European Tour has flagship at Wentworth, finalizes Ryder Cup

Published Sep. 7, 2021 9:39 a.m. ET

Associated Press

EUROPEAN TOUR

BMW PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

Site: Virginia Water, England.

Course: Wentworth GC (West). Yardage: 7,267. Par: 72.

Prize money: $8 million. Winner's share: $1.33 million.

Television: Thursday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. (Golf Channel); Saturday-Sunday, 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. (Golf Channel).

Defending champion: Tyrrell Hatton.

Race to Dubai leader: Collin Morikawa.

Last week: Nicolai Hojgaard won the Italian Open.

Notes: This is the final event for nine players to qualify for Europe's Ryder Cup team. Padraig Harrington will make his three captain's pick after the tournament is over. ... This is the European Tour's flagship event, which has recently moved from May to September. ... Jon Rahm and Rory McIlroy, the two highest-ranked Europeans in the world, are not playing to prepare for the Ryder Cup. ... The field includes Viktor Hovland, Shane Lowry, Lee Westwood and Tommy Fleetwood. ... Billy Horschel, who is No. 4 in the Race to Dubai on the strength of his WGC-Dell Match Play win, is in the field. ... Also playing are Adam Scott and Justin Rose. ... The tournament dates to 1972, with Tony Jacklin winning the inaugural event at Wentworth. ... The flagship event briefly rotated to links courses like Royal St. George's and Royal Birkdale. It has been at Wentworth every year since 1984. ... The only American to win the BMW PGA Championship was Arnold Palmer in 1975. ... Hovland, Horschel, defending champion Tyrrell Hatton and Min Woo Lee are the only players from the top 10 in the Race to Dubai standings who are playing.

Next week: KLM Open.

Online:

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PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS

ASCENSION CHARITY CLASSIC

Site: St. Louis.

Course: Norwood Hills CC. Yardage: 6,882. Par: 71.

Prize money: $2 million. Winner's share: $300,000.

Television: Friday-Sunday, 3:30-6 p.m. (Golf Channel).

Defending champion: New tournament.

Charles Schwab Cup leader: Bernhard Langer.

Last tournament: Joe Durant won The Ally Challenge.

Notes: Langer turned 64, shot his age and was runner-up last week at The Ally Challenge, which returned him back to the top of the Charles Schwab Cup standings. He leads by a little more than $35,000 over Jim Furyk. ... The debut of the tournament was supposed to be last year until it was canceled by the COVID-19 pandemic. ... Jim Furyk and Davis Love III are among those playing. They are assistant captains to Steve Stricker in the Ryder Cup in two weeks. ... Among those receiving a sponsor's exemption was Jay Williamson, who was born in St. Louis. ... Because of the double season brought on by the pandemic, this is the 32nd event of the season, with seven more to go. ... The last PGA Tour-sanctioned event in the St. Louis area was the PGA Championship at Bellerive in 2018, won by Brooks Koepka. ... Norwood Hills is where Ben Hogan won his second major at the 1948 PGA Championship.

Next week: Sanford International.

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PGA TOUR

Last week: Patrick Cantlay won the Tour Championship for the FedEx Cup.

Next week: Fortinet Championship.

FedEx Cup champion: Patrick Cantlay.

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LPGA TOUR

Last week: Europe won the Solheim Cup.

Next week: Cambia Portland Classic.

Race to CME Globe leader: Nelly Korda.

Online:

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KORN FERRY TOUR

Last week: Joseph Bramlett the Korn Ferry Tour Championship.

Next tournament: End of season.

Points leader: Stephan Jaeger.

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OTHER TOURS

Ladies European Tour: VP Bank Swiss Ladies Open, Holzhausern Golf Park, Ennetsee, Switzerland. Defending champion: Amy Boulden. Online:

Challenge Tour: Big Green Egg German Challenge, Wittelsbacher GC, Neuburg an der Donau, Germany. Defending champion: New event. Online:

Japan LPGA: JLPGA Championship Konica Minolta Cup, Shizu Hills CC, Ibaraki, Japan. Defending champion: Saki Nagamine. Online:

Sunshine Tour: Sunshine Tour Invitational, Centurion CC, Gauteng, South Africa. Defending champion: New event. Online:

Korean LPGA: KB Financial Group Star Championship, Blackstone GC, Incheon, South Korea. Defending champion: Hyo Joo Kim. Online:

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