The 2019 BMW Championship Gets Underway at Medinah Country Club in Medinah, IL, Marking Return to Chicago Market.
- Phil DiIanni
Heisman Trophy Winner and College Football Hall of Famer Bo Jackson, Baseball Legend and World Series Champion Roger Clemens, Former Miss Missouri Katie Kearney Participated Alongside PGA TOUR players in the BMW Championship Gardner-Heidrick Pro-Am to Mark the Official Start of BMW Championship Week
Medinah, IL – August 14, 2019... The 2019 BMW Championship officially got underway today at Medinah Country Club in Medinah, Illinois, marking the event’s return to its traditional home in the Chicago area. Defending BMW Championship winner Keegan Bradley will look to become the first repeat champion since BMW became title sponsor in 2007, and only the third golfer to win multiple BMW Championship titles.
The annual BMW Championship Gardner Heidrick Pro-Am kicked off tournament week, with another star-studded field. Heisman Trophy winner and College Football Hall of Fame member Bo Jackson and baseball legend and World Series champion Roger Clemens were among the notables playing alongside PGA TOUR players. Also, teeing it up was former Miss Missouri and social media sensation, Katie Kearney. They participated in the largest fundraising event for the Evans Scholars Foundation, which provides full tuition and college scholarships to caddies throughout the country with limited financial means.
As always, all net proceeds from the 2019 BMW Championship will benefit the Evans Scholars Foundation, which provides full housing and tuition college scholarships to hardworking young caddies. Since the tournament’s inception in 2007, the BMW Championship has raised more than $30 million for the Evans Scholars Foundation. For the coming 2019-2020 academic year, 1,000 caddies will be attending 18 major colleges and universities on Evans Scholarships – a goal that BMW has helped come to fruition. Currently there are more than 11,500 Evans Scholarship Alumni nationwide.
Once again, BMW will also provide a full, four-year tuition and housing grant through the Evans Scholarship Foundation in the name of the first PGA TOUR player to record a hole-in-one during the 2019 BMW Championship.
The BMW Championship is the penultimate event of the PGA TOUR’s FedExCup Playoffs and for the first time, will be played in August – Thursday, August 15 through Sunday, August 18.
The 70-player field is expected to include some of the most accomplished golfers in the sport such as two-time BMW Championship winners Tiger Woods and Dustin Johnson, and other notables including Brooks Koepka, Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas, Jason Day and Phil Mickelson. All four of this year’s major championship winners (Woods, Koepka, Gary Woodland and Shane Lowry) will take on Medinah’s world-famous Course No. 3 layout, alongside reigning FedExCup winner Justin Rose.
PGA TOUR players will also have the opportunity to earn some significant prizes by carding a hole-in-one on the 17th hole. The first player to record an ace during competition rounds will receive the all-new BMW M8 convertible.
As always, fans attending the BMW Championship will have a multitude of interactive activities on the grounds, in addition to the golf, including:
For updates during the 2019 BMW Championship, follow the conversation with:
About the BMW Championship
The BMW Championship, conducted by the Western Golf Association, 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. BMW has sponsored the tournament since 2007 when it became the penultimate event of the PGA TOUR’s FedExCup Playoffs. The BMW Championship features a field of the top 70 players in the FedExCup standings to determine the final 30 players for the FedExCup finale at the TOUR Championship in Atlanta. To learn more, visit www.bmwchampionship.com.
About the Western Golf Association
The Western Golf Association conducts three national golf championships and sponsors the nationally acclaimed Evans Scholars Foundation. Headquartered in Golf, Illinois, the organization was founded in 1899 by 11 Chicago-area golf clubs to promote their interests in golf. In addition to the BMW Championship, the WGA conducts two prestigious amateur championships, the Western Amateur and the Western Junior. To learn more, visit www.wgaesf.org.
About the Evans Scholars Foundation
The Evans Scholars Foundation, the nation’s largest scholarship program for caddies, provides full housing and tuition college scholarships to young caddies who show academic promise and financial need. Overseen by the Western Golf Association, the golf charity has helped more than 11,500 caddies graduate from college since 1930. This fall, 1,000 Scholars are attending 18 universities nationwide.
BMW Group in the United States.
BMW of North America, LLC was established 50 years ago to support the sales, marketing and distribution of BMW automobiles and motorcycles in the U.S. In 1993 BMW Group Financial Services NA, LLC was founded, and one year later BMW Manufacturing Co., LLC began assembling vehicles in South Carolina. In 2002 and 2003, BMW Group established MINI USA, and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars NA, LLC relaunching two iconic brands and rounding out its product portfolio.
Today, the BMW Group has a nationwide corporate footprint in the U.S. which consists of nearly 30 locations in 12 different states. Beyond the National Sales Company and Financial Services headquarters in Woodcliff Lake, NJ, its manufacturing plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina, and numerous other operational facilities, BMW Group in the U.S. also includes Designworks, a strategic design consultancy in Santa Monica, CA, BMW Group Technology Office USA, a technology research and development center in Silicon Valley, and BMW i Ventures, a venture capital fund, also in Silicon Valley.
BMW Group Plant Spartanburg is the largest single BMW production facility in the world, and the global center of competence for BMW Sports Activity Vehicles including the X3, X4, X5, X6, X7, and XM. The plant assembles more than 1,500 vehicles each day, and up to 450,000 annually. Since 1994, Plant Spartanburg has assembled nearly 7 million BMW vehicles in the U.S.
The BMW Group sales organization in the U.S. is represented through a network of 350 BMW retailers, 147 BMW motorcycle retailers, 104 MINI passenger car dealers, and 38 Rolls-Royce Motor Car dealers. The company’s activities provide and support over 120,000 jobs across the U.S. and contribute more than 43.3 billion to the U.S. economy annually.
Journalist note: Information about BMW Group and its products in the USA is available to journalists on-line at www.bmwusanews.com, www.miniusanews.com and www.press.bmwna.com
The annual BMW Championship Gardner Heidrick Pro-Am kicked off tournament week, with another star-studded field. Heisman Trophy winner and College Football Hall of Fame member Bo Jackson and baseball legend and World Series champion Roger Clemens were among the notables playing alongside PGA TOUR players. Also, teeing it up was former Miss Missouri and social media sensation, Katie Kearney. They participated in the largest fundraising event for the Evans Scholars Foundation, which provides full tuition and college scholarships to caddies throughout the country with limited financial means.
As always, all net proceeds from the 2019 BMW Championship will benefit the Evans Scholars Foundation, which provides full housing and tuition college scholarships to hardworking young caddies. Since the tournament’s inception in 2007, the BMW Championship has raised more than $30 million for the Evans Scholars Foundation. For the coming 2019-2020 academic year, 1,000 caddies will be attending 18 major colleges and universities on Evans Scholarships – a goal that BMW has helped come to fruition. Currently there are more than 11,500 Evans Scholarship Alumni nationwide.
Once again, BMW will also provide a full, four-year tuition and housing grant through the Evans Scholarship Foundation in the name of the first PGA TOUR player to record a hole-in-one during the 2019 BMW Championship.
The BMW Championship is the penultimate event of the PGA TOUR’s FedExCup Playoffs and for the first time, will be played in August – Thursday, August 15 through Sunday, August 18.
The 70-player field is expected to include some of the most accomplished golfers in the sport such as two-time BMW Championship winners Tiger Woods and Dustin Johnson, and other notables including Brooks Koepka, Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas, Jason Day and Phil Mickelson. All four of this year’s major championship winners (Woods, Koepka, Gary Woodland and Shane Lowry) will take on Medinah’s world-famous Course No. 3 layout, alongside reigning FedExCup winner Justin Rose.
PGA TOUR players will also have the opportunity to earn some significant prizes by carding a hole-in-one on the 17th hole. The first player to record an ace during competition rounds will receive the all-new BMW M8 convertible.
As always, fans attending the BMW Championship will have a multitude of interactive activities on the grounds, in addition to the golf, including:
- BMW Fan Challenge Powered by Topgolf CRUSH
Located across from the driving range, is your chance to test your skills against the best golfers on the PGA TOUR awaits at the BMW Fan Challenge Powered by Topgolf CRUSH. This five-shot game challenges you to beat the scores of your favorite players. High scores throughout the week will receive prizes, compliments of BMW. The highest score of the week will win a trip to the BMW Performance Center in Thermal, California, where they’ll experience power, speed and adrenaline through the BMW M School program.
- Biergarten
Nestled between the first tee and 18th green, fans can prepare for Oktoberfest, as the Biergarten offers all patrons a place to relax and experience the BMW Championship without missing any of the action. The space features natural shade, picnic tables, authentic German beer, and yes, pretzels. With a large video board showing live tournament coverage, you can take a break and enjoy a taste of Germany while enjoying the competition of the BMW Championship.
- BMW Owners’ Pavilion
A BMW key unlocks the best views that the BMW Championship has to offer. Once inside the BMW Championship, Owners and a guest can access the BMW Owners’ Pavilion by simply showing their BMW key fob. There, they are invited to relax and enjoy premium concessions as well as unparalleled views of the 16th green, 17th tee, and 17th green.
For updates during the 2019 BMW Championship, follow the conversation with:
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/BMWChampionship
- Twitter: @BMWchamps, @PGATOUR, @WGAESF, @MedinahCC
- Instagram: @BMWChamps, @PGATOUR, @BMWUSA, @medinahcountryclub
- Hashtags: #BMWChamps #BMWGolf #PGATOUR #FedExCup, #LiveUnderPar
About the BMW Championship
The BMW Championship, conducted by the Western Golf Association, 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. BMW has sponsored the tournament since 2007 when it became the penultimate event of the PGA TOUR’s FedExCup Playoffs. The BMW Championship features a field of the top 70 players in the FedExCup standings to determine the final 30 players for the FedExCup finale at the TOUR Championship in Atlanta. To learn more, visit www.bmwchampionship.com.
About the Western Golf Association
The Western Golf Association conducts three national golf championships and sponsors the nationally acclaimed Evans Scholars Foundation. Headquartered in Golf, Illinois, the organization was founded in 1899 by 11 Chicago-area golf clubs to promote their interests in golf. In addition to the BMW Championship, the WGA conducts two prestigious amateur championships, the Western Amateur and the Western Junior. To learn more, visit www.wgaesf.org.
About the Evans Scholars Foundation
The Evans Scholars Foundation, the nation’s largest scholarship program for caddies, provides full housing and tuition college scholarships to young caddies who show academic promise and financial need. Overseen by the Western Golf Association, the golf charity has helped more than 11,500 caddies graduate from college since 1930. This fall, 1,000 Scholars are attending 18 universities nationwide.
BMW Group in the United States.
BMW of North America, LLC was established 50 years ago to support the sales, marketing and distribution of BMW automobiles and motorcycles in the U.S. In 1993 BMW Group Financial Services NA, LLC was founded, and one year later BMW Manufacturing Co., LLC began assembling vehicles in South Carolina. In 2002 and 2003, BMW Group established MINI USA, and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars NA, LLC relaunching two iconic brands and rounding out its product portfolio.
Today, the BMW Group has a nationwide corporate footprint in the U.S. which consists of nearly 30 locations in 12 different states. Beyond the National Sales Company and Financial Services headquarters in Woodcliff Lake, NJ, its manufacturing plant in Spartanburg, South Carolina, and numerous other operational facilities, BMW Group in the U.S. also includes Designworks, a strategic design consultancy in Santa Monica, CA, BMW Group Technology Office USA, a technology research and development center in Silicon Valley, and BMW i Ventures, a venture capital fund, also in Silicon Valley.
BMW Group Plant Spartanburg is the largest single BMW production facility in the world, and the global center of competence for BMW Sports Activity Vehicles including the X3, X4, X5, X6, X7, and XM. The plant assembles more than 1,500 vehicles each day, and up to 450,000 annually. Since 1994, Plant Spartanburg has assembled nearly 7 million BMW vehicles in the U.S.
The BMW Group sales organization in the U.S. is represented through a network of 350 BMW retailers, 147 BMW motorcycle retailers, 104 MINI passenger car dealers, and 38 Rolls-Royce Motor Car dealers. The company’s activities provide and support over 120,000 jobs across the U.S. and contribute more than 43.3 billion to the U.S. economy annually.
Journalist note: Information about BMW Group and its products in the USA is available to journalists on-line at www.bmwusanews.com, www.miniusanews.com and www.press.bmwna.com