As the Race to Dubai Championship heats up, the DP World Tour is preparing for one of its biggest weeks, the BMW PGA Championship. Held in conjunction with the PGA Tour, it is one of the rare occasions of the season where several American stars will be teeing it up.
Played at one of the most iconic courses in England, Wentworth, the tournament was first played back in 1955 and some of the greatest players in European history such as Luke Donald, Colin Montgomerie, Ian Woosnam, Bernhard Langer, Nick Faldo, Jose Maria Olazabal and Seve Ballesteros all previous winners of this famous event.
With another star studded field in attendance, here is everything you need to know about the 2024 BMW PGA Championship.
The Course
The home of this famous tournament since 1984, over the years Wentworth has forged a reputation for being one of the greatest golf courses in the UK. Located in one of the richest counties in England, Surrey, the action this week will take place on Wentworth’s famous West Course.
Opened in 1926, the course has undergone a raft of renovations and was most recently updated in 2017 by South African great Ernie Els. Measuring at just over 7,200 yards, Wentworth is the quintessential English course. With all of the fairways lined up with rough and a thick treeline, any players that veer off course will face a real battle to save their par.
The other defence that the course can boast is water and there is a good deal of it, a feature of the 8th, 16th and 18th. The 18th is a real risk/reward hole. Easily accessible for the biggest hitters, there is a really good chance that the best players in the world will be able to make eagle, however, if the approach is wrong, there is a high chance that the ball could meet a watery end.
With the weather for the week set to be fair, the course will provide a stern challenge but the winning score should be low, so in order to win this week, a player will need to make sure they make the most of the birdie chances that come their way.
The Favourites
Starting the week as the man to beat this week is Rory McIlroy. Headed into this week fresh off the back of a painful defeat at last week’s Irish Open, McIlroy will arrive at Wentworth looking to win this title for a second time, with his first victory coming at this venue ten years ago.
It’s been a mixed year for the world number three. Twice a winner on the PGA Tour and a winner earlier this year down in Dubai, despite three titles, McIlroy’s 2024 is likely to be remembered for his near misses at both the US Open and upon the Irish links last week.
Having not won since May, there is a danger that McIlroy is starting to develop a reputation for not being able to get the job done. In his narrow misses at both Pinehurst at Royal County Down, the Northern Irishman found himself in a strong position only for his putting stroke to become overcome by nerves. With him missing short putts, McIlroy is in desperate need of a victory so that he can quickly put any talks of him not being able to hold his nerve to bed.
Despite the pain of not being able to seal the deal last week, his second place finish stretched out his overall lead at the top of the Race to Dubai standings and he knows that a good week here will make a third consecutive Race to Dubai title much more likely.
Following McIlroy in the outright betting is Shane Lowry. A runner up of this event back in 2014 when McIlroy emerged victorious, Lowry was able to make up for that near miss when he emerged victorious eight years later in 2022.
Seemingly liking the way that the course is set up, Lowry arrives off a great season on the PGA Tour where he was able to finish tenth in the final FedEx Standings.
Lowry arrives at Wentworth with a point to prove. Having finished twelfth at last week’s Irish Open, it was a frustrating week for the Irishman, who despite some good play, just couldn’t get anything going on the greens. Looking to make amends this week, he could be one of the best value options if you want to take on McIlroy in the betting.
Completing the top three from a betting perspective is Tommy Fleetwood. Like McIlroy it has been a mixed bag of a season for the Liverpuddlian. A winner of the prestigious Dubai Invitational right at the start of 2024, Fleetwood still hasn’t been able to claim a PGA Title.
Firmly in the conversation of being the best player never to have won on the PGA Tour, you feel that Fleetwood is simply far too good to not end that unwanted record. Having qualified for the season ending Tour Championships, Fleetwood has once again cemented his place amongst the game’s very best players and he will hope to underline his qualities with a victory this week.
Who else should we be keeping an eye on?
As always with tournaments like the PGA Championship, there is plenty of value that can be had.
At 22/1, Robert MacIntyre looks overly priced. Having been able to win twice on the PGA Tour this season, MacIntyre was one of the best newcomers on the PGA Tour this season and is firmly ranked amongst some of the best players in the world.
Out of sorts last week in Ireland, the Scot produced some brilliant golf over the weekend to finish in a tie for 5th. Still with a slim chance of ending the year as the overall Race to Dubai winner, he will need to produce another solid showing if he is to keep his chances of glory alive.
At 28/1, Matt Fitzpatrick is bound to get plenty of attention in the betting. Ever since winning the US Open back in 2022, it's been a frustrating time for the man from Sheffield who has suffered injuries and a sudden rush of inconsistency.
Usually one of the most solid players from tee to green, Fitzpatrick would have been disappointed that he couldn’t qualify for the season ending Tour Championship. Now back on European shores he will hope to end his season strongly with a victory at one of Europe’s premier events.
BMW PGA Championship Betting
If you want to place a bet ahead of the action teeing off this week, here is how the top ten in the betting currently looks.
Rory McIlroy - 11/2
Tommy Fleetwood - 10/1
Shane Lowry - 11/1
Adam Scott - 14/1
Aaron Rai - 16/1
Billy Horschel - 18/1
Robert MacIntyre - 22/1
Alex Noren - 22/1
Byeong Hun An - 25/1
Rasmus Hojgaard - 28/1
Jack Hartman
A keen golfer and huge fan of the game, Jack has been covering golf for the last five years. Bringing you all the latest coverage and news from the PGA, LIV, LPGA and DP World Tours, never before has golf been so popular and Jack can’t wait to bring all the excitement to his readers.
