The best of the European Tour converge on the Wentworth estate this week for the 64th BMW PGA Championship. With extra Ryder Cup points on offer and the chance to be the first Rolex Series winner of the 2018 season, there is a lot on the line.
Players will get a second look at the redesigned greens at Wentworth's West Course that received high praise this time last year. The weather is expected to be bright and sunny all week, with the course in immaculate condition.
The challenge of Wentworth remains a multi-faceted one, with a long, 7,300 yard layout weaving back and forth through trees, demanding players hit it both ways and navigate the fast, testing green complexes. Look out for good putters to do well this week.
Favourite: Branden Grace
World Number 33 Branden Grace will tee it up at Wentworth for the sixth time in his career this week. The South African has finished in the top 15 three times here, including a top ten last year. He is 21 under par for his five appearances and hit 52 greens in regulation twelve months ago, bettered only by Graeme Storm. That type of ball striking added to one of the best putting games on Tour should be a strong combination for Wentworth's West Course.
As for form, Grace has finished in the top 40 in all six starts on the European Tour this season. His year kicked off with a runner-up finish at the BMW SA Open, could he season continue this week with another BMW title on his mantle.
Form horse: Ross Fisher
Ross Fisher is one of only a select few players in this week's field that have won at Wentworth before. The Englishman took home the Volvo World Match Play Championship here in 2009 with a 4&3 victory over Anthony Kim. This will be Fisher's 13th appearance at the BMW PGA, highlighted by a runner-up finish in 2009 and two other top ten finishes. Whilst his recent form hasn't been overly impressive, Fisher has a knack of playing well on home soil and a runner-up earlier this season in Abu Dhabi shows he is one for the big stage. He finished inside the top 20 in driving distance, fairways and putts per round here last year and with extra Ryder Cup points up for grabs this week, don't be surprised to see Fisher turn around his recent form starting this week.
Wildcard: Paul Dunne
In his last four European Tour outings, Paul Dunne has a win at the GolfSixes, a runner-up finish at the Open de Espana and a seventh place finish at the Volvo China Open. Despite that, he is flying under the radar this week in his second BMW PGA appearance. He took to the West Course well last year, finishing with a 69 and a top 30 finish. Known to possess one of the best short games on Tour, that strength should serve him well on the fast, revamped Wentworth greens and tricky rough that surrounds the putting surfaces.
Think you've got what it takes to pick a winning team? Time to register your side for our season-long game by clicking here. Good luck!
