Response to Cog Hill Critics

In addition to the poor September date, part of the problem is that the BMW isnt "our" tournament as Chicagoans. Whereas the Western was a staple in the Chicago summer calendar, the BMW is now on this midwestern rotation that, although weighed in favor of Cog Hill, doesnt emphasize Chicago as the tournament's hometown as had the Western. Where the WGA went wrong was in deciding how to move the tournament around. Instead of moving the event from city to city around the Midwest, the BMW should rotate among the multitude of championship-worthy courses that Chicagoland has to offer. What's surprising about the WGA's decision is that it counters a similar decision they made with regards to the Western Amateur. After spending all those years allowing one of the nation's premier amateur events to waste away at Point O' Woods, the WGA came to their senses and put the event in a Chicagoland rota. As a result, the Western Am has seen a bit of a revival in attention over the past few years, with this year's event truly being a staple on the North Shore summer scene.
With the star power of the Tour and the history of the Western (BMW), the WGA should do just as they have for the Amateur and return the Western Open to its roots in the Chicagoland area, emphasizing Chicago as the event's hometown and the Evans Scholars as the tournament beneficiary (no amount of advertising can make the concrete connection between the BMW and the Evans Scholars as well as had the inclusion of the Western Open name). Sometimes having an old dog try out new tricks just doesnt work. The Western is no exception.