The DP World Tour returns to England this week for the fourth Rolex Series event of the season as Wentworth Club plays host to the BMW PGA Championship. Here are your five things to know.
Lowry defends
Shane Lowry declared himself the “happiest man in the world” 12 months ago after ending his wait for a first victory at the BMW PGA Championship.
At a venue in which he had achieved nine top-20 finishes in the event, the Irishman had long sought to add his name to the illustrious roll of honour to have lifted the trophy at Wentworth Club.
It was a remarkable performance of ball-striking from Lowry as he did not card a single bogey, with a closing 65 – featuring an eagle and five birdies – sealing a one-shot victory over fellow Major Champions Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm.
In a dramatic climax to the fourth Rolex Series event of the 2022 season – reduced to 54 holes following the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II – Rahm shot a Sunday 62 to hold the clubhouse lead, before he was overtaken by Lowry.
But a play-off appeared a genuine possibility when McIlroy gave himself an eagle at the 18th only for it to hang on the lip of the cup.
After finishing in a tie for third on home soil at the Irish Open last week, the 2019 Open Champion will look to continue his final preparations for the Ryder Cup with a strong title defence in Surrey.
Team Europe headlines star-studded field
Speaking of the Ryder Cup, all 12 playing members of Team Europe are in action this week as they have one final opportunity to prepare competitively for the latest edition of golf’s greatest team contest later this month.
Captain Luke Donald is a two-time BMW PGA Championship winner, and the former World Number One will also be joined in the field by four of his five Vice Captains – Europe’s victorious 2018 Ryder Cup Captain Thomas Bjørn, Francesco Molinari, winner of both The Open and the BMW PGA Championship in 2018, and former Ryder Cup stars Edoardo Molinari and Nicolas Colsaerts.
The team, who are attempting to regain the trophy following their 19-9 defeat at Whistling Straits two years ago, are holding a visit to Marco Simone Golf & Country Club in Italy on Monday before they arrive at Wentworth on Tuesday.
They will be joined at the Surrey venue by a host of global players including Australian Major Champion Adam Scott, 2021 BMW PGA Championship winner Billy Horschel and PGA TOUR winner Tom Kim, who is making his debut alongside American Tom Hoge.
Rolex Series returns
One of the DP World Tour’s most important initiatives, the Rolex Series resumes for its fourth and penultimate event of the 2023 season this week.
Earlier this year, in January, Victor Perez claimed his maiden Rolex Series title at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship before there was another first-time entrant to the roll of honour a week later at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic.
Coming into the year, four-time Major Champion McIlroy boasted a CV to rival the greats of the game, but he was still missing a triumph in one of the DP World Tour’s prestige events. That all changed at Emirates Golf Club as he birdied the 17th and 18th to claim a one-shot victory.
When the series picked up again in Scotland in July, McIlroy was back at it again as he produced another birdie-birdie finish to win his second consecutive Rolex Series title. Fellow former World Number One Rahm holds the record for Rolex Series wins having claimed his fifth at the DP World Tour Championship last year.
The Rolex Series will conclude at the DP World Tour Championship in November, when players will battle it out to become the Race to Dubai champion.
G4D Tour resumes
The G4D Tour continues its second campaign this week with its eighth and penultimate event of 2023.
After winning five titles in the inaugural season, Kipp Popert has since won three more, including back-to-back victories in England and Northern Ireland to underline his status as the World Number One in the World Ranking for Golfers with Disability.
Joining the Englishman in the field over two days of action on Monday and Tuesday at the West Course are fellow G4D Tour winners Juan Postigo Arce, Brendan Lawlor, Tommaso Perrino, Rasmus Lia and Mike Browne.
Completing the ten-player line-up are Kurtis Barkley, Conor Stone and American duo Chris Biggins and Ken Green, who is making his G4D Tour debut this week.
Spectators get the chance to watch some of the world’s best golfers with a disability competing on the same layout as their DP World Tour counterparts on Tuesday.
Golf for Good programme at Wentworth
Throughout the week, the DP World Tour will place a big focus on initiatives that highlight the Tour's Golf for Good programme under four key pillars: Green Drive, the G4D Tour, Golf Futures and Community.
As one of the five flagship Rolex Series events, the BMW PGA Championship will be carbon neutral as part of the Tour’s pathway to ‘net zero’ across its operations by 2040.
In a world first for sport, the TV production will be powered 100% by green hydrogen, producing zero emissions.
With environmental responsibility an integral part of the wider Golf for Good programme, circularity is a key theme with wood and signage being reused.
Vital funds will also be raised for Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM), the tournament’s official charity partner, with a £10 contribution for every birdie and £100 for each eagle carded across the week.
Among a range of other initiatives taking place over the week, there is an emphasis on the Golf Futures programme with children from two local schools gaining an awareness about future career opportunities in the sport in partnership with Fortinet.
Wentworth Club is GEO Certified, meaning the highest sustainability standards in golf will be met.
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