt Lake City	Salt Lake City, Utah
1946	Template:Flagicon Ben Hogan	271	−17	4 strokes	Template:Flagicon Lloyd Mangrum	Sunset	Saint Louis, Missouri
1943–1945: No tournament due to World War II
1942	Template:Flagicon Herman Barron	276	−8	2 strokes	Template:Flagicon Henry Picard	Phoenix	Phoenix, Arizona
1941	Template:Flagicon Ed Oliver	275	−9	3 strokes	Template:Flagicon Ben Hogan Template:Flagicon Byron Nelson	Phoenix	Phoenix, Arizona
1940	Template:Flagicon Jimmy Demaret	293	+9	Playoff	Template:Flagicon Toney Penna	River Oaks	Houston, Texas
1939	Template:Flagicon Byron Nelson	281	−2	1 stroke	Template:Flagicon Lloyd Mangrum	Medinah	Medinah, Illinois
1938	Template:Flagicon Ralph Guldahl (3)	279	−5	7 strokes	Template:Flagicon Sam Snead	Westwood	Saint Louis, Missouri
1937	Template:Flagicon Ralph Guldahl (2)	288	E	Playoff	Template:Flagicon Horton Smith	Canterbury	Beachwood, Ohio
1936	Template:Flagicon Ralph Guldahl	274	−10	3 strokes	Template:Flagicon Ray Mangrum	Davenport	Pleasant Valley, Iowa
1935	Template:Flagicon Johnny Revolta	290	+6	4 strokes	Template:Flagicon Willie Goggin	South Bend	South Bend, Indiana
1934	Template:Flagicon Harry Cooper	274	−14	Playoff	Template:Flagicon Ky Laffoon	Country Club of Peoria	Peoria Heights, Illinois
1933	Template:Flagicon Macdonald Smith (3)	282	E	6 strokes	Template:Flagicon Tommy Armour	Olympia Fields	Olympia Fields, Illinois
1932	Template:Flagicon Walter Hagen (5)	287	−1	1 stroke	Template:Flagicon Olin Dutra	Canterbury	Beachwood, Ohio
1931	Template:Flagicon Ed Dudley	280	−4	4 strokes	Template:Flagicon Walter Hagen	Miami Valley	Dayton, Ohio
1930	Template:Flagicon Gene Sarazen	278	−10	7 strokes	Template:Flagicon Al Espinosa	Indianwood	Lake Orion, Michigan
1929	Template:Flagicon Tommy Armour	273	−7	8 strokes	Template:Flagicon Horton Smith	Ozaukee	Mequon, Wisconsin
1928	Template:Flagicon Abe Espinosa	291	+3	3 strokes	Template:Flagicon Johnny Farrell	North Shore	Glenview, Illinois
1927	Template:Flagicon Walter Hagen (4)	281	−1	4 strokes	Template:Flagicon Al Espinosa Template:Flagicon Bill Mehlhorn	Olympia Fields	Olympia Fields, Illinois
1926	Template:Flagicon Walter Hagen (3)	279	−1	9 strokes	Template:Flagicon Harry Cooper Template:Flagicon Gene Sarazen	Highland	Indianapolis, Indiana
1925	Template:Flagicon Macdonald Smith (2)	281	−7	6 strokes	Template:Flagicon Leo Diegel Template:Flagicon Johnny Farrell Template:Flagicon Emmet French Template:Flagicon Walter Hagen Template:Flagicon Bill Mehlhorn	Youngstown	Youngstown, Ohio
1924	Template:Flagicon Bill Mehlhorn	293	+5	8 strokes	Template:Flagicon Al Watrous	Calumet	Homewood, Illinois
1923	Template:Flagicon Jock Hutchison (2)	281	−3	6 strokes	Template:Flagicon Bobby Cruickshank Template:Flagicon Leo Diegel Template:Flagicon Walter Hagen Template:Flagicon Joe Kirkwood, Sr.	Colonial	Cordova, Tennessee
1922	Template:Flagicon Mike Brady	291	+3	10 strokes	Template:Flagicon Laurie Ayton, Snr Template:Flagicon Jock Hutchison	Oakland Hills	Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
1921	Template:Flagicon Walter Hagen (2)	287	+3	5 strokes	Template:Flagicon Jock Hutchison	Oakwood	Cleveland Heights, Ohio
1920	Template:Flagicon Jock Hutchison	296	+4	1 stroke	Template:Flagicon Jim Barnes Template:Flagicon Clarence Hackney Template:Flagicon Harry Hampton	Olympia Fields	Olympia Fields, Illinois
1919	Template:Flagicon Jim Barnes (3)	283	+3	3 strokes	Template:Flagicon Leo Diegel	Mayfield	Lyndhurst, Ohio
1918: No tournament due to World War I
1917	Template:Flagicon Jim Barnes (2)	283	−5	2 strokes	Template:Flagicon Walter Hagen	Westmoreland	Wilmette, Illinois
1916	Template:Flagicon Walter Hagen	286	−2	1 stroke	Template:Flagicon Jock Hutchison Template:Flagicon George Sargent	Blue Mound	Milwaukee, Wisconsin
1915	Template:Flagicon Tom McNamara	304	+4	2 strokes	Template:Flagicon Alex Cunningham	Glen Oak	Glen Ellyn, Illinois
1914	Template:Flagicon Jim Barnes	293	−3	1 stroke	Template:Flagicon Willie Kidd	Interlachen	Edina, Minnesota
1913	Template:Flagicon John McDermott	295	−1	7 strokes	Template:Flagicon Mike Brady	Memphis	Memphis, Tennessee
1912	Template:Flagicon Macdonald Smith	299	+11	3 strokes	Template:Flagicon Alex Robertson	Idlewild	Flossmoor, Illinois
1911	Template:Flagicon Bobby Simpson (2)	2 and 1			Template:Flagicon Tom McNamara	Kent	Grand Rapids, Michigan
1910	Template:Flagicon Chick Evans (a)	6 and 5			Template:Flagicon George Simpson	Beverly	Chicago, Illinois
1909	Template:Flagicon Willie Anderson (4)	288		9 strokes	Template:Flagicon Stewart Gardner	Skokie	Glencoe, Illinois
1908	Template:Flagicon Willie Anderson (3)	299		1 stroke	Template:Flagicon Fred McLeod	Normandie	Saint Louis, Missouri
1907	Template:Flagicon Bobby Simpson	307		2 strokes	Template:Flagicon Willie Anderson Template:Flagicon Fred McLeod	Hinsdale	Clarendon Hills, Illinois
1906	Template:Flagicon Alex Smith (2)	306		3 strokes	Template:Flagicon Jack Hobens	Homewood	Flossmoor, Illinois
1905	Template:Flagicon Arthur Smith	278		2 strokes	Template:Flagicon James Maiden	Cincinnati	Cincinnati, Ohio
1904	Template:Flagicon Willie Anderson (2)	304		4 strokes	Template:Flagicon Alex Smith	Kent	Grand Rapids, Michigan
1903	Template:Flagicon Alex Smith	318		2 strokes	Template:Flagicon Laurie Auchterlonie Template:Flagicon David Brown	Milwaukee	River Hills, Wisconsin
1902	Template:Flagicon Willie Anderson	299		5 strokes	Template:Flagicon Willie Smith Template:Flagicon Bert Way	Euclid	Cleveland Heights, Ohio
1901	Template:Flagicon Laurie Auchterlonie	160		2 strokes	Template:Flagicon David Bell	Midlthian	Midlothian, Illinois
1900: No tournament
1899	Template:Flagicon Willie Smith	156		Playoff	Template:Flagicon Laurie Auchterlonie	Glen View	Golf, Illinois

External links

• Official site of the BMW Championship
• Coverage on the PGA Tour's official site