Rory McIlroy headlines a field that also includes Jon Rahm, Patrick Reed and defending champion Alex Noren at the BMW PGA Championship, the DP World Tour's Rolex Series event at Wentworth Club in Surrey this week. Noren returns as champion after beating Adrien Saddier in a play-off at last year's tournament.
The BMW PGA Championship is one of the flagship events on the DP World Tour calendar and was first held in 1955. It is hosted annually at Wentworth each September and should not be confused with the BMW Championship, one of the PGA Tour's FedExCup Playoff events.
Wentworth Club
Wentworth first opened as a golf club in 1922 and has since staged a string of prestigious events, including the 1953 Ryder Cup and the AIG Women's Open in 1980.
McIlroy, the world number two and a two-time Masters champion, won the BMW PGA Championship in 2014 and returns to Wentworth hoping to build on a tied-41st place finish at the Amgen Irish Open. Despite slipping down that leaderboard, McIlroy said he was "encouraged" by certain aspects of his game coming into this week.
Patrick Reed, who left LIV Golf at the beginning of the year, has enjoyed a strong season on the DP World Tour and currently leads the Race to Dubai Rankings. The 2018 Masters champion arrives at Wentworth off the back of a tied-second finish at the Amgen Irish Open.
Shane Lowry's last DP World Tour win before last weekend had come at the BMW PGA Championship in 2022. On Sunday he carded a seven-under 63 to secure an 11-shot victory at the Amgen Irish Open.
Englishmen Tommy Fleetwood and Justin Rose are two more players expected to impress. Fleetwood has recorded four top-five finishes on the PGA Tour this season, including a tied-fourth at The Open at Royal Birkdale. Rose has also had a strong year on the PGA Tour, winning the Farmers Insurance Open and finishing tied-third at The Masters. Matt Fitzpatrick has enjoyed his most successful PGA Tour season in 2026, winning three events.
LIV Golf players in the field
Jon Rahm is one of several LIV Golf players competing at Wentworth this week. The Spaniard clinched his third successive LIV Golf Individual Championship in August and also finished tied for second at the PGA Championship in May.
His Legion XIII team-mate Tyrrell Hatton is also in the field. Hatton has had a strong year at the majors, placing tied-third at The Masters and tied for seventh at the US Open, but arrives at Wentworth having missed the cut at the Amgen Irish Open.
Prize money and rankings points
A £6.6m ($9m) prize purse is on offer at Wentworth this week. Noren, last year's winner, took home £1.13m ($1.53m).
As a Rolex Series event, the tournament also carries 8,000 Race to Dubai Rankings points.
Celebrity Pro-Am
Wentworth hosts a celebrity Pro-Am each year, with fields featuring well-known names from sport and entertainment alongside the professionals. Gareth Bale, Tom Holland and Sir James Anderson have all played in the event in the past.
This year former Chelsea players John Terry and Eden Hazard will both take part, alongside former Liverpool striker Robbie Fowler. The BMW PGA Championship Celebrity Pro-Am takes place on Wednesday, the day before the tournament begins, with each professional leading a team of amateurs.
How to watch
All four days of the BMW PGA Championship will be shown live on Sky Sports Golf.
Coverage of the first and second rounds begins on Thursday 17 September and Friday 18 September from 8.30am on Sky Sports Golf and Sky Sports Main Event. The third round starts at 9am on Saturday 19 September on Sky Sports Golf, and the final round begins at 8.30am on Sunday 20 September on Sky Sports Golf.
