George O’Grady, Chief Executive of The European Tour, said: “The BMW PGA Championship is our Tour’s flagship event and it is important that the prize fund reflects that status. This increase to €4.75 million, offering a cheque of just under €800,000 to the 2013 champion, underlines the importance of the Championship as a key component in the season-long Race to Dubai.”
Tim Abbott, Managing Director of BMW UK, said: “We value our long-term partnership with The European Tour and Wentworth Club in helping to develop the BMW PGA Championship as one of the most prestigious events in world golf. The increase in the prize fund to €4.75 million reflects this status and we look forward to another successful edition of the Championship in May.”
The 2013 BMW PGA Championship will boast one of the strongest fields on The European Tour shedule, with many of the world’s best players in action over the famous West Course.
The Championship is set to deliver an enhanced spectator experience this year as Europe’s Ryder Cup Team, triumphant from the ‘Miracle in Medinah’, regroup for the first time competitively on British soil from May 21-26.
This year also sees the introduction of a new Park and Ride system to help facilitate the flow of traffic. The system will operate from two locations – one near Sunningdale, carrying traffic from the West (M3 and M4) and one at the Review Ground, Windsor Great Park, which is East of the tournament venue close to the M25. Both parks will operate free shuttle bus service to Wentworth Club every five minutes with the journey time taking around ten minutes and allowing easy access to a new Welcome Entrance through the Tented Village.