"Give us a chance to sort this out"

Nice to see the PGA Tour Commish Tim Finchem acknowledging that not visiting Chicago annually starting in 2007 was not such a hot idea. Ed Sherman reports:

"The reaction has been strong, and we take that into consideration," said Finchem, in town for the PGA Championship. "It's not often I get e-mails from fans who don't like what we're doing. . . . Give us a chance to sort this out. There may be a change in plans."

"I know people are disappointed about '08 and '10, but I'd like them to think about what they are getting in '07, '09 and '11," he said. "We ask the fans to hang with us. Out of six years, the best players in the world are going to be here at least four years, and maybe [twice in 2012]. That's not bad."

Comments

[Van]

Now, Timmy, about this FedEx Cup format....

[Chuck]

Again, I am neither a cheerleader for, or a critic of, an annual tour stop in Chicagoland. All I would say is that the WGA let themsleves in for this kind of treatment of the Western Open, when they allowed the event to become a set-piece regular tour stop instead of a 'major' of sorts. The Western Open rotated among many member clubs of the WGA before landing by defualt at Cog Hill, and I think there is something to be said for that. Nothing against the city of big shoulders or Joe Jemsek...

[JohnV]

Chuck, I agree. I have no problem with moving the Western Open around it did that for years. I do have a problem with dropping the name. I e-mailed BMW and told them that. They did respond, but no change so far.

[Al]

Chuck
just to get your timeline correct,
the Western has been at Cog Hill since 1991 (or before Tiger Woods joined the PGAtour). Before that, it was held at Butler National starting in 1974 (or before Tiger Woods was born).
I would think that the WGA was to maintaing a pretty consistent, high profile event for the PGA tour before Finchem and his henchmen came up with the sillyFEDEXCup. Some may argue better than the "5th major" at TPC Sawgrass that he is trying to force down our throats.

If anything, maybe the constant turnover of sponsors for the Western over the last decade got the PGA nervous and got them to start thinking of someone more permanent. In fact so permanent that the tournament wont stay in the area on a permanent basis.

[Chuck]

Al you are entirely correct about the Western timeline of course. And yes, with regard to sponsorship, I long ago commented that it may in fact have been a mercy killing to euthanize the "Cialis Western Open."
I'm not looking forward to a "Depends U.S. Open" or a "Preparation H PGA Championship."
Every major championship is an event that is not under the direct control of the PGA Tour. And every event on the PGA Tour that is a regular event seems to be on the same razor's edge of commercial viability. Whatever strength an individual event has, it seems to relate to history, and the quality of the golf course and the power of the instituional memory among the organizers; Riviera, Muirfield, Colonial, Westchester...
I'm beginning to think that maybe Greg Norman is onto something with a "Shareholders' Lawsuit" against the PGA Tour...

[Steven T.]

Chicagoans will have it pretty good however this turns out. They should consider the plight of Philadelphia. We have to wait until 2013 for the US Open. In the meantime, the LPGA has moved the McDonalds LPGA from Wilmington,DE south to Bulle Rock in MD and the ShopRite LPGA in Atlantic City is up in the air. We no longer have a Senior Tour or Nationwide Tour event nearby. The PGA Tour left in 1980 and then alternated with Pittsburgh for a few years from 2000-2002. The only chance we get to see PGA pros play locally is Jim Furyk's one day Skins Game. Pretty pathetic for the 4th or 5th largest market. In the meantime, the John Deere Classic in the middle of nowhere continues.

[GeorgeM]

"Chicagoans will have it pretty good however this turns out. They should consider the plight of Philadelphia."

It's not just Philly!
After 2006, aside from an occasional Presidents Cup, I don't see any PGAT events between NYC and Greensboro.

Gone will be Williamsburg, DC, and Pennsylvania. Meanwhile, Florida, Texas, California and Georgia are saturated.

[Ryan]

Finchem is a marketing genius, have you guys looked at his contract extension for the next 6 years?