Woodcliff Lake, NJ – December 14, 2022… The 2022 BMW Championship at Wilmington Country Club in Wilmington, Delaware, raised more than $4.5 million for caddie scholarships, the Western Golf Association announced today. On the strength of support from BMW, Wilmington Country Club, the local corporate community and Delaware Valley Golf fans, the BMW Championship secured its second-largest contribution to the Evans Scholars Foundation in 2022. The BMW Championship has now contributed more than $44.5 million to the Foundation since 2007, helping award full tuition and housing college scholarships to more than 3,300 caddies during that time “We’re thrilled to contribute all proceeds from the 2022 BMW Championship to the Evans Scholars Foundation, where they will make a real difference for youth caddies from Delaware and across the country,” said Vince Pellegrino, WGA Senior Vice President of Tournaments. “The excitement of the Delaware Valley golf fans, as well as the steadfast support of our partners at BMW, Wilmington Country Club and the PGA TOUR, made this a truly unforgettable year.” More than 120,000 spectators visited Wilmington Country Club on Aug. 16-21 to see the PGA TOUR’s top 70 players compete in the penultimate event of the FedExCup Playoffs. Patrick Cantlay became the first player to defend his BMW Championship title since the FedExCup began in 2007, winning the PGA TOUR’s first stop in Delaware by one shot over Scott Stallings. Evans Scholars took center stage at Wilmington Country Club, caddying during the Gardner Heidrick Pro-Am, getting introduced on the first tee on Saturday and Sunday, and attending events throughout championship week. Viktor Hovland added some excitement on the final day, recording a hole-in-one that resulted in BMW’s donation of a full, four-year tuition and housing scholarship worth $125,000. The BMW Championship Hole-in-One Scholarship – the sixth since 2007 – will be awarded to an Evans Scholar in Hovland’s name this winter. “The 2022 BMW Championship at Wilmington Country Club was an outstanding golf tournament in every regard, with the icing on the cake being this magnificent contribution towards the Evans Scholars Foundation,” said Ilka Horstmeier, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, Human Resources and Real Estate. “While the BMW Championship is a great way to showcase our brand and engage customers, it is just as important to us that the BMW Group is able to help the Evans Scholars Foundation improve the lives of so many young people.” Funds raised during the 2022 BMW Championship will help fund full tuition and housing college scholarships for caddies. This year, a record 1,100 caddies are enrolled as Evans Scholars at 22 leading universities nationwide. “Everyone who supported this event should feel proud of the role they played in strengthening the Evans Scholars Program and helping deserving youth caddies get to college,” Pellegrino said. “With the continued support of BMW, we’re already looking forward to returning to the Chicagoland area for another outstanding championship next year.” Olympia Fields Country Club in Olympia Fields, Illinois, will host the 2023 BMW Championship from Aug. 15-20. For individual tickets and corporate hospitality options, visit www.bmwchampionship.com. About the BMW ChampionshipThe 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 penultimate event of the PGA TOUR’s FedExCup Playoffs. The BMW Championship features a field of the top 70 players in the FedExCup standings to determine the final 30 players for the FedExCup final at the TOUR Championship in Atlanta. Since 2007, the BMW Championship has contributed more than $40 million to the Evans Scholars Foundation, the event’s charitable beneficiary. To learn more, visit bmwchampionship.com. About the Western Golf AssociationThe Western Golf Association conducts six national golf championships and sponsors the nationally acclaimed Evans Scholars Foundation. Headquartered in Glenview, Illinois, the organization was founded in 1899 by 11 Chicago-area golf clubs to promote their interests in golf. In addition to the BMW Championship on the PGA TOUR and the NV5 Invitational presented by Old National Bank on the Korn Ferry Tour, the WGA conducts four prestigious amateur championships: the Western Amateur, the Western Junior, and the Women’s Western Golf Association’s Amateur and Junior championships. About the Evans Scholars FoundationEstablished by the WGA and famed amateur golfer Charles Chick Evans Jr., the Evans Scholars Foundation provides full housing and tuition scholarships to high-achieving caddies across the country. Currently, a record 1,100 caddies are enrolled in 22 universities across the nation as Evans Scholars. The Program, which is supported by the WGA, is funded by contributions from more than 33,500 Par Club members, including Evans Scholars Alumni, as well as proceeds from the BMW Championship. Since the Program’s inception in 1930, more than 11,800 caddies nationwide have graduated as Evans Scholars. To learn more, visit wgaesf.org.
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