| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Location | Surrey, England |
| Established | 1955 |
| Course(s) | Wentworth Club |
| Par | 71 |
| Length | 7,261 yards (6,639 m) |
| Tour(s) | European Tour |
| Format | Stroke play |
| Prize fund | €4,500,000 |
| Month played | May |
| Tournament record score | |
| Aggregate | 266 Brian Bamford (1961) |
| Current champion | |
| Luke Donald | |
The BMW PGA Championship, as it is currently known for sponsorship reasons, is an annual men's professional golf tournament on the European Tour. It was founded in 1955 by the Professional Golfers' Association, and as such was originally called the British PGA Championship. Since then it has had several sponsored names, but the phrase "PGA Championship" has usually been included in the name.
The BMW PGA Championship is played each May over the West Course at the Wentworth Club in Surrey, England. The PGA European Tour has its headquarters at the club and as the tour's home tournament, the BMW PGA Championship is often regarded as the flagship event on the European Tour. It has usually had the highest prize money of any event which the tour organises, but this changed in 2009 with the introduction of the Race to Dubai, and the $10 million Dubai World Championship at the end of the season. There are other more lucrative events than the BMW PGA Championship which are part of the European Tour schedule, such as the majors and the World Golf Championship events, but these are organised by other bodies. It is also the European Tour's designated "Premier event" for the purposes of the Official World Golf Rankings, with a minimum of 64 ranking points available to the winner.[1]
In 2000, Colin Montgomerie became the only player to have completed a hat-trick of titles.[2]
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* – Because of rain, in 1960 the tournament was reduced to 63 holes, and in 1984 it was shortened to 54 holes.
(c) & (o) – In 1967 and 1968, both open and closed championships were held.
Only eight men have won the event more than once up to and including 2011.
Currently in the United Kingdom, the first 2 rounds of the BMW PGA Championship are shown live by Sky Sports with highlights being shown by the BBC, and the final 2 rounds are shown live by the BBC with highlights being shown by Sky Sports.