Jemsek chases the five-ring circus

Writing from Lemont, Ill.
Thursday, September 10, 2009

Frank Jemsek always thinks long-term.

That's how the boss of Cog Hill Golf & Country Club looks at the potential of the Olympics in Chicago, of golf in said Olympics, and said golf potentially being played at his four-course complex.

And that outlook, like much about Jemsek, goes back to his father Joe's outlook on life. It was Joe, of course, who ordered Dubsdread built in the early 1960s. It opened in 1964, a tournament-tough course open to the public that finally hosted the Western Open for the first time 27 years later.

"My dad told me about the World's Fair, when it was held in Chicago," Jemsek recalled of the 1933-34 Century of Progress. "He told me how, when it was over, it still helped the economy for a number of years.

"I'm really hoping for the Olympics, and to host the golf. If (golfers) come to Chicago to play the Olympic golf course, they can get on Cog Hill. If it's played at a country club, they'd have to know a member to get on."

Jemsek knows the quest to host the Olympics might not succeed – Olympia Fields Country Club is very interested, and has at least one member with a connection to Chicago Olympic chairman Pat Ryan – but Jemsek has someone important in his corner: Tiger Woods.

"I've been telling everybody who would listen that we want to host," Jemsek said. "We can get 20,000 or 30,000 more people on this golf course than other courses can hold."

That was proven on several occasions on Dubsdread, notably the final rounds of 1997, when thousands marched along with Woods down the final fairway. The gallery was announced as 49,462 that day, but might have been much higher. People were still coming in at 3 p.m. In 2001, when Scott Hoch outdueled Davis Love III down the stretch, there were 51,322 on hand.

Dubsdread wins – barely

The 69-player course average of 71.449 strokes was less than a half-stroke over the par of 71, and a little more than a stroke harder than the 70.338 the 66-player field recorded in the first round two years ago.

There were 28 players under par and 10 more at level 71, so the 38 at par or better was a bit more than half the field. In 2007, when the field was playing lift, clean and place, 38 players were under par in the first round, and six at par 71.

"The green contours and the tongues where you can put the flag makes the golf course," said Rees Jones, who refurbished the Dick Wilson-Joe Lee design.

The players noticed.

"A lot of the fingers run away from you," Tiger Woods said. "You've got to pick your spots on where to go for it. Like on 11. The front pin used to be an easy pin. Dump it on the right, and it's an easy up-and-down. Now if you dump it on the right, that's a deep bunker there. You have almost no shot to get it close. You've got to try to miss it a little bit left or long, like I did.

"That's the thing you have to get used to. The misses are not where they used to be."

The par-4 fifth hole was hardest, at 4.275 strokes, while the par-5 15th, as is traditional, was the pushover, at 4.507 strokes. Remodeling or not, some things never change.

Attendance up from 2007

The people came to Cog Hill early and stayed late, a combination that helped fill the coffers of the Western Golf Association, and made the first round of the 106th Western Open appear to be the big deal it was.

The WGA didn't release an estimate for Thursday's opening round of the BMW Championship, but the gallery appeared to be nearly double the size of the sparse turnout for the first round at Cog Hill two years ago. The independent estimate of 18,500 was far better than the approximate house of 10,000 for the first lap of the 2007 affair.

That's still down by a large amount from the 30,000-plus crowds that would pour into Cog Hill on the first day when the Western was played during the Fourth of July weekend. But after 2007, anything close to 20,000 was an improvement. (Last year, when the championship was played at Bellerive Country Club near St. Louis, the first round was pushed back to Friday because of a flood.)

Around Dubsdread

The field was reduced to 68 players after the round, Bob Estes withdrawing because of a hip injury, no doubt aggravated by a 6-over-par 77. Only J.B. Holmes and Tim Clark, at 7-over 78, scored higher. … Phil Mickelson drew a large gallery, but wasn't able to put on a show, scoring even par 71. Chicago favorite Luke Donald managed a 1-under 70, while Elmhurst's Mark Wilson is at 2-under 69. … Friday's tee times again start at 10:30 a.m., with players going off the first and 10th tees, to keep Golf Channel (on the air from 2-5 p.m.) happy. … Co-leader Rory Sabbatini and Anthony Kim start at 12:09 p.m. from No. 10, while co-leader Steve Marino, Stewart Cink and Mike Weir are off the 10th tee at 10:41 a.m. Tiger Woods, Steve Stricker and Heath Slocum are on No. 1 at 12:09 p.m.

– Tim Cronin

It's a traffic jam on Dubsdread

Writing from Lemont, Ill.
Thursday, September 10, 2009

The first round of the 106th Western Open, known on the marquee these days as the BMW Championship, started in rousing fashion Thursday morning at Cog Hill Golf & Country Club.

There was a traffic jam, with a 12-minute wait to go about 1.5 miles to the parking lot. This was not only news, but good news, because there hadn't been a traffic jam at Cog Hill during a weekday round of the Western since 2006. Last year, the championship was played out of town, at Bellerive Country Club near St. Louis. Two years ago, Chicago golf fans showed extreme disinterest in the Western being played after Labor Day, with a limited field and a changed name. No more than 10,000 people were on hand.

Thursday morning, there may have been that many on the course by 11:03 a.m., when Steve Stricker, Tiger Woods and Heath Slocum teed off on No. 10.

By 1 p.m., with the entire field of 69 – Paul Casey withdrew late Wednesday because of a nagging rib injury – on the course, Geoff Ogilvy was the leader, 4-under-par through eight holes on the back nine. Pat Perez and Chad Campbell, also starting on the back, were 3-under, with Perez standing on the first tee and Campbell opening birdie-eagle thanks to a 3 on the par-5 11th. A gaggle of players were 2-under.

Woods? He was 1-under through seven holes.

A complete report at the conclusion of play; updates as warranted.

– Tim Cronin

Dubsdread primed for 106th Western Open / BMW Championship

Following this advance keep reading for reports on Padraig Harrington's idea to spice up the Tour Championship, how the corporate downturn is affecting the Western Golf Association's fundraising efforts, Tiger Woods' thoughts on Dubsdread as an Olympic or U.S. Open site, and more.

Writing from Lemont, Ill.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009

A venerable title and 30 places in next week's chase for insane riches are on the line beginning Thursday morning on Joe Jemsek's dream course.

The title is that of the Western Open, and while this, the 106th playing, is the third with the assumed name of the BMW Championship writ large on the landscape of Cog Hill Golf & Country Club's Dubsdread course, the lasting prize, beyond the $1.35 million the winner pockets, is the same J.K. Wadley Trophy awarded since the old oil tycoon, a pal of Byron Nelson, donated it to the Western Golf Association in the Roaring 20s.

This week's winner will stand alongside Nelson, who captured the Western in 1939, plus luminaries Chick Evans, Walter Hagen, Ben Hogan, Sam Snead, Billy Casper, Arnold Palmer – who turns 80 on Thursday – Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson and Tiger Woods.

That's excellent company to keep. It's why the championship has, with rare exception, been won by name players. Watson, to name one, made his name in the Western. It was his first title as a professional, in 1974, and he captured two more titles at Butler National, a matchless achievement.

Butler and the Western parted company in the wake of the Shoal Creek fiasco in 1990. Since then, with last year's jaunt to Bellerive Country Club, near St. Louis, the exception, the championship has been planted on the Dubsdread layout former caddie Jemsek always wanted to see the pros test.

This year's test will be different. Before, during and after the championship was at Bellerive, architect Rees Jones made Dubsdread, always formidable for the paying public, more of a chore than it was before.

"The golf course is a lot longer, the greens are much more difficult, and the bunkers are a lot deeper," Woods said after his pro-am excursion. "It's going to be a great test. If they play it all the way back, it'll be tough."

PGA Tour set-up man Jon Brendle would never play the course, which can be stretched to 7,616 yards, from every back tee on any championship day, and might not use some back tees on any day. Rather than produce bogeys and yawns, the idea is to mix and match tee and cup placements to separate the field and make for exciting golf.

"If they put them up a little bit, you can see guys making some birdies," Woods said.

Defending champion Camilo Villegas loved the changes, and saw the need for variety.

"When they tuck those pins, they have to make it fun," Villegas said. "When you have so many sections on a green, if you play it a little shorter, you may see players hitting 8-irons in, and that means you'll see players play more aggressive. They won't play to the middle of the greens. You'll see more birdies and you'll see more bogeys."

While Woods said that his old book on Dubsdread has been tossed aside because of the changes, Steve Stricker, currently atop the PGA Tour's point standings, said there was plenty to draw from.

"Even though they changed it dramatically, the routing is pretty much the same," Stricker said. "You stand up there, and the views from the tee are fairly similar, even though there's different bunkering and stuff like that."

Then come the greens.

"And they're totally different," Stricker said, hardly alone in that thought.

Whereas Dick Wilson and Joe Lee weren't big believers in heavily contoured greens, Jones is. While he built the new set of greens in the Wilson-Lee style, with jigsaw-puzzle shaped bunkers, the sections that Wilson and Lee partitioned are now more pronounced, and sometimes larger in number.

"The greens are typical Rees Jones greens except a little bit softer," Stricker said. "Softer contours. He's got a unique design to his greens. Here, the ridges he put in are just a little bit softer than some of the other places I've played that he's done."

What had been a fearsome weather forecast has turned perfect for the entire weekend. That will allow the players to test Dubsdread, and for the course to stand on its merits. The battle begins at 10:30 a.m. Paul Goydos has the honor on the first tee. Play away, please.

– Tim Cronin

Harrington: "We could take it in a wheelbarrow"

Writing from Lemont, Ill.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009

When Padriag Harrington is done playing golf – if he's ever done playing golf, that is – there's a second career waiting for him as the second coming of George S. May.

May is best described as the Bill Veeck of golf promoters. No promotion was too crazy for May, the business tycoon and longtime owner of Tam O'Shanter Country Club in Nikes, if it drew in fans. It was May who popularized golf on television – his World Championship was on the DuMont Network beginning in 1948 – along with outlandishly big purses, numbers pinned on players, and grandstands for fans.

May was awarding $50,000 first prizes when other tournaments were worth $15,000, tops. He was the friend of every player – except Ben Hogan, who eventually rebelled against pinning a number to his hip, though he wore it at first – and the progenitor of today's modern multi-million dollar traveling circus.

Harrington would have loved the guy. Wednesday, he opined that the $10 million that goes to the winner of the PGA Tour's playoffs – you have heard of the FedEx Cup, have you not? – should be there for all to see at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta a fortnight from now.

"I do believe they should give out the cash on the 18th green," Harrington said. "Just sit it there to have a good look at it. It would be great, like the World Series of Poker."

Some might react to Harrington's notion as one more nail in the coffin of golf as a gentleman's game, one that values something more than money. Lest we forget, the P in PGA stands for professional. These guys make a lot of money, and while the trophy, kissed by Tiger Woods two years ago or not, is nice, it's not one of the four titles that people remember at the end of the season, or count up to put a player's career in perspective. So how about a little something for the effort?

"We could take it in a wheelbarrow up to the clubhouse," Harrington added. "Anything that falls out, it's the caddie's."

Harrington had campaigned for more volatility in the points, and that's happened. When Heath Slocum won at Liberty National two weeks ago, he jumped from 124th in the standings to third. When Steve Stricker won near Boston on Monday, he moved past Tiger Woods into first, the first time Woods hasn't been first in the standings for anything since the fourth grade.

"The modifications are a big improvement," Harrington said. "You don't want the first nine months of the year to count too much. You also want to give some dues to those guys who have played well for nine months.

"I think the system now … you've got to play well to move (up), and if you miss a cut, you move back 10 spots or something. It's not like you're moving back 20 or 30 spots, like last year.

"In any of these situations where you have a cut, it's not who gets in, it's who doesn't get in is what's talked about. You need some marquee names to miss out to make it exciting. It's important that everyone has a chance, a real chance, to win, and that big-name players get knocked out for it to be meaningful."

Especially if that wheelbarrow's there at the end of the rainbow.

– Tim Cronin

Corporate sales down, fan sales up

Writing from Lemont, Ill.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009

In 2007, the corporate suites to the left of Dubsdread's 18th green, the complex across the water from the green, was a two-story building filled with swells. This year, while still a palace, it's a one-story affair. That's the most visible manifestation of the downturn in the economy, one which will hit the Evans Scholars Foundation in the pocketbook.

John Kaczkowski, the tournament director about to take over the Western Golf Association CEO's post from the retiring Don Johnson, knew this would be a difficult year.

"It's the economy," Kaczkowski said. "Let's face it. You're laying off people at your company, you can't buy a corporate tent. We're about 20 percent down in corporate hospitality. Our regular ticket sales are up. We've held the line on tickets, actually lowered our weekly ticket price."

Some have surmised that some companies aren't doing corporate entertaining because of the squawk Rep. Barney Frank made early this year. His outburst following the Northern Trust (a.k.a. Los Angeles) Open prodded Wachovia to take its name off its tournament, turning it into the Quail Hollow Championship, and made other firms skittish about even putting their names on corporate tents.

There are plenty of corporate names on the suites at Cog Hill. There just aren't as many suites. Kaczkowski said the Western Open / BMW Championship, which returned $2.4 million to the Evans Scholars Foundation in 2007, would be fortunate to clear $2 million this year. Even Wednesday's Chick Evans Memorial Pro-Am, which had been a sellout in years past, had spots open this year, at $8,000 each. (They were filled with celebrities, including hockey great Stan Mikita, a former pro himself.)

Last year, when the Western was played at Bellerive Country Club in Town and Country, Mo., the net profit was $3.3 million, but the St. Louis metro area, unlike Chicago, hadn't had the PGA Tour stars stop by since the 1992 PGA Championship. It was just before the economic bubble burst on Wall Street, and St. Louis companies turned out in force.

Incidentally, the wait in St. Louis was 16 years because the 2001 World Golf Championship tournament, slated for Sept. 13-16 at Bellerive, was cancelled because of the Sept. 11 attack on the U.S., and never rescheduled.

The Western's purse was increased to $7.5 million from $7 million this year, and commissioner Tim Finchem didn't apologize.

"This business of cutting $100,000 out of a purse is relatively meaningless," Finchem said. "We'd have to rewrite all our contracts. The dollars in golf pale in comparison to what's available in team sports."

Finchem said the Tour, having renewed some tournament contracts, is in decent shape – though he didn't mention that the Tour's reserves skidded to a market value of $694 million at the end of 2008, compared to $947 million at the end of 2007. With the economy improved, that's also improved.

"The big (corporate spending) decisions are being made in our favor at this point," Finchem said. "We're staying in the shrinking budgets. But corporate hospitality buys are a function of a marketing budget that's smaller, and companies aren't doing as much right now.

"Whether it's going to come back strongly in 2010, I'm not sure."

At Cog Hill, Kaczkowski is hopeful that fans turn out for the first two rounds. Bad weather and the date change from early July conspired to shrink crowds to the four-figure range for the first round in 2007.

"The week after Labor Day, people shut it down," said Kaczkowski, who is mulling lowering ticket prices for 2010. "Kids are back in school, people go back to work. BMW wants people out here. They loved it in St. Louis last year."

Again, the lack of spectator golf in St. Louis for well over a decade made fans turn out, even though Tiger Woods wasn't in the field.

This year, Chicagoans used to seeing Woods, plus with the Solheim Cup a rousing success last month at Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove, might not turn out in the large numbers Kaczkowski hopes for. But there were plenty of cars in the parking lot across Archer Road on Wednesday morning, when Woods was playing in the pro-am, and if the number of autograph hounds are any indication, it might be a good week.

– Tim Cronin