Future Sites For The BMW Championship

FUTURE SITES FOR THE BMW CHAMPIONSHIP SET THROUGH 2019

GOLF, Illinois, Sept. 10, 2015 – Sites for the BMW Championship, the penultimate event of the PGA TOUR's FedExCup Playoffs, have been selected through 2019 and include some of the nation's most historic and iconic golf clubs.

Venues hosting the event will be Crooked Stick Golf Club in Carmel, Indiana, in 2016; Conway Farms Golf Club in Lake Forest, Illinois, in 2017; Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, in 2018; and Medinah Country Club in Medinah, Illinois, in 2019.

"Each of these storied venues enjoys a rich history of hosting top tier golf championships," said Vince Pellegrino, Senior Vice President of Tournaments for the Western Golf Association. "We would like to thank the members at Crooked Stick, Conway Farms, Aronimink and Medinah for so warmly embracing the BMW Championship. We look forward to working with them to stage a series of world-class events."

First played in 1899 and conducted by the Western Golf Association, the BMW Championship features a field of the top 70 players in the PGA TOUR FedExCup Playoff standings, all vying for the historic J.K. Wadley Trophy and the $1.485 million winner's purse.

The BMW Championship benefits the Evans Scholars Foundation, the WGA's 85-year-old sister organization that has provided more than 10,000 caddies with full tuition and housing scholarships since 1930. The tournament has contributed over $19.6 million to the Evans Scholars Program since 2007.

"We are thrilled to deliver the BMW Championship to golf fans, players and BMW owners at these iconic venues," said Trudy Hardy, Vice President of Marketing, BMW of North America. "Furthermore, we look forward to working alongside our partners at the Western Golf Association to help build awareness for the Evans Scholars Foundation in new markets so they can reach their goal of sending 1,000 caddies to college annually by 2020."

Recent host venues have included Cherry Hills Country Club near Denver last year, Conway Farms in 2013, Crooked Stick in 2012 and Bellerive Country Club in St. Louis, Missouri, in 2008. The BMW Championship was named the PGA TOUR's Tournament of the Year at all four locations.

2016: Crooked Stick Golf Club, Carmel, Indiana
The BMW Championship was first played at Crooked Stick GC in 2012 and was won by four-time major winner Rory McIlroy.

"We recall with fondness the 2012 BMW Championship and very much look forward to the world's top professional golfers returning to Crooked Stick in 2016," said club president Kent Frandsen.

The event was named 2012 PGA TOUR Tournament of the Year, an accomplishment that helped ensure its return in 2016.

Founded in 1964, Crooked Stick in Carmel, Indiana, is the state's premier championship course. It was designed by famed golf course architect Pete Dye, who continued to return to the club over the years to make various improvements. Today, the par 72 course plays 7,516 yards from the championship tees.

2017: Conway Farms Golf Club, Lake Forest, Illinois
The BMW Championship will return to Conway Farms for the third time in five years when the Lake Forest, Illinois, club hosts the 2017 BMW Championship.

Won by Masters and Open Championship winner Zach Johnson, the 2013 BMW Championship was the club's first professional event. Recipient of another PGA TOUR Tournament of the Year honor and benchmarks set in areas such as attendance and corporate support helped pave the way for the event's return in 2015 and, subsequently, 2017.

"On behalf of the Conway Farms Golf Club members, staff, and Board of Governors, we are extremely excited and proud to again partner with the Western Golf Association, BMW and the PGA TOUR to host the 2017 BMW Championship," said club president Bruce Keith. "We are honored to host an event that contributes to the Evans Scholars Foundation and its mission of changing the lives of caddies through education."
 
Conway Farms Golf Club opened for play in August 1991. The Tom Fazio award-winning course sits on 209 acres and is designed around the traditions of Scottish links golf. The club recently underwent a $6.4 million renovation to its course, practice facility and golf shop.

2018: Aronimink Golf Club, Newtown Square, Pennsylvania
The 2018 BMW Championship will mark the first time since 1959 that the event, formerly known as the Western Open, has been contested in the state of Pennsylvania. That tournament, held at Pittsburgh Field Club, was won by Mike Souchak.

Since its founding in 1896, Aronimink has hosted the PGA Championship, the Senior PGA Championship and the U.S. Amateur.

"We look forward to bringing a major world-class event to Aronimink," said club president Steven Zodtner. "Our membership and the Philadelphia golf community are excited to partner with the WGA, BMW and the PGA TOUR to showcase our championship golf course and to return professional golf to our region." 

Founded in 1896 in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, Aronimink Golf Club is regularly rated among the top golf courses in the United States. The club's par 70 course was designed by renowned golf course architect Donald Ross and plays 7,190 yards from the championship tees.

2019: Medinah Country Club, Medinah, Illinois
The 2019 BMW Championship will be the latest in a long list of prestigious events contested on this iconic golf club's famed No. 3 course on Chicago's Northwest side, including three previous Western Opens.

The WGA's storied professional event has not been played at Medinah since 1966, when Billy Casper claimed the J.K. Wadley Trophy.

"The members of Medinah Country Club are proud to add the BMW Championship to the list of iconic golf championships that have been contested at our club," said Medinah member and WGA Director Jason Kinander. "Medinah's No. 3 will pose a formidable challenge to the best golfers in the world and provide a world-class venue for Chicagoland golf fans to see the PGA TOUR's best in action."

The event will be played on Medinah's renowned Course No. 3, a Tom Bendelow design that has hosted six major championships and the 2012 Ryder Cup; the course is consistently rated one of the finest and most challenging in the United States.

Founded in the 1920s by a group of Shriners, Medinah Country Club boasts three golf courses, all originally designed by famed golf course architect Tom Bendelow. The massive 120,000-square foot clubhouse designed by Richard Schmid is a unique architectural blend with Byzantine, Oriental and Louis XIV influences.

About Western Golf Association
Founded in 1899, the Western Golf Association conducts championships for professional and amateur golfers, promotes the use of caddies, and oversees the Evans Scholars Foundation, which awards college scholarships to caddies with limited financial means.

The WGA conducts two amateur championships, the Western Junior and the Western Amateur, and the BMW Championship, the third of four PGA TOUR Playoff events in the TOUR's FedExCup competition. The WGA also conducts the Hotel Fitness Championship on the Web.com Tour. For more information visit www.wgaesf.org.

About Evans Scholars Foundation
The WGA champions education through golf by supporting the Evans Scholars Program, the sole charitable beneficiary of the BMW Championship. Established by the WGA and famed amateur golfer Charles "Chick" Evans Jr., the program provides full housing and tuition scholarships to deserving caddies across the country. This fall, more than 900 caddies are attending college on Evans Scholarships and there are more than 10,000 Evans Alumni. The WGA's Board of Governors has set a goal of having 1,000 Evans Scholars enrolled in college annually by 2020. The Evans Program is funded by contributions from more than 27,600 donors across the country, including many Evans Alumni, and by proceeds from the BMW Championship.
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Media Contacts:

Gary Holaway Vice President, Communications Western Golf Association 847-724-4600, x3724 [email protected]

Patrick Donohue Communications Manager Western Golf Association 847-724-4600, x3752 [email protected]