With the PGA Tour off this week, the European circuit takes center stage with the BMW PGA Championship. The DP World Tour’s flagship event headlines the end-of-season stretch that includes some of the tour’s most historic events to close out the 2024 campaign.
Contested at venerable Wentworth Golf Club in Surrey (UK), the BMW will feature a top-flight field, headlined by European Ryder Cup teammates Rory McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood, Matt Fitzpatrick, Nicolai Hojgaard, Sepp Straka, Robert MacIntyre, Shane Lowry, and Justin Rose.
Additional marquee names include Byeong Hun An, Si Woo Kim, Aaron Rai, Alex Noren, Bernd Wiesberger, Thorbjorn Olesen, Padraig Harrington, Luke Donald, and last week’s Irish Open winner Rasmus Hojgaard, among others.
Here’s the rest of what you’ll need to know to prep for the 2024 BMW PGA Championship.
The Skinnny
Tournament: BMW PGA Championship
Dates:Â Sep. 19-22, 2024
Where: Virginia Water, Surrey, England
Course:Â Wentworth (West)
Distance: Par 72, 7400 yards
Architect: Harry Colt and Ernie Els
Format: 126 players, 72-holes, stroke play, 36-hole cut
Purse: $9,000,000
Winning Share: $1,650,660
Defending Champion:Â Ryan Fox
TV & Online
Rd 1: Th 5:00 am-1:00 pm (GOLF)
Rd 2: Fr 5:00 am-1:00 pm (GOLF)
Rd 3: Sa 7:30 am-12:30 pm (GOLF)
Rd 4: Su 7:30 am-12:30 pm (GOLF)
LINKS: Web | Instagram | X/Twitter | Facebook
BMW PGA Championship History
Founded in 1955 as the British PGA Championship, the tournament is the European Tour’s flagship event, and annually contested at the historic Wentworth Club – home of the European PGA Tour.
As a Rolex Series event, the tournament offers a hefty $9,00,000 purse with the winner receiving over $1.5 million in prize money along with 64 Official World Golf Ranking points. An invite to the 2025 U.S. Open, as well as the next three British Opens, is also awarded to the champion.
The host venue is the Wentworth Club’s West Course, an historic design first brought to life in 1926 by one of the game’s legendary architects, Harry Colt. Modernization efforts have been undertaken led by Ernie Els three times in the last dozen years.
No one has had more success at this event than Sir Nick Faldo, who claimed four titles over a 12-year stretch, highlighted by three victories in a four-year span (1978, 1980, and 1981).
Another great English player, Colin Montgomerie, has a singular claim of his own, as he’s the only player to have won this event three consecutive years, from 1998-2000.
Along the way, a slew of other golf greats have added British PGA titles to their resumes, including the legendary Arnold Palmer, three-time winners Peter Allis and Bernhard Langer, two-time champs Seve Ballesteros, Ian Woosnam, Luke Donald, and Tony Jacklin.
Other familiar names to win here include Paul Casey, Tyrrell Hatton, Shane Lowry, and Rory McIlroy.
TOURNAMENT NAMES
2007-24: BMW PGA Championship
2005-06: BMW Championship
1988-04: Volvo PGA Championship
1984-87: Whyte & Mackay PGA Championship
1980-83: Sun Alliance PGA Championship
1978-79: Colgate PGA Championship
1975-77: Penfold PGA Championship
1972-74: Viyella PGA Championship
1967-71: Schweppes Open
1961-66: Schweppes PGA Close Championship
1955-60: PGA Close Championship
RECENT WINNERS
2023: Ryan Fox (-18)
2022: Shane Lowry (-17)
2021: Billy Horschel (-19)
2020: Tyrrell Hatton (-19)
2019: Danny Willett (-20)
2018: Francesco Molinari (-17)
2017: Alex Noren (-11)
2016: Chris Wood (-9)
2015: Byeong Hun An (-21)
2014: Rory McIlroy (-14)
2013: Matteo Manassero (-10)
2012: Luke Donald (-15)
2011: Luke Donald (-6)
Scoring Record
-21 Byeong Hun An (2015)
Wins
4 – Sir Nick Faldo (1978, ’80, ’81, ’89)
3 – Peter Alliss (1957, ’62, ’65)
3 – Bernhard Langer (1987, ’93, ’95)
3 – Colin Montgomerie (1998-2000)
Vault: Ryan Fox Wins 2023 BMW PGA
Ryan Fox produced a final-round 67 at Wentworth to win the 2023 BMW PGA Championship by one stroke over Aaron Rai (68) and 2020 BMW PGA winner Tyrrell Hatton (66) and two clear of Jon Rahm (68).
The 36-year-old New Zealand native entered Sunday’s finale on 13 under, three off the pace of Ludvig Aberg (76). But after a triple bogey-7 on the third hole, Fox found himself six shots back.
He would go bogey-free the rest of the way while making eight birdies, highlighted by an up-and-down gain on the final hole to win by one stroke on 18 under.
The win was Fox’s first Rolex Series title, and fourth career European Tour victory.
Final Top 5
Pos. Player To-Par (Final Rd)
1 Ryan Fox -18 (-5)
2 Aaron Rai -17 (-4)
2 Tyrrell Hatton -17 (-6)
4 Jon Rahm -16 (-4)
5 Viktor Hovland -15 (-5)
Full Field & Odds
Top 10 Favorites
1. Rory McIlroy (6-1)
2. Tommy Fleetwood (11-1)
3. Adam Scott (14-1)
3. Shane Lowry (14-1)
5. Aaron Rai (18-1)
6. Billy Horschel (22-1)
6. Robert MacIntyre (22-1)
8. Alex Noren (25-1)
8. Matteo Manassero (25-1)
8. Sepp Straka (25-1)
The full field with betting rankings and odds.
Credits: European Tour Media, Getty Images
