BMW Championship (European Tour)
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- For the identically named event on the PGA Tour, see BMW Championship (PGA Tour).
The BMW Championship, known as the "Volvo PGA Championship" for many years up to 2004, is an annual men's professional golf tournament on the European Tour. In 2007 a separate BMW Championship will be introduced in the United States as the third of four PGA Tour playoff tournaments for the FedEx Cup.
The European Tour event is played each May over the West Course at Wentworth Club outside London. It was founded in 1955 and was originally the British PGA Championship. Since then it has had several sponsored names, and in 2005 "PGA" was dropped from the name for the first time.
The PGA European Tour is headquartered at Wentworth, and the Volvo PGA Championship is often regarded as the flagship event on the European Tour as it is the tour's home event and it has the highest prize money of any event which it organises (€4,250,000 in 2006). There are however more lucrative events which are part of the tour schedule, including the majors and the World Golf Championship events, but these are organised by other bodies. The importance of the event is reflected in the high number of world rankings points awarded at the tournament.
[edit] Winners
BMW Championship
- 2006 David Howell - England
- 2005 Angel Cabrera - Argentina
Volvo PGA Championship
- 2004 Scott Drummond - Scotland
- 2003 Ignacio Garrido - Spain
- 2002 Anders Hansen - Denmark
- 2001 Andrew Oldcorn - Scotland
- 2000 Colin Montgomerie - Scotland
- 1999 Colin Montgomerie - Scotland
- 1998 Colin Montgomerie - Scotland
- 1997 Ian Woosnam - Wales
- 1996 Costantino Rocca - Italy
- 1995 Bernhard Langer - Germany
- 1994 José María Olazábal - Spain
- 1993 Bernhard Langer - Germany
- 1992 Tony Johnstone - Zimbabwe
- 1991 Seve Ballesteros - Spain
- 1990 Mike Harwood - Australia
- 1989 Nick Faldo - England
- 1988 Ian Woosnam - Wales
Whyte & Mackay PGA Championship
- 1987 Bernhard Langer - Germany
- 1986 Rodger Davis - Australia
- 1985 Paul Way - England
- 1984 Howard Clark
Sun Alliance PGA Championship
- 1983 Seve Ballesteros - Spain
- 1982 Tony Jacklin - England
- 1981 Nick Faldo - England
- 1980 Nick Faldo - England
Colgate PGA Championship
- 1979 Vicente Fernandez - Argentina
- 1978 Nick Faldo - England
Penfold PGA Championship
- 1977 Manuel Piñero - Spain
- 1976 Neil Coles - England
- 1975 Arnold Palmer - United States
Viyella PGA Championship
- 1974 Maurice Bembridge - England
- 1973 Peter Oosterhuis - England
- 1972 Tony Jacklin - England
Schweppes Open
- 1970-1971 No tournament
- 1969 Bernard Gallacher - Scotland
- 1968 David Talbot - England
- 1967 Peter Townsend - England
British PGA Championship
- 1966 Brian Huggett - Wales
- 1965 Peter Alliss - England
- 1964 Tony Grubb
- 1963 Peter Butler - England
- 1962 Peter Alliss - England
- 1961 Brian Bamford - England
- 1960 Arnold Stickley - England
- 1959 Dai Rees - Wales
- 1958 Harry Bradshaw - Ireland
- 1957 Peter Alliss - England
- 1956 Charlie Ward
- 1955 Ken Bousfield - England
[edit] External links
- Coverage on the European Tour's official site - use schedule browser to access other years
- How World Ranking points are awarded