Word that the PGA Tour might be rec...

Word that the PGA Tour might be reconsidering its decision to take the former Western unclose out of Chicago every other year came as of the present days to tournament director John Kaczkowski.

In fact, Kaczkowski said the Western Golf Association has received alone minimal reaction over the site changes.

"We haven't had an overwhelming rejoinder either way," Kaczkowski said Wednesday. "We've heard from more the bulk of mankind who don't like the name change."

That's not stanch however, of players and media, whose numerous and vocal complaints apparently have PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem rethinking the alternating-sites plan.

The Western has been renamed the BMW Championship and will prevail upon to September as part of the tour's modern FedEx Cup "playoff series" beginning nearest year. It will remain at insert by wiles Hill in 2007, then move to Bellerive in St. Louis in 2008 and to tricked Stick outside Indianapolis in 2010

During his recents conference Tuesday, Tiger Woods called the tour's decision to leave Chicago each other year "a shame."

"The fans here have really supported our tour and the major championships that have proceed through here," Woods said. "We should have a tournament here each and each year."

Shaun Micheel, the 2003 PGA champion, was the latest of many players to reverberation that sentiment.

"I don't understand that," Micheel said of the act upon out of Chicago. "You certainly can descry the interest in golf in this city, particularly with the Western render free of access and the major championships. It's going to be unusual not having a tournament in Chicago."

With negotiations stymied upon a planned visit to Minneapolis in 2012 Finchem told the Chicago Tribune that it's possible the tournament could reassume its position as a Chicago fixture beginning in 2011

Kaczkowski said the changes, particularly in dates, already have affected the WGA.

"Usually we secure an offseason, but now we've got to detain our legs running," he said. "We've got to gear up for 2007 now, to diocese what our new sponsor wants and what the new dates will mean to us."

Recruiting tenders looms as the biggest puzzle with the tournament now being played after high denominations and colleges begin classes, still Kaczkowski believes that can be beat

"We've always been big forward staying in Chicago and being part of the sports fabric of the city," he said. "Right now we don't have a date for 2012 We've been thinking about a chance of options, but we want to acquire through 2007 and 2008 first, then behold where we are."

lziehm@suntimes.com

Copyright CHICAGO SUN-TIMES 2006

Provided according to ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved