PressClub Global · Article.
J.J. Spaun triumphs at the 22nd BMW PGA Championship – Lacroix wins the new all-electric BMW iX5 with a hole-in-one.
Sun Sep 20 20:14:26 CEST 2026 Press Release
+++ J.J. Spaun (USA) wins on his Wentworth debut +++ Frédéric Lacroix (FRA) secures BMW hole-in-one prize in the final round +++ More than 120,000 fans celebrate the Festival of Golf +++ The BMW PGA Championship supports the Golf Foundation +++
Press Contact.
Tim Holzmueller
BMW Group
Tel: +49-151-601-33309
send an e-mail
Author.
Tim Holzmueller
BMW Group
This article in other PressClubs
+++ J.J. Spaun (USA) wins on his Wentworth debut +++ Frédéric Lacroix (FRA) secures BMW hole-in-one prize in the final round +++ More than 120,000 fans celebrate the Festival of Golf +++ The BMW PGA Championship supports the Golf Foundation +++
London. The 22nd BMW PGA Championship came to a
spectacular close with a thrilling final round and two successful
firsts. American J.J. Spaun, who was competing in the DP World Tour’s
flagship event for the first time, secured the prestigious title at
the Wentworth Club with a total of 271 strokes (70, 66, 68, 67; 17
under par). Last year’s US Open champion carded the decisive four
birdies over the final five holes, thereby becoming the third American
winner of the BMW PGA Championship after Arnold Palmer (1975) and
Billy Horschel (2021 & 2024). A few hours earlier, Frédéric
Lacroix had scored his first hole-in-one on the DP World Tour on the
14th hole, winning this year’s hole-in-one prize: the new all-electric
BMW iX5 xDrive60 M Sport.
The battle for the title was intense and remained completely open for a long time. Major winners Rory McIlroy (NIR), Aaron Rai (ENG) and Adam Scott (AUS) were all in contention for victory on Sunday, alongside Manuel Elvira (all -15, T2). The Spaniard had drawn level with Spaun with an eagle on the 17th hole, but carded a double bogey on the final hole – a par 5 – and thus dramatically missed out on his first tournament victory on the DP World Tour. Sixth place was shared by the reigning Open champion and 2023 BMW PGA Championship winner, Ryan Fox (NZL), with Matt Fitzpatrick (ENG), Joost Luiten (NED) and Filippo Celli (ITA, all -14).
Frédéric Lacroix wins the BMW iX5 xDrive60 M Sport.
Frédéric Lacroix saved his first hole-in-one on the DP World Tour for the perfect moment. In the final round, the Frenchman aced the 14th hole with a 7-iron from a distance of 163 yards. For this perfect shot, he was rewarded with this year’s hole-in-one prize: the new, all-electric BMW iX5 xDrive60 M Sport. Lacroix will be among the first to enjoy sheer driving pleasure with the first battery-electric BMW X5 in history. The market launch of the first variants of the new BMW X5 is scheduled for late November 2026, with the all-electric and plug‑in hybrid versions to follow in early 2027.
The fifth generation of the BMW X5 impresses with technical innovations, a stunning new design and the integration of future-oriented technologies from the Neue Klasse. This underlines its exceptional status and reinforces its leading position in a segment that it originally established.
Lacroix became the sixth player in the tournament’s history to win the hole-in-one prize. In 2015 (Andrew Johnston, ENG, BMW M4 Coupé, and Chris Wood, ENG, BMW i8) and 2016 (Scott Jamieson, SCO, BMW M2 Coupé, and James Morrison, ENG, BMW i8 Protonic Red Edition), there were two hole-in-one prizes each year which found happy owners. In 2020, David Howell holed out on the 14th hole with a single stroke. That year, the tournament was held during the Covid-19 pandemic, and BMW donated the equivalent value of the 530e xDrive Touring – £71,675 – to the Alzheimer’s Society. The Albatross Award offered in 2020 on the 18th hole, a BMW i8 Roadster Rosso Corsa, was claimed by Ross Fisher with a spectacular shot. To this day, the Englishman’s albatross on the iconic finishing hole of the West Course remains the only one in the tournament’s long history.
Quotes from the 22nd BMW PGA Championship.
Neil Fiorentinos, Chief Executive Officer of BMW Group UK and Ireland: “The BMW PGA Championship is a truly special event. BMW is proud to have supported it for 22 years and how everyone involved contributed to delivering a magnificent tournament. The Festival of Golf once again lived up to its reputation, thanks to an outstanding atmosphere created by the passionate fans. I would like to thank them as well as the Wentworth Club, the DP World Tour, the grounds keeping staff and the volunteers who made the event such a tremendous success. Congratulations to J.J. Spaun and his caddie Mark Carens on an exceptional victory. J.J. is definitely is a well-deserved BMW PGA Champion.”
J.J. Spaun: “It means so much. I've kind of blossomed into this player I never thought I could be, taking my game across the world, and more specifically here in England. It‘s a place that's dear to my family's heart; we vacation here quite a bit. The stars kind of aligned this week for me to come out on top, and I'm just grateful to have the opportunity. I gave myself a chance and came out with a win.”
Frédéric Lacroix: “A hole-in-one is always special but this is extra, it's a very special moment. We were in between clubs, 7 and 8. It's an awkward little hole, because you can't really feel the wind down there. We just made a decision, close to the 8, but in the end I hit a 7, it was a lovely shot.”
BMW PGA Championship and the Golf Foundation.
The Golf Foundation is the Official Charity Partner of the BMW PGA Championship. BMW also supports the Foundation’s mental wellbeing programme ‘Unleash Your Drive’, which launched at the BMW PGA Championship in 2023. More than 2,000 schools have now registered interest in delivering the six‑week programme of fun and inclusive games.
Unleash Your Drive brings simplified versions of golf to schools across England, aiming to strengthen mental toughness. Pupils are taught to remain resilient, focused, and determined in the face of challenges, setbacks, and pressure, while maintaining a positive and determined mindset. These skills, which can be ideally practiced through golf, will help to prepare youngsters for life inside and outside the classroom.
Relax, we care: An unforgettable day.
He’s a passionate golf fan, a loyal BMW customer, and was looking
forward to seeing the golfing elite in action at the BMW PGA
Championship. Josh Verney certainly managed to do just that, but he
could never have imagined how. BMW surprised the unsuspecting Josh
with an unforgettable experience, which began with Ryan Fox as his
personal driver, followed by an exclusive tour of the clubhouse with
Viktor Hovland and a putting challenge with Tommy Fleetwood. Josh was
filmed throughout – you can watch the video here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nz0SjMW2YtI