The 14th hole at Cog Hill boasts a new bunker design.

The PGA's Top Players Return To Cog Hill

The PGA Tour returns to the Chicago area with the BMW Championship at Cog Hill Golf & Country Club in Lemont on Sept. 6-12. The best golfers in the world will take on Dubsdread – Cog Hill’s legendary Course No. 4. As the site of the Western Open from 1991-2006, Cog Hill has become synonymous with great golf – and memorable finishes. The list of Western Open champions – including Tiger Woods, Nick Price and Bren Crenshaw – reads like a Who’s Who of professional golf.

In 2007, the golfing powers-that-be changed the name of the Western Open to the BMW Championship and moved it from its traditional midsummer spot in July to September as the third leg of the newly formed four-event PGA playoff system dubbed the FedEx Cup. This year at Cog Hill, golfers will be battling to bolster their overall point standings as they head into THE TOUR Championship in Atlanta on Sept. 23-26 – the final FedEx Cup event of the year.

Building a better championship
In an attempt by the PGA to improve upon the experience for fans and make it more competitive for players, the FedEx Cup format was refined in 2009. At the “regular” season’s end, effective following the Wyndham Championship on August 19 – 22, points will be recalibrated in the playoffs to help narrow the gap between the highest earners (who will remain atop the standings) and the players ranked below them. While standard points are provided based on where a golfer places in regular tour events (the World Golf Championship events and majors are weighted more heavily) – the value of points awarded in the playoffs has been greatly increased.

Point values for the four playoff tournaments are worth five times those of regular season events, allowing even the players at the back of the field an opportunity to advance with a strong enough finish.

The two FedEx Cup playoff events leading into the BMW Championship at Cog Hill have also seen their fields of qualifiers reduced. The field size of the playoff events will be 125 (down from 144) at The Barclays and 100 (down from 120) at the Deutsche Bank Championship. The BMW Championship will remain at 70 golfers, and THE TOUR Championship remains at 30.
Like each of the four playoff events, the BMW Championship at Cog Hill features a $7.5 million purse, and with the systematic reduction in the number of players in each, the payouts increase significantly for those who qualify.

Of course, the huge payday for the FedEx Cup – originally devised to entice the best players into extending their seasons into the fall when many would traditionally take time off – remains unchanged: a $10 million bonus to the overall winner, $3 million for the runner up and $2 million for third place. Even for the world’s highest-paid players, these are mighty sums.
Tiger Woods is the defending champion of both the FedEx Cup and the BMW Championship.

A chance to see the best
As the third leg of the FedEx Cup playoffs, the BMW Championship is ripe for drama as more than half of the field will fail to make the cut to compete two weeks later in Atlanta for golf’s top prize. For those scoring at home, the event also translates into an opportunity to see 70 of the world’s best golfers at the top of their games for seven days (including practice rounds) right here in the Chicago area.

“This scenario creates excitement at all levels,” says Frank Jemsek, owner of Cog Hill. “We’ve seen some who were on the cusp of making the top-30 four-putt or hit it in the water on 18 trying to make that last birdie.”

And judging by the high level play by some of the younger guns currently near the top of the PGA standings – Dustin Johnson, Rickie Fowler and Anthony Kim, to name a few – the 2010 BMW Championship is poised to set the stage for an outstanding finale.

And unlike other historic sporting events that have unfolded in the Windy City in recent years – the Blackhawks winning the Stanley Cup this year, the Bears wining the NFC Championship in 2007, the White Sox winning the World Series in 2005 (we’re all still waiting on the Cubs) – you don’t have to break the bank to buy a ticket to see the BMW Championship in person. With advance tickets available to watch the pros’ practice rounds on Monday through Wednesday for only $10 (those under age 16 are admitted free with an adult), virtually any fan in the Chicago area has the opportunity to experience this playoff event of international significance.
Advance tickets to the Thursday through Sunday rounds are $45 ($50 at the gate – additional discounts are available for those age 16 or under and 65 or older), and parking is included with gate purchase (VIP parking is also available for an additional fee). Go to www. BMWChampionshipUSA.com or call (847) 724-4600 for all ticket options and packages.

Come watch – and play
One of Cog Hill’s best-kept secrets is that while the professionals are trying to master Dubsdread during the BMW Championship, nine holes on each of the club’s other courses remain open to the public. Golfers of all levels are welcome to play any combination of these three nines, and special parking and even a trailer is set up to accommodate players.
“Often, the play is not heavy, because many don’t know that we offer play during the tournament” says Jeff Rimsnider, Cog Hill’s head PGA professional.

So plan ahead and set up a round of golf before you watch the pros, or go the BMW Championship first and then stay to play after you’ve seen all those great shots at the tournament.

Go to www.CogHillGolf.com or call (866) 264-4455 to reserve a tee time. CG