Past BMW Championship winners Rory McIlroy, Zach Johnson and Camilo Villegas Attempted to Recreate Arnold Palmer’s Historic Drive Off the 1st Tee from the 1960 U.S. Open at Cherry Hills Country Club to Kick-Off the 2014 BMW Championship.

The 2014 BMW Championship Takes Place in Cherry Hills Village, Colorado, September 4 – September 7.

Woodcliff Lake, N.J. (September 3, 2014) – BMW Championship winners Rory McIlroy, Zach Johnson and Camilo Villegas attempted to recreate Arnold Palmer’s historic drive from Cherry Hills Country Club’s 1st tee to kick-off the 2014 BMW Championship. The recreation was a nod to Palmer’s legendary tee shot during the 1960 U.S. Open at Cherry Hills, when he drove the green at the 346-yard, Par-4 1st hole, sparking his memorable comeback win. Hunter Mahan, 2013 BMW Championship Hole-in-One player, and PGA TOUR Player Keegan Bradley, also attempted to recreate the famous shot.

Each player used a replica Persimmon driver, with a steel shaft and a wood head, from the same era used by Palmer during the 1960 U.S. Open at the 346-yard, Par-4 1st hole, sparking his memorable comeback win. Though no player was able to successfully replicate Palmer’s shot, BMW made an additional $10,000 donation to the Evans Scholars Foundation, which grants full college scholarships to young deserving caddies of financial need. McIlroy came the closest to the green with a 300-yard drive.

“It’s very, very humbling to say the least. Shaft felt whippy, head felt heavy, the ball felt like a marshmallow. But a whole lot of fun,” said 2013 BMW Championship winner Zach Johnson. “The Palmer shot was beyond impressive. We are talking about arguably one of the best players in the world of all time.”

The penultimate event in the PGA TOUR’s FedExCup Playoffs, the 2014 BMW Championship will be contested Thursday, September 4 through Sunday, September 7 at Cherry Hills Country Club and features the top 70 players on the PGA TOUR. All net proceeds from the BMW Championship benefit the Evans Scholars Foundation. Since BMW became title sponsor in 2007, the tournament has raised more than $16 million for the Evans Scholars Foundation. In addition to supporting the Evans Scholars Foundation through the BMW Championship, BMW of North America, LLC also provides a summer internship program for Evans Scholars to work for BMW, offering them work experience and invaluable insight into their future careers.

“We are proud to support the Evans Scholars Foundation in their mission to send 1,000 caddies to college by 2020,” said Ludwig Willisch, President & CEO, BMW of North America. “We are continuously inspired by the efforts of these caddies, and through the BMW Championship and our summer internship program, we hope to provide them with tools for success.” 

Continuing the BMW Championship tradition, there are premium incentives for the first player to achieve a hole-in-one during the tournament, including:

• BMW HOLE-IN-ONE SCHOLARSHIP: BMW will provide an Evans Scholarship, an additional full, four-year tuition and housing Scholarship worth $100,000 in honor of the first PGA TOUR player to record a hole-in-one on any hole during the BMW Championship. 
• HOLE-IN-ONE COMPETITION:
  • 15th Hole: The first player to score a hole-in-one on the 15th hole will receive the all-new BMW i8, the revolutionary plug-in hybrid sports car. The BMW i8 is primarily made of carbon fiber and offers an exhilarating driving experience, going from 0-60mph in just 4.2 seconds. 
  • 12th Hole: The first player to score a hole-in-one on the 12th hole will receive the first-ever BMW M4 Coupe equipped with an all-new 3.0-liter inline-6 engine with M TwinPower Turbo technology. The M4 Coupe features increased performance levels that distinguish it from previous generations of the M3 family, delivering 425 horsepower.

“BMW provides BMW Championship attendees with an unmatched, premium experience as attested by the BMW Championship being named the PGA TOUR’s ‘Tournament of the Year’ in both 2012 and 2013,” said Vince Pellegrino, Western Golf Association Vice President of Tournaments. “Thanks to BMW’s ongoing support of the Evans Scholars Foundation, we are able to make a real difference in the lives of young, student caddies.”

BMW Owners receive exclusive access and special benefits throughout the week at the 2014 BMW Championship, including:

• BMW Owners’ Day

On Thursday, September 4, all owners receive complimentary admission for themselves and one guest when they show their BMW key at the BMW Owners’ Concierge.

• BMW Owners’ Parking and Concierge

BMW Owners receive exclusive parking in the BMW Owners’ Lot with private shuttle service to/from the BMW Championship. Upon arrival, BMW Owners will be treated to personal concierge service and a private entrance into the BMW Championship.

• BMW Owners’ Pavilion

Once inside the BMW Championship, Owners can access the BMW Owners’ Pavilion by simply showing their BMW key fob. The BMW Owners’ Pavilion features open-air and air-conditioned interior seating with some of the best views of golf on the course.

Location: Between the 14th and 7th greens.

The 2014 BMW Championship will feature many exciting attractions for golf fans and automobile enthusiasts, including:

• THE BMW EXPERIENCE

The BMW Experience features BMW’s newest vehicles and a variety of fun activities and contests. On display are vehicles from BMW M, xDrive, Motorrad and BMW i, including the all new, plug-in hybrid BMW i8. Also on display will be a prototype of Team USA’s Olympic medal-winning bobsled, which was designed through a collaboration between BMW engineers and the USA Bobsled & Skeleton Federation using BMW EfficientDynamics. Patrons will be able to test their racing skills against other patrons at the BMW Race Track with BMW i8 remote-controlled race cars. In addition, patrons will have the unique opportunity to be part of the studio audience and watch Golf Channel’s Golf Central from inside the Golf Channel Studio.

             Location: Behind the Driving Range/Adjacent to the 10th tee.

• PUTT FOR CHARITY

To commemorate Palmer’s 1960 U.S. Open victory at Cherry Hills and his legendary tee shot on the Par 4, 346 yard 1st hole that reached the green in the final round, a 40 foot replica of the 1st hole has been created in the BMW Experience. Patrons will have the opportunity to compete in a putting challenge on the replica hole to help support the Evans Scholars Foundation, the sole charity of the BMW Championship. For each putt made, BMW will make a donation to the Evans Scholars Foundation. Prizes will also be awarded to each patron who makes a hole-in-one. 

                        Location: Inside the BMW Experience.

• BMW FAN CHALLENGE

Patrons will be able to put their golf skills to the ultimate test and try to beat a professional by competing in the BMW Fan Challenge, located in the BMW Experience. Using a state-of-the-art simulation of the Par-3, 15th hole at Cherry Hills, patrons have the opportunity to “Beat the Pro” in a closest-to-the-pin contest with prizes being awarded to the top performers, including a set of TaylorMade® Irons and a grand prize trip to the BMW Performance Center in Spartanburg, SC.

Location: Inside the BMW Experience.

• BIERGARTEN

The Biergarten is a great place to relax and enjoy beverages. It features a videoboard showing live tournament coverage so patrons don’t miss any of the action.

            Location: Next to the BMW Experience.

A limited number of tickets are still available for purchase at www.BMWChampionshipUSA.com. All active, retired, reserve and veterans will receive complimentary admission for one day of the tournament. Members of the military must visit www.BMWChampionshipUSA.com to verify their military status and print out their free ticket voucher in advance of the tournament. Tickets are limited.

For updates during The 2014 BMW Championship, follow the conversation with:

• Facebook: www.facebook.com/BMWChampionship
• Twitter: @BMWChamps, @PGATOUR, @WGAESF, @CHCCcolorado
• Instagram: @BMWChamps, @PGATOUR, @BMWUSA
• Hashtags: #BMWChamps #BMWGolf #PGATOUR #FedExCup

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About the BMW Championship

The 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 70 players to determine the final 30 players for the FedExCup finale at the TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola in Atlanta. All net proceeds from the BMW Championship benefit the Evans Scholars Foundation, which grants full college scholarships to deserving young caddies. Since BMW became title sponsor, the tournament has contributed more than $16 million to the Evans Scholars Foundation.

The 2014 BMW Championship will be contested Sept. 4-7 at Cherry Hills Country Club in Denver, Colo. This marks the first time since the 1985 PGA Championship that PGA TOUR players will compete at Cherry Hills Country Club. The BMW Championship will be added to a long history of championships hosted at Cherry Hills: 2012 U.S. Amateur, 2005 U.S. Women’s Open, 1993 U.S. Senior Open, 1990 U.S. Amateur, 1985 PGA Championship, 1983 U.S. Mid-Amateur, 1978 U.S. Open, 1976 USGA Senior Amateur, 1960 U.S. Open, 1941 PGA Championship, 1938 U.S. Open. The Golf Channel and NBC will provide more than 18 hours of television coverage during the four rounds of the BMW Championship.

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Journalist Note:

Footage of the recreation of Arnold Palmer’s historic drive from Cherry Hills Country Club’s 1st tee is available for download at: ftp.rubenstein.com; username: BMW; password: champBMW2014

All press releases, downloadable photos and videos regarding the 2014 BMW Championship are available at: www.BMWUSANews.com/BMWChampionship

About Western Golf Association

Founded in 1899, the Western Golf Association conducts championships for professional and amateur golfers, promotes the use of caddies, and oversees the Evans Scholars Foundation, which awards college scholarships to caddies with limited financial means.

The WGA conducts two amateur championships, the Western Junior and the Western Amateur, and the BMW Championship, the third of four PGA TOUR Playoff events in the TOUR's FedExCup competition. The WGA also conducts the Hotel Fitness Championship on the Web.com Tour. For more information visit www.wgaesf.org.

Evans Scholars Foundation

The WGA champions education through golf by sponsoring the Evans Scholars Program, the sole charitable beneficiary of the BMW Championship. Established by famed amateur golfer Charles “Chick” Evans, Jr., the program provides full housing and tuition scholarships to deserving caddies across the country. Currently, 870 caddies are attending college on Evans Scholarships; there are more than 9,900 Evans Alumni. The WGA’s Board of Governors has set a goal of having 1,000 Evans Scholars enrolled in college annually by 2020. The Evans Program is funded by contributions from more than 26,000 donors across the country, including many Evans Alumni, and by proceeds from the BMW Championship.