BMW Championship (PGA Tour)

For the similarly named European Tour event, see BMW PGA Championship.

The BMW Championship is a professional golf tournament which is the penultimate FedEx Cup playoff event on the PGA Tour schedule. Introduced in 2007, the BMW Championship was previously known as the Western Open. The Western Golf Association, which founded and ran the Western Open, runs the BMW Championship. In 2012, 2013, and 2014, the PGA Tour named the BMW Championship its Tournament of the Year.^[1] The BMW Championship is the longest running regular PGA Tour event on the calendar outside of the four major tournaments.

BMW Championship

Tournament information
Location	Owings Mills, Maryland
Established	2007
Course(s)	Caves Valley Golf Club
Par	70
Length	7,366 yards (6,735 m)
Tour(s)	PGA Tour
Format	Stroke play
Prize fund	US$20,000,000
Month played	August
Tournament record score
Aggregate	260 Keegan Bradley (2018) 260 Justin Rose (2018)
To par	−27 Patrick Cantlay (2021) −27 Bryson DeChambeau (2021)
Current champion
Keegan Bradley
Location map
Caves Valley GC Location in the United States Show map of the United States Caves Valley GC Location in Illinois Show map of Maryland

Western Open

For a detailed history of this event, including a list of its champions, see Western Open.

The Western Open was first played 126 years ago in 1899. For many years, the Western was played in and out of the state of Illinois, before eventually settling down in the Chicago area. The Western Golf Association (WGA) ran the Western Open throughout its entire history (1899–2006), and continues to run the tournament under its new title. These are, however, two entirely different events in terms of playing format and invitational criteria. The Western Open was like any other regular PGA Tour stop – although it was once considered to be one of golf's majors. The BMW Championship is part of the FedEx Cup Playoffs, and only the leading FedEx Cup points earners at the start of the BMW event are eligible to play.

Tournament format

For a detailed explanation of the FedEx Cup Playoffs, see FedEx Cup.

The BMW Championship is open to the leading FedEx Cup points earners on the PGA Tour following the FedEx St. Jude Championship. Through 2022, the top 70 players were qualified, after which it was reduced to the top 50. With a limited field, there is no 36-hole cut. The top 30 in the FedEx Cup points list following the BMW Championship advance to The Tour Championship, where the FedEx Cup champion is decided.^[2]

Winners

See also: Western Open § Winners

Year	Winner	Score	To par	Margin of victory	Runner(s)-up	Purse ($)	Winner's share ($)	Venue
2024	Keegan Bradley (2)	276	−12	1 stroke	Ludvig Åberg Sam Burns Adam Scott	20,000,000	3,600,000	Castle Pines
2023	Viktor Hovland	263	−17	2 strokes	Matt Fitzpatrick Scottie Scheffler	20,000,000	3,600,000	Olympia Fields
2022	Patrick Cantlay (2)	270	−14	1 stroke	Scott Stallings	15,000,000	2,700,000	Wilmington
2021	Patrick Cantlay	261	−27	Playoff	Bryson DeChambeau	9,500,000	1,710,000	Caves Valley
2020	Jon Rahm	276	−4	Playoff	Dustin Johnson	9,500,000	1,710,000	Olympia Fields
2019	Justin Thomas	263	−25	3 strokes	Patrick Cantlay	9,250,000	1,665,000	Medinah
2018	Keegan Bradley	260	−20	Playoff	Justin Rose	9,000,000	1,620,000	Aronimink
2017	Marc Leishman	261	−23	5 strokes	Rickie Fowler Justin Rose	8,750,000	1,575,000	Conway Farms
2016	Dustin Johnson (2)	265	−23	3 strokes	Paul Casey	8,500,000	1,530,000	Crooked Stick
2015	Jason Day	262	−22	6 strokes	Daniel Berger	8,250,000	1,485,000	Conway Farms
2014	Billy Horschel	266	−14	2 strokes	Bubba Watson	8,000,000	1,440,000	Cherry Hills
2013	Zach Johnson	268	−16	2 strokes	Nick Watney	8,000,000	1,440,000	Conway Farms
2012	Rory McIlroy	268	−20	2 strokes	Phil Mickelson Lee Westwood	8,000,000	1,440,000	Crooked Stick
2011	Justin Rose	271	−13	2 strokes	John Senden	8,000,000	1,440,000	Cog Hill
2010	Dustin Johnson	275	−9	1 stroke	Paul Casey	7,500,000	1,350,000	Cog Hill
2009	Tiger Woods (5)	265	−19	8 strokes	Jim Furyk Marc Leishman	7,500,000	1,350,000	Cog Hill
2008	Camilo Villegas	265	−15	2 strokes	Dudley Hart	7,000,000	1,260,000	Bellerive
2007	Tiger Woods (4)	262	−22	2 strokes	Aaron Baddeley	7,000,000	1,260,000	Cog Hill

Host venues

Four of the first five editions of the BMW Championship were held at Cog Hill Golf & Country Club, which had hosted the Western Open since 1991. Since 2011, no course has hosted in consecutive years, with the tournament moving throughout the Midwest and sometimes venturing into Colorado as well as the Mid-Atlantic region. The Chicago metropolitan area remains the most frequent location, having hosted the event ten times at four different courses.

Venue	Location	First	Last	Times
Cog Hill Golf & Country Club	Lemont, Illinois	2007	2011	4
Conway Farms Golf Club	Lake Forest, Illinois	2013	2017	3
Crooked Stick Golf Club	Carmel, Indiana	2012	2016	2
Olympia Fields Country Club (North Course)	Olympia Fields, Illinois	2020	2023	2
Bellerive Country Club	Town and Country, Missouri	2008		1
Cherry Hills Country Club	Cherry Hills Village, Colorado	2014		1
Aronimink Golf Club	Newtown Square, Pennsylvania	2018		1
Medinah Country Club (Course 3)	Medinah, Illinois	2019		1
Caves Valley Golf Club	Owings Mills, Maryland	2021		1
Wilmington Country Club	Wilmington, Delaware	2022		1
Castle Pines Golf Club	Castle Rock, Colorado	2024		1

Future sites

Year	Course	Location
2025	Caves Valley Golf Club	Owings Mills, Maryland
2026	Bellerive Country Club	Town and Country, Missouri
2027	Liberty National Golf Club	Jersey City, New Jersey

Source:^[3][4]