Some of the favourites for this year’s BMW PGA Championship are hoping to produce a performance befitting of both the tournament’s prestige and the stunning Wentworth Club this week as the battle to succeed Anders Hansen as Champion gets underway.
The BMW PGA Championship, of course, is The European Tour’s flagship event and is regarded as Europe’s most important tournament outside The Open Championship so there is understandably once again a strong desire among the field to land the coveted title.
England’s Lee Westwood, who tied as runner up behind winner Colin Montgomerie in 2000, is one such player hoping to get his hands on the top prize on Sunday evening.
He said: “It’s a massive event and one I look forward to all year round. Wentworth is a great place and a special place for The European Tour with the headquarters being here. The course is always in fantastic condition and the greenkeeper always makes sure of that and it is somewhere that I have always enjoyed playing. I think the course suits me well.
“It would mean a lot to me to win here this week. Outside of The Majors it is important. It is our flagship event and obviously the most prestigious one on the calendar.
“It’s a great field again and it’s good for the event too,” he added. “It’s great that the players are supporting it, especially the players that are over in the United States coming over. It lifts the profile of the tournament when people like Vijay Singh and others come over.”
Westwood’s countryman, David Howell, has particular cause for optimism having lifted the trophy two years ago, finishing five strokes ahead of Simon Khan following a final round 69.
He is keen to do well having been forced to miss last year’s Championship, and the chance to defend his title, due to injury.
Howell said: “I am delighted to be back because I missed last year and didn’t get the chance to defend the trophy which was a big blow. The place looks great, the course and everything around it and the tournament looks bigger and better than ever.
“Hopefully winning here in 2006 can inspire me to get up there again,” he added.
For England’s Luke Donald, who grew up in nearby High Wycombe, the Championship is a particularly special at Wentworth Club.
He said: “I love to come back to Wentworth, to a place where I grew up and a tournament that I have been watching since I was a kid. It’s the Tour’s flagship event and attracts a very strong field. I’ve had some decent success here. I had a good finish last year to finish seventh and I would love to improve on that. It’s a great time of the year to be coming back and playing in a huge event.”
South African Retief Goosen, whose best finish at the BMW PGA Championship was fourth place in 1999, said: “This is our biggest event outside of the Majors so we all want to do well here this week and hopefully I can.”
“It’s nice to be here and hopefully I can finally play well around this wonderful course,” he added. “It looks like the weather is going to be great and it is good to be at The European Tour’s flagship event.
The golf course is in great shape and hopefully I can do well this week.”
Wales’ Bradley Dredge goes into the Championship in good form, having led last week’s Irish Open going into the final round.
He said: “It’s the flagship event of The Tour and everyone is here to win it. That is the name of the game. The weather and the course look good so let’s just hope it keeps up for the weekend.”
New Zealand’s Michael Campbell, who won the World Match Play Championship in 2005, hopes to prosper once again on the West Course.
He said: “The European Tour is based here and it’s good to see some of the guys like Vijay, Retief and Ernie playing. It shows there is a great respect for this week and I think BMW have done a great job in transforming this event over the last three or four years.”
