BMW of North America, the PGA Tour, and Western Golf Association (WGA) announced that BMW will continue as title sponsor of the BMW Championship through 2019.
BMW has sponsored the tournament since 2007 when it became the third of four Playoff events with the introduction of the PGA Tour’s FedExCup Playoffs. During the term of the extension, BMW will continue to serve as the “Official Vehicle” of The Barclays and Tour Championship by Coca-Cola, the first, and final FedExCup Playoff events, respectively.
This year’s BMW Championship will be September 4–7 at Cherry Hills Country Club in Denver, Colorado. (For more about BMW and golf in Colorado this year, see below.)
“Since becoming title sponsor of this historic tournament, BMW not only has been committed to elevating the stature of the BMW Championship as a Playoff event, but also to supporting the WGA and the Evans Scholars Foundation,” PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem said. “BMW has been a terrific partner of both the PGA Tour and WGA, and we very much look forward to continuing this collaboration over the next five years.”
The BMW Championship was named the PGA Tour’s Tournament of the Year in 2012 and 2013 and includes an impressive list of champions, including Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Justin Rose, Dustin Johnson, Camilo Villegas, and defending champion, Zach Johnson.
All net proceeds from the BMW Championship conducted by the WGA benefit the Evans Scholars Foundation, which grants full college scholarships to deserving young caddies. Since BMW became title sponsor in 2007, the tournament has contributed more than $16 million to the Evans Scholars Foundation.
The BMW Championship dates back to 1899 when it debuted as the Western Open, making it the third-oldest tournament on the PGA Tour schedule, behind only the British Open and U.S. Open. Once it became the penultimate Playoff event, the tournament converted from a full field event to a field of 70 players to determine the final 30 players for the FedExCup finale at the Tour Championship by Coca-Cola in Atlanta.
In other golf news concerning BMW and specifically, the BMW CCA…
BMW’s sponsorship of this PGA Tour event is big news in the golf world. For some BMW CCA members who also happen to play golf, there could be even bigger news if they enter the BMW CCA Foundation’s Charity Golf Tournament at Oktoberfest 2014 in Beaver Creek, Colorado next month. With a hole-in-one on a designated par 3 hole, tournament players could win a new BMW i8 plug-in hybrid sports car. Or with a hole-in-one on a different designated par 3 hole, they could win a two-year lease of a new BMW X5. Other holes have other prizes for longest drive, straightest drive, closest to the pin, and more. It will be fun and you never know, it could get you an i8.—Scott Blazey
Go to http://ofest.bmwcca.org/events/foundationgolf for more information on the BMW CCA Foundation Tournament and Oktoberfest registration.
