The enduring ability of the BMW PGA Championship to attract a global Who’s Who of golf is emphasised once again this week when a world class international field assembles at Wentworth Club to contest the flagship event on The European Tour International Schedule.
Eight Major Champions lead the way and are joined on the famous West Course by a plethora of Ryder Cup players along with a host of European Tour winners, all vying to add one of golf’s most prestigious titles to their respective CVs alongside a handsome first prize of €750,000 from a total prize fund of €4,500,000.
Half of the Major Men in action have already savoured the sweet taste of success in this part of Surrey; Angel Cabrera and José Maria Olazábal having won the BMW PGA Championship itself in 2005 and 1994 respectively, while Michael Campbell and Ernie Els have triumphed in the World Match Play Championship, Campbell winning in 2005 while Els has been victorious on no less than seven occasions between 1994 and 2007.
Cabrera, of course, travels to England with the Green Jacket in his suitcase after his memorable Masters Tournament victory in April, and the amiable Argentine will attempt to follow in the footsteps of Seve Ballesteros, Nick Faldo, Bernhard Langer and Olazábal, who all captured the Masters title before going on to further glory at Wentworth Club the following month.
“The BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth is always one of the highlights of the year,” he said. “The West Course is one of my favourites while the atmosphere surrounding the Championship gives it the feel of a Major event. I am looking forward enormously to trying to repeat my win of 2005.”
Ben Curtis, John Daly, Retief Goosen and Paul Lawrie complete the Major Champions in the line-up and they will be joined by several men of the moment including two exciting talents from the top ten of the Official World Golf Ranking – Henrik Stenson and Paul Casey.
Swede Stenson showed his class with an electrifying victory in The Players Championship two weeks ago while Casey who also tasted success in America in April’s Shell Houston Open, captured his ninth European Tour title in January by winning the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship and was runner up to Geoff Ogilvy in the World Golf Championships – Accenture Match Play at the beginning of March.
“BMW are one of our best sponsors and the Championship is at Wentworth, the home of The European Tour, so I am really looking forward to it,” said Casey. “We play all over the world now but there is always a special feeling when we arrive at Wentworth as this particular week heralds the start of a big part of the golfing season. It is a very important event.”
Add into an already potent mix, players of the talent of the English quartet Luke Donald, Justin Rose, Lee Westwood and Oliver Wilson; Sweden’s Robert Karlsson, the current owner of The Harry Vardon Trophy; the Spanish armada headed by defending champion Miguel Angel Jiménez; and young guns such as Germany’s Martin Kaymer and Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland and the stage is set for a thrilling week.
