BMW PGA Championship
 | |
| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Location | Surrey, England |
| Established | 1955 |
| Course(s) | Wentworth Club |
| Par | 72 |
| Length | 7,302 yards (6,677 m) |
| Tour(s) | European Tour |
| Format | Stroke play |
| Prize fund | US$7,000,000 |
| Month played | May |
| Tournament record score | |
| Aggregate | 266 Brian Bamford (1961) |
| Current champion | |
 Alexander Norén | |
 2017 BMW PGA Championship | |
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]
The winner of the tournament is given an exemption into that season's U.S. Open and the next three Open Championships.
In 2000, Colin Montgomerie became the only player to win three years in a row.[2]
Winners
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- Pre-European Tour
| Year | Winner | Country | Venue | Score | Margin of victory | Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Schweppes Open | ||||||
| 1970–71: No tournament | ||||||
| 1969 | Bernard Gallacher |  Scotland | Ashburnham Golf Club | 293 (+5) | 1 stroke |  John Garner Guy Wolstenholme |
| 1968 (o) | David Talbot | England | Dunbar Golf Club | 276 (−8) | 5 strokes | Bernard Hunt |
| 1967 (o) | Malcolm Gregson | England | Hunstanton Golf Club | 275 (−13) | 3 strokes |  Hugh Boyle |
| Piccadilly PGA Close Championship | ||||||
| 1968 (c) | Peter Townsend | England | Royal Mid-Surrey Golf Club | 275 (−5) | 1 stroke | Neil Coles |
| PGA Close Championship | ||||||
| 1967 (c) | Brian Huggett |  Wales | Thorndon Park Golf Club | 271 (−13) | 8 strokes | Jimmy Hitchcock Bernard Hunt |
| Schweppes PGA Close Championship | ||||||
| 1966 | Guy Wolstenholme | England | Saunton Golf Club | 278 (−2) | 4 strokes | George Will |
| 1965 | Peter Alliss (3) | England | Prince's Golf Club | 286 (−6) | Playoff (1st hole) | Peter Butler |
| 1964 | Tony Grubb | England | Western Gailes Golf Club | 287 (−1) | 2 strokes | Lionel Platts |
| 1963 | Peter Butler | England | Royal Birkdale Golf Club | 306 | 2 strokes | Bobby Walker |
| 1962 | Peter Alliss (2) | England | Little Aston Golf Club (and Sutton Coldfield Golf Club) | 287 | 1 stroke | Ralph Moffitt Christy O'Connor Snr |
| 1961 | Brian Bamford | England | Royal Mid-Surrey Golf Club (and Richmond Golf Club) | 266 (−11) | 3 strokes | Peter Alliss Christy O'Connor Snr |
| PGA Close Championship | ||||||
| 1960* | Arnold Stickley | England | Coventry Golf Club | 247 | 2 strokes | Dai Rees |
| 1959 | Dai Rees | Wales | Ashburnham Golf Club | 283 | 6 strokes | Bernard Hunt David Snell |
| 1958 | Harry Bradshaw | Ireland | Maesdu Golf Club | 287 | 1 stroke | Dai Rees |
| 1957 | Peter Alliss | England | Maesdu Golf Club | 286 | 3 strokes | Charlie Ward |
| 1956 | Charlie Ward | England | Maesdu Golf Club | 282 | Playoff (36 holes) | Eric Brown |
| 1955 | Ken Bousfield | England | Pannal Golf Club (and Starbeck Golf Club) | 277 | 2 strokes | Max Faulkner |
* – Because of bad weather, 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.
In 1956 Ward beat Brown 139 to 141 in the playoff.
Multiple winners
Only nine men have won the event more than once up to and including 2016.
- 4 wins:
- Nick Faldo – 1978, 1980, 1981, 1989
- 3 wins:
- Peter Alliss – 1957, 1962, 1965
- Bernhard Langer – 1987, 1993, 1995
- Colin Montgomerie – 1998, 1999, 2000
- 2 wins:
- Tony Jacklin – 1972, 1982
- Seve Ballesteros – 1983, 1991
- Ian Woosnam – 1988, 1997
- Anders Hansen – 2002, 2007
- Luke Donald – 2011, 2012
Media coverage
Currently in the United Kingdom, all four rounds of the BMW PGA Championship are shown live by Sky Sports with highlights being shown by the BBC.
References
- ↑ "How the system works". Official World Golf Ranking. Retrieved 23 October 2016.
- ↑ "Montgomerie Wins 3rd Straight Volvo". The New York Times. 30 May 2000. Retrieved 23 May 2009.
External links
- Coverage on the European Tour's official site
- BMW Golfsport – official BMW golf site
Coordinates: 51°24′N 0°35′W / 51.40°N 0.59°W