Time is right for a date change and Rolex
The BMW PGA Championship has ticked all the boxes for the ideal European Tour event. The sun has shone, the crowds have come in huge numbers, Europe’s best have gathered and there was a fair sprinkling of stardust in the pretournament pro-am.
Wentworth’s date in the calendar over the May Bank Holiday weekend has been set in stone for years – but that is all about to change.
With the US PGA moving forward from August to May next year, the BMW will have a new slot in June or September.
It’s a drastic change, but David Howell, the PGA winner in 2006, is confident it will work.
“A lot of things are up in the air, but you have to find your opportunities where you can,” he says.
“It will feel a little different next year, but different things spring up.
“You just have to find gaps in the season where our top guys are happy to come back. The change might work in our favour.
“I don’t see any reason why a change would make any difference to the crowds. It should still be lovely later in the year, and the course is always in great nick.”
As well as competing these days, Howell’s other principal role is that of Chairman of the Players’ Committee for the European Tour.
So he’s well placed to assess the impact of the Rolex Series, the events elevated last year to offer a credible alternative to the PGA Tour.
“The Rolex Series was great last year, and hopefully it’ll be even stronger this,” he adds.
“It’s a big summer, with the PGA and the Italian Open, then the run-up to The Open. These are our two months to host the biggest tournaments. “We needed some events that could rival what the lads can play for in the States, and we’ve now got them.
“We have eight huge events, and that is exciting for our top players.
“There are all sorts of reasons why people play where they do.
“Money is part of it, as well as lifestyle reasons, but everything about the Rolex Series is bigger and better.
“It’s not just the money, but the feel around the tournaments is of a higher quality, and feedback last year was largely positive.”