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BMW PGA at Wentworth
European tour flagship event at Wentworth, PGA Tour fall season starts up, Japan and Korea host top women
Jack Middlebrook
September 13, 2023
Top 100 preview
The Men's top players are in England for the BMW PGA Championship with 29 of the top 100. Another 21 of the top 100 are in Napa for the start of the PGA Tour's fall season.
The women’s side is quieter this week before the Solheim Cup with the LPGA off. The top active ladies are split between the Korea and the Japan LPGA events.
Purses
BMW PGA Championship
Fortinet Championship
Simmons Bank Open
ANA Open Golf Tournament
Sumitomo Life Vitality Ladies Tokai Classic
OK Financial Group Atman Open
Swiss Ladies Open
DP World Tour - BMW PGA Championship
This week, the European tour heads to Surrey, England, for the BMW PGA Championship, a premier event on the DP World Tour and the fourth Rolex Series event of the year. The Wentworth Club, the longtime host of the event, will welcome a strong field, including the European side of the Ryder Cup team.
The championship is particularly significant for the defending champion, Shane Lowry, who last week had his best finish of the year with a tie for third at the Irish Open. Lowry will be keen on leveraging his deep understanding of the Wentworth Club’s West Course to secure another victory.
Top Europeans in the field include Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, and Viktor Hovland. McIlroy continues his European swing after a tie for sixteenth at the Irish Open. Rahm starts his fall season on the European tour and will look to capture a tournament where he has twice finished runner-up. Hovland makes his first start since winning the last two events on the PGA Tour, including the Tour Championship.
The English trio of Matt Fitzpatrick, Tyrrell Hatton, and Tommy Fleetwood will carry the home crowd's hopes. Fitzpatrick, in particular, has been in good form, with a tie for third in Switzerland at the European Masters and a runner-up in Chicago at the BMW championship.
Other PGA Tour players in the field include Tom Kim, Sepp Straka, and Justin Rose.
PGA Tour - Fortinet Championship
The PGA Tour Fall season kicks off in Napa Valley for the Fortinet Championship at the Silverado Resort - North Course. With most of the stars skipping the fall events, the fields are weaker, and players will be setting their sights on securing a PGA Tour card for the 2024 season and playing their way into the top events for next year.
Max Homa headlines the field, and the stage seems set for him to three-peat, having won the last two editions of the Fortinet Championships.
Justin Thomas makes his first start since he narrowly missed the playoffs and still got one of the six captain’s picks for the US side in the Ryder Cup. Thomas will look to improve his form before Rome in two weeks.
Korn Ferry Tour - Simmons Bank Open
The Korn Ferry playoffs continue with the field narrowed to 144 players who are competing for 30 PGA tour cards. The Simmons Bank Open in College Grove, Tennessee, is the second stage of four playoff events, concluding with the Korn Ferry Tour Championship. Ben Kohles currently leads the season-long points race over Chan Kim, who is coming off two victories.
Japan Golf Tour - ANA Open Golf Tournament
The Japan Golf tour focuses on the Sapporo Golf Club in Hokkaido for the ANA Open.
Japan LPGA - Sumitomo Life Vitality Ladies Tokai Classic
The Japan LPGA tour is playing at Shin Minami Aichi Country Club in Mihama, Japan, this week. Amiyu Ozeki is the defending champion and will have a strong field to contend with to defend her title.
Korea LPGA - OK Financial Group Atman Open
The Club72 Golf Resort’s Sky course in Cheongju hosts the Korean LPGA tour.
Ladies European Tour - Swiss Ladies Open
The Ladies European Tour heads to Zug, Switzerland, for the last event before the Solheim Cup in Spain. England's Liz Young is the defending champion.