The West Course at Wentworth Club in May is a hugely attractive proposition at the best of times. Blend in an intoxicating cocktail of Major Champions, some of the world’s top golfers chasing a first prize of €708,330, and Ernie Els’s thumbprint on some subtle course refinements, and it is easy to understand why the BMW Championship remains a Holy Grail for every European Tour player.
Now deservedly carrying the banner of The Players’ Flagship, the BMW Championship 2006 brings the promise of inspiring feats, rousing shot-making and a contest to savour over the extended West Course, that acclaimed Harry Colt masterpiece which has enjoyed a latter-day master’s modification by Wentworth’s touring professional.
The amiable South African and his fellow Springbok, Retief Goosen – respectively sixth and third in the Official World Golf Ranking - anchor a superb cast of eight Major Championship winners in a quality field.
In all, six of the top 12 in the Official World Ranking will challenge for that €708,330 first prize from the record €4,250,000 prize fund. Goosen, Els, Adam Scott of Australia (eighth), England’s Luke Donald (tenth) Spain’s José Maria Olazábal (11th) and Sweden’s Henrik Stenson (12th) all feature in the quest to win one of the most coveted titles on The European Tour International Schedule.
Joining that illustrious group are David Howell, Colin Montgomerie - who is seeking a record-equalling fourth title - Darren Clarke, defending Champion Angel Cabrera, US Open Champion Michael Campbell, Nick O’Hern, Padraig Harrington, Thomas Björn, Niclas Fasth, Trevor Immelman, Lee Westwood and - fitness permitting - Paul McGinley.
The roll call of Major Championship winners comprises Ben Curtis, Paul Lawrie, Sandy Lyle and Ian Woosnam, who will join Campbell, Els, Goosen and Olazábal in a Championship which invariably inspires and is inspirational to watch. It will be a memorable week for Woosnam who, in addition to being Europe's Ryder Cup Captain at The K Club, reaches the notable milestone of his 500th appearance on The European Tour at the season's Flagship event.
Under the guidance of Els, who has won a record six HSBC World Match Play Championships at the famous Surrey estate he calls home, the West Course has been remodelled to meet the demands of the modern-day golfer.
Two players who are sure to enjoy the new challenge are Donald and Scott who will bring a certain carefree exuberance to the event. The methodical and resolute Englishman and the cool, taciturn Australian have thrilled crowds the world over in their relatively short careers, winning a total of 14 tournaments between them on both The European Tour and the US PGA Tour.
Donald is the most recent winner of the two, taking the Honda Classic title in America in March, while Scott has been the more prolific, winning a total of ten titles – five on The European Tour International Schedule and five in America.
Donald made his BMW Championship debut last year, finishing in a tie for 18th, and he will be looking to improve upon that performance this season. The BMW Championship is a particularly special one for the 28 year old Englishman as he can spend the week surrounded by his family in High Wycombe, the town where he was born, just 30 miles from Wentworth Club.
Scott’s best finish at the BMW Championship was 11th two years ago, and he will be making his first appearance since then.
Last year’s champion, Cabrera, will clock up his tenth successive appearance in the BMW Championship, attempting to emulate Nick Faldo and Colin Montgomerie as the only players to make a successful title defence.
Faldo claimed the PGA Championship at Royal St George’s in 1980 and at Ganton in 1981 while Montgomerie became the first player to win in three successive years between 1998 and 2000.
Now Cabrera aims to join that elite club following his superb two stroke victory over Ireland’s Paul McGinley in the first BMW-partnered Championship over the West Course last year. It came as no great surprise that the 36 year old from Cordoba, with his awesome power game, prevailed at last. Twice a runner-up between 2001 and 2004, Cabrera was a winner in waiting.
The Argentine golfer enjoyed his best finish to date in the Masters Tournament in April when he closed with a brilliant 68 for a share of eighth place, securing an automatic return to Augusta National in 2007.
Now he has fixed his sights on marking his tenth anniversary at Wentworth Club by retaining his title over a course he clearly adores. He said: “Last year’s victory and my win in the Benson and Hedges International Open at The Belfry in 2002, remain the highlights of my career so far, but I would love to join Nick and Monty and successfully defend my title at Wentworth. It is a beautiful golf course – one of my favourites in the world – and I also came close to winning the HSBC World Match Play there last year before Paul (McGinley) beat me in the semi-finals.”
One of the men Cabrera may well have to contend with in his quest is Olazábal, a leading light in Europe over the past 20 years, who has confirmed his desire to win once more in the event he rates most highly outside the Majors. The dashing Spanish conquistador returns to the course, where he won the title in 1994 and has never missed the cut, just seven weeks after his magnificent performance in finishing tied third in a bid to capture a third Green Jacket at the Masters Tournament at Augusta National.
Now on his 21st season on Tour, Olazábal will mark the 20th anniversary of his first professional victory later this year. Winner of The European Tour Qualifying School in 1985, he captured the first two of his 23 Tour titles in 1986 on his way to being named The Sir Henry Cotton Rookie of the Year.
The Spaniard enjoyed a highly productive year in 1994, when he won his first Masters then, a month later, overtook Els with a superb closing 65 to add the PGA Championship to his list of achievements.
Olazábal, who will be making his 19th appearance in the BMW Championship, said: “I recall winning the PGA five weeks after my first Masters victory. That was the icing on the cake in 1994 because if I had to choose any title outside the Majors, this is the one to win.”
Another player looking forward eagerly to the week is Howell, the current leader of The European Tour Order of Merit, who recorded the second of his three European Tour wins in the BMW International Open at Golfclub München Nord-Eichenried last August, shooting four rounds in the sixties for a one shot win over American John Daly and Brett Rumford of Australia.
He said: “Having won the BMW International Open in Munich, I would love to add the BMW Championship to my collection. It is unquestionably our flagship event in Europe and it would be great to step up on my fourth place finish at Wentworth last year.”
Els is not the only Wentworth professional teeing up this week. Rising star Ross Fisher, who finished a highly creditable tied fifth in the Nissan Irish Open, makes his debut in the BMW Championship over his home course.
All in all, it will be a feast of golf with every one of the 156 competitors determined to reap a rich harvest on Sunday evening. Only one will ultimately succeed, but the chase will provide wonderful value for the spectators and television fans alike.
