The 2024 BMW PGA Championship (September 17-22, Wentworth Club, Surrey, England) is an important milestone for BMW as it celebrates its 20th anniversary.day This year is title partner of the DP World Tour’s flagship event. To mark this hugely successful partnership, we’re looking back at some of the highlights that have helped define the partnership over the past two decades.
The tournament dates back to 1955 when it was first known as the British PGA Championship until 2005 when BMW took over. Since then, the tournament has grown and evolved into a “golf extravaganza” featuring a star-studded pro-am lineup, a tournament village and live concerts from world-renowned artists.day BMW PGA Championship followed by No. 35day The BMW International Open further solidifies the brand's commitment to international golf.
Aside from its many championships, the tournament’s most striking legacy is arguably its deep links with charity, having supported many deserving causes over its 20-year history. Its most recent beneficiary is the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM), which works to change the conversation around mental health and suicide. Since 2022, over £150,000 has been raised for CALM, who will serve as Official Charity Partner for the third consecutive year.
We explore two decades of tournament and automotive highlights ahead of the 20th BMW PGA Championship, which is expected to be the best-attended tournament to date with tickets already sold out for both Saturday and Sunday.
2006: Two champions are born.
At the second BMW PGA Championship in 2006, David Howell won by five strokes, becoming the first local champion since Nick Faldo in 1989. At the same time, the BMW 3 Series was named “Car of the Year” in the prestigious What Car? Car of the Year Awards 2006. As a fifth-generation model, the 3 Series was praised by What Car? for its typically “sharp” driving dynamics, outstanding refinement and everyday practicality.
2008:
Stand out from the crowd.
Golf icon Miguel Ángel Jiménez put in a brilliant performance, scoring a hole-in-one on the fifth hole before defeating Oliver Wilson in the second playoff. Also outstanding was the BMW X6, the world's first sports coupe, combining the characteristics of an SUV with the stance of a coupe for the first time.
2010: Redesigned and reimagined.
South African golf legend Ernie Els, nicknamed “The Big Easy”, was responsible for the redesign of the West Course, including a major transformation of the 18th hole. Meanwhile, the BMW legend was also reshaped, with the BMW 5 Series Touring entering its fourth generation, equipped with an eight-speed automatic transmission, automatic start-stop technology and a luggage compartment capacity of up to 1,670 liters.
2011 and 2012: Both wins.
At the 2011 Championship, Englishman Luke Donald defeated his compatriot Lee Westwood with an amazing performance and won the world No. 1 title for the first time in his career. In 2012, Donald successfully defended his title, becoming the third player to successfully defend the title after Colin Montgomerie and Sir Nick Faldo. The fifth generation BMW M5 also came out with higher power and lower fuel consumption, with 560 horsepower, 10% more than the previous generation model, while reducing fuel consumption by more than 30%.
2013: New blood.
Italian athlete Matteo Manassero became the youngest champion in the history of this event, winning the championship trophy at the age of 20. At the same time, the BMW i3 made its debut as the first mass-produced model of the BMW i brand, using a new all-electric powertrain and groundbreaking new technologies. Like Manassero, this pioneer continues to create its own legend, with more than 250,000 units delivered to customers around the world.
2014: Global star.
Rory McIlroy sealed victory after a thrilling final round, overcoming a seven-shot deficit the day before to shoot 66 on the final day for a thrilling victory. The win was hailed as his first in the UK and capped off a memorable year for the world number one, in which he also won the British Open and the PGA Championship. The BMW i8, the first plug-in hybrid sports car from BMW, was also launched in 2014 and became a well-deserved star. Named “World Car of the Year” by Top Gear magazine, the innovative car has won almost as many titles as the Northern Irish legend.
2015: Records are made to be broken.
South Korea's An Byeong-hun (European Tour rookie) won the championship with a record-breaking score of 21 under par. Five aces were achieved in this championship, making this a rare event to remember. The special edition BMW M4 GTS not only has a record-breaking lap time, but also has outstanding performance, making it the fastest BMW production road car ever. With its power increased to 500 hp, the GTS shaves 30 seconds off the standard BMW M4's lap time on the Nürburgring Nordschleife.
2019: Big moves.
In one of the tournament's most memorable moments, Ross Fisher hit a 4-iron 218-yard second shot on the 18th hole to win a BMW i8, the first upset of the week's tournament. BMW also made some big moves in 2019, launching its largest production car to date, the BMW X7. The luxury SUV combines a spacious, luxurious interior, powerful engine derivatives and advanced technology to strike the perfect balance between comfort and performance.
2021: Complete a cycle.
Billy Horschel won the title for the United States, becoming the first American champion since the great Arnold Palmer in 1975. Repurposing and repurposing a range of materials, the BMW i Vision Circular was unveiled to the world at the IAA Motor Show in Munich. Envisioned for 2040, the Vision Circular is BMW’s interpretation of the circular economy, blending sustainability with luxury and designed using 100% recyclable materials.
2023: Sustainable development as the concept.
In a first for a sporting event, the 2023 BMW PGA Championship will be televised with 100% green hydrogen. Television is not the only device to adopt hydrogen, with the arrival of the BMW iX5 Hydrogen Pilot Fleet last year. The fleet of 100 vehicles is deployed around the world for demonstration and trial purposes. BMW plans to launch its first series-produced fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) in 2028, thus offering customers an additional all-electric powertrain option for zero-emission BMW.
2024: 20th BMW PGA Championship and 3rd BMW M5 Touring.
The 20th BMW PGA Championship is just around the corner and there’s a lot to look forward to. Expect intense competition, a star-studded Pro-Am and a Championship Village showcasing the latest and greatest from BMW, including the all-new third-generation BMW M5 Touring, which will be making its UK debut at Wentworth.
over
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The BMW Group owns four brands, namely BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad. It is the world's leading manufacturer of luxury cars and motorcycles, and also provides high-end financial and mobility services. The BMW Group's production network covers more than 30 production bases around the world, and the company has a sales network in more than 140 countries/regions around the world.
In 2023, the BMW Group sold more than 2.55 million passenger cars and more than 209,000 motorcycles worldwide. Pre-tax profit for the 2023 fiscal year was EUR 17.1 billion on revenue of EUR 155.5 billion. As of December 31, 2023, the BMW Group had 154,950 employees.
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