The 2019 BMW PGA Championship – Who Will Win at Wentworth?

Golf fans looking forward to the BMW PGA Championship have had to wait a little longer to see their favourite sportsmen in action this year, as the event is taking place from the 18th until the 22nd of September, four months later than usual. As a result of the move, however, a host of top players will be taking part, so spectators will be in for a treat. Read on to discover more about the tournament and find out who’ll be competing for the distinctive golf trophy.

Key Facts About The Famous British Golf Tournament

The PGA Championship has undergone many changes in its history, but it’s been around since 1955. It’s been held at the Wentworth Golf Club in Surrey, the headquarters of the PGA European Tour, since 1984 and is viewed as the flagship event in the 48-tournament competition. The championship winner gets a minimum of 64 Official World Golf Ranking points, the largest share of the US$7 million purse, automatic qualification for the next three British Open events and the 2020 US Open championship, and the chance to have their name emblazoned on the famous golf trophy, so it attracts many of the top players on the circuit.

Previous BMW PGA Championship victors include: Seve Ballesteros, who won the tournament in 1983 and 1991; Nick Faldo, the only person to have won it four times (1978, 1980, 1981 and 1989); and Colin Montgomerie, who became the first player to rack up three back-to-back wins when he claimed the trophy in 2000.

While the championship has been held annually in May for the past 44 years, it’s taking place in September this year due to changes to other events in the golfing calendar. In July 2018, the organisers of the PGA Tour announced that they would be making a raft of alterations to the 2019 tournament schedule. As part of the overhaul, the US PGA Championship was moved from August to May, so the PGA European Tour organisers rescheduled the BMW PGA Championship to ensure that as many of golf’s biggest stars as possible would be free to come to Wentworth for the event.

The 2019 Competition – Who’s Set to Be Taking Part?

Whether you’re heading to Surrey to see the action up close or planning to settle down and watch it on TV, you’ll be pleased to know that the decision to change the tournament dates seems to have paid off. There are some big names on the players list, so it should be a highly competitive event.

Last year’s winner, Francesco Molinari, will return to Wentworth to defend his title, while Rory McIlroy, the 2019 Fed Ex Cup champion, will be hoping to win the tournament for a second time, having previously claimed the trophy in 2014. Shane Lowry, who won the 2019 Open Championship in July will also be competing for the title, as will Tommy Fleetwood and Justin Rose.

Other title contenders worth watching include Pádraig Harrington, Matthew Fitzpatrick, Branden Grace, Viktor Hovland, Henrik Stenson, Jon Rahm, Alex Noren, Ian Poulter, Patrick Reed, Billy Horschel, Tony Finau, Paul Casey and Matt Wallace.

Which player’s name do you think will be added to the BMW PGA Championship trophy this year? We’d love to know your tournament predictions – share them with us below, on Twitter or on Facebook.