Top Golfers Returning to Carmel
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowPGA Tour tournament officials say “overwhelming” community and business support has earned Crooked Stick Golf Club in Carmel another BMW Championship. In 2012, the tournament attracted 140,000 attendees. Hamilton County Tourism Inc. says it generated $30 million for the area economy. The Western Golf Association, which helps organize the championship, says the 2012 event raised $3 million for its caddy scholarship fund.
Proceeds from the tournament benefit the Evans Scholars Foundation, which administers the scholarships.
The event was originally called the Western Open and dates back to 1899. Only the British Open and U.S. Open have been around longer.
September 9, 2014
News Release
GOLF, Ill. – The BMW Championship will return to Crooked Stick Golf Club in Carmel, Indiana, in 2016, tournament officials announced today.
The 2012 BMW Championship, which was played at Crooked Stick, was named that year's “Tournament of the Year” by the PGA TOUR, with benchmarks achieved in several areas, including attendance, community support and philanthropic contributions back to the Evans Scholars Foundation, the tournament's sole charity.
Rory McIlroy won the 2012 BMW Championship over a star-studded leaderboard that included Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Adam Scott, who all finished inside the top 10.
“We are thrilled to be bringing the BMW Championship back to Crooked Stick Golf Club, where we had such a successful event in 2012, thanks in large part to the tremendous community and business support in the market,” said Vince Pellegrino, senior vice president of tournaments for the Western Golf Association, which conducts the event. “We look forward to engaging again with the great people of Indiana and to producing the very best fan environment possible.”
The 2012 BMW Championship raised nearly $3 million for the Evans Scholars Foundation.
“The PGA TOUR is delighted to partner with BMW, the Western Golf Association and Crooked Stick Golf Club in returning the BMW Championship to the Indianapolis area,” said Andy Pazder, PGA TOUR Executive Vice President and Chief of Operations. “The tournament received overwhelming community support in its first visit and we anticipate another tremendous event in 2016.”
The 2014 BMW Championship concluded Sunday at Cherry Hills Country Club in Cherry Hills Village, Colorado. Billy Horschel won the title with a two-stroke victory over Bubba Watson. The 2015 championship will be held the week of Sept. 14-20 at Conway Farms Golf Club in Lake Forest, Illinois.
About Crooked Stick Golf Club
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 would continue 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.
Crooked Stick has hosted the following championships:
1982 U.S. Junior 2005 Solheim Cup
1983 U.S. Senior Amateur 2007 U.S. Women's Amateur
1989 U.S. Mid-Amateur 2009 U.S. Senior Open
1991 PGA Championship 2012 BMW Championship
1993 U.S. Women's Open
About the BMW Championship
The BMW Championship dates back to 1899 when it debuted as the Western Open, making it the third-oldest tournament on the PGA TOUR schedule, behind only the British Open and U.S. Open. BMW has sponsored the tournament since 2007 when it became the third of four Playoff events with the introduction of the PGA TOUR’s FedExCup Playoffs. Once it became the penultimate Playoff event, the tournament converted from a full field event to a field of 70 players to determine the final 30 players for the FedExCup finale at the TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola in Atlanta. All net proceeds from the BMW Championship benefit the Evans Scholars Foundation, which grants full college scholarships to deserving young caddies. Since BMW became title sponsor, the tournament has contributed more than $16 million to the Evans Scholars Foundation. For more information about the BMW Championship, visit www.BMWChampionshipUSA.com.
About the 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 the Evans Scholars Foundation
The WGA champions education through golf by sponsoring the Evans Scholars Program, the sole charitable beneficiary of the BMW Championship. Established by famed amateur golfer Charles “Chick” Evans, Jr., the program provides full housing and tuition scholarships to deserving caddies across the country. Currently, 870 caddies are attending college on Evans Scholarships; there are nearly 10,000 Evans Alumni. The WGA’s Board of Governors has set a goal of sending 1,000 Evans Scholars to college annually by 2020. The Evans Scholars Program is funded by contributions from more than 26,000 donors across the country, including many Evans Alumni, and by proceeds from the BMW Championship. Visit www.wgaesf.org for more information.
About PGA TOUR
The PGA TOUR is the world's premier membership organization for touring professional golfers, co-sanctioning more than 130 tournaments on the PGA TOUR, Champions Tour, Web.com Tour, PGA TOUR Latinoam?rica, PGA TOUR Canada and PGA TOUR China.
The PGA TOUR's mission is to entertain and inspire its fans, deliver substantial value to its partners, create outlets for volunteers to give back, generate significant charitable and economic impact in the communities in which it plays, and provide financial opportunities for TOUR players.
Worldwide, PGA TOUR tournaments are broadcast to more than 1 billion households in 225 countries and territories in 32 languages. Virtually all tournaments are organized as non-profit organizations in order to maximize charitable giving. In 2013, tournaments across all Tours generated more than $134 million for local and national charitable organizations and in early 2014 the TOUR’s all-time charitable contributions surpassed $2 billion.
The PGA TOUR's web site is PGATOUR.COM, the No. 1 site in golf, and the organization is headquartered in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL.
Sources: The PGA Tour, Western Golf Association