Cialis Western Open

01 Jul 2004 - 04 Jul 2004
Cog Hill G&CC, Lemont, Illinois

U.S. Open Championship
© Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images

Mike and I had a great time on Monday and Tuesday competing for the first time in the CVS Charity Classic in Providence, Rhode Island at the Rhode Island Country Club. Billy Andrade and Brad Faxon put on a great two day tournament. Professionals are paired together on a team with a bestball format that makes the event fun for both the players and the fans. A lot of birdies were needed to win and therefore a more aggressive mindset was present for the players than normal.

Mike was paired with Davis Love III and they didn't play very well on Monday. They finished with a team score of 8-under par 63. The second round was better with a 10-under, 61 and they ended up two shots short of a playoff with the Haas team.

It is great to be back in the Chicago area again for one of our favorite stops on the PGA Tour: the Western Open. Not too sure what it is about Mike and Chicago, but it always seems to be a great week when he plays here. The course is the Cog Hill Golf and Country Club, which is one of Mike’s favorites and one of the best public facilities in the country.

This course is always a favorite of many golfers on the PGA Tour and is in great shape again this year. They have made some big changes to the course since last year. They turned the usually easy par-5 fifth hole into a 480-yard par-4. The par-5 ninth now plays to 600 yards with a tight landing area and green that slopes from back to front. The fairways have been narrowed on Nos. 5 and 13 making driving the ball in the fairway very important. No. 18 is the best hole on the course, a long par 4 with water guarding the green. It is a great finishing hole and the most difficult hole on the course. The fairway and green on this 480-yard hole both slope toward a pond on the left.

Mike has finished in the top 3 in three of the last five years at the Western and is looking forward to the week.

Thanks for reading,

Brennan