Players to watch making their BMW PGA Championship debut

Such is the history attached to the BMW PGA Championship, competing at one of the DP World Tour's prestige events is an ambition for players from around the world.

Held at the internationally-renowned Wentworth Club, the home venue since 1984, the third Rolex Series event of the Race to Dubai season has again assembled a star-studded field.

While for many the West Course is a known commodity, others - 21 players to be precise - will be tackling the Surrey championship layout, which blends heathland and parkland traits, for the first time.

Among them is a Major champion and member of the world's top 20, while winners from both the DP World Tour and PGA Tour will also be teeing it up vying to win one of men's golf's most prized titles.

Here, we take a look at some of the players making their BMW PGA Championship debut this week.

J.J. Spaun

Age: 36

Official World Golf Ranking: 17

The American enjoyed a breakthrough year in 2025, becoming a Major champion as he sealed victory at the U.S. Open with a walk-off birdie putt from 65 feet at Oakmont. Despite finishing runner-up at the PLAYERS Championship earlier in the year, he was still 120/1 with some bookmakers coming into the week but he is no longer viewed as an outsider at the biggest tournaments. Earlier this year, he won the Valero Texas Open for a second time to become a three-time winner on the PGA Tour. Three further top tens - two coming in Signature Events stateside - helped him reach last month's Tour Championship at East Lake, where he withdrew with a shoulder injury.

Jacob Skov Olesen

Age: 27

Official World Golf Ranking: 103

While the Dane is awaiting an elusive DP World Tour victory, it surely won't be long before it happens. Having turned professional after earning his DP World Tour playing privileges as an amateur at the Final Stage of Qualifying School in 2024, he has proven himself equipped to compete with many of the world's best. The big-swinging left-hander has eight top tens so far this season, including twice as a runner-up, while he finished tied 11th at the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai last year. In the mix to further his development by earning dual membership with the PGA Tour via the Race to Dubai Rankings Delivered by DP World.

Alex Smalley

Age: 29

Official World Golf Ranking: 46

Along with Spaun, he is bidding to become just the third American after Billy Horschel and Arnold Palmer to win this title. He comes into that bid on the back of his career-best PGA Tour campaign which saw him compete among the leading 30 players at the Tour Championship after making 20 cuts from 24 appearances. The highlight of his season was a title tilt at the US PGA Championship, where he held a two-shot 54-hole lead before finishing tied second behind Aaron Rai at Aronimink. That result lifted him into the top 50 on the Official World Golf Ranking for the first time where he has since remained. It was his second runner-up finish over a matter of weeks after nearly winning his first PGA Tour title at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans alongside countryman Hayden Springer.

David Puig

Age: 24

Official World Golf Ranking: 79

The Spaniard became a DP World Tour winner at the BMW Australian PGA Championship in November last year at the outset of the ongoing season. In doing so, he followed in the footsteps of European golf great Seve Ballesteros as he became the second Spanish winner of the tournament. Carried across the momentum from that performance into the new year, recording back-to-back top tens at the Dubai Invitational and Rolex Series Hero Dubai Desert Classic. Will be hoping to recreate that form as he builds towards a debut at the DP World Tour Play-Offs later in the year. Has two other professional wins, with both of those coming on the Asian Tour.

Michael Hollick

Age: 39

Official World Golf Ranking: 170

Four years ago, the South African put his career in the paid ranks to one side and started coaching. The decision proved eye-opening, reaffirming his hunger to later resume competing on the Sunshine Tour, through which he earned his card for this season after a campaign which saw him win twice to become a four-time winner on his home circuit. With his 40th birthday coming in May next year, he is enjoying a dream rookie campaign on the DP World Tour. After a top-five finish at the Crown Australian Open, backing it up with two further top tens as he earned his Rolex Series debut in Dubai in January. While his early season form faded, it came back in style as he produced a birdie-eagle finish to win the BMW International Open in July.

Read more - From student to teacher - How coaching helped Michael Hollick become a 38-year-old rookie

Stefano Mazzoli

Age: 29

Official World Golf Ranking: 214

The Italian became both a DP World Tour and PGA Tour winner in July with victory at the Corales Puntacana Championship. Entering the week, he was 424th in the world and without a top ten in 2026. However, through the victory he is guarenteed entry into the PLAYERS Championship and US PGA Championship next year, highlighting how quickly a career can be transformed. It was only last year that he earned promotion to the DP World Tour for this season after finishing eighth on the Road to Mallorca Rankings on the HotelPlanner Tour. In 2024, he was named Asian Tour Rookie of the Year after several top-ten finishes. Missed the cut on his only previous Rolex Series start at the Italian Open as an amateur in 2017.

Wenyi Ding

Age: 21

Official World Golf Ranking: 275

In 2024, the rising Chinese star was the winner of the inaugural Global Amateur Pathway - a route for non-collegiate amateur players on to the DP World Tour and partner Tours around the world to make the next steps in their careers. Subsequently, he made his debut as a professional on home soil at the Hangzhou Open on the HotelPlanner Tour. Narrowly fell short of making it to the DP World Tour Play-Offs in the United Arab Emirates at the end of his debut season on golf's global tour. He has continued to further establish himself, finishing runner-up to Puig in Australia late last year and has since registered five top 20s. One of those came on his Rolex Series debut in Dubai, with the experience gained from that elevated platform likely to serve him well.

Read more - Wenyi Ding: The standout amateur growing into a DP World Tour contender

Davis Bryant

Age: 26

Official World Golf Ranking: 172

The American is set for his Rolex Series debut after securing his spot as the top-ranked non exempt player from within the top-50 on the Race to Dubai. At 20th in the season-long standings, he is in the mix for dual membership with the PGA Tour next year after playing his way back onto the DP World Tour last year through the Qualifying School. In his rookie season on golf's global tour, he finished tied fourth at the BMW International Open in Germany after holding the halfway lead. This year, he has enjoyed an impressive campaign based on consistency which has seen him not miss a cut since the Hainan Classic presented by MAEXTRO in March.

In full - The players making their BMW PGA Championship debut

Players in bold are DP World Tour members