GOLF, Ill. (July 25, 2019) –PGA TOUR players will help kick off 2019 BMW Championship week at Medinah Country Club in Medinah, Illinois, by conducting a free Junior Clinic at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 13, for kids 16 and under.
The clinic will provide boys and girls with the opportunity to receive hands-on instruction and participate in a Q&A with participating PGA TOUR players. Chicago’s own Mark Wilson, a PGA TOUR veteran, will serve as the emcee for the event. Attendees will also be served complimentary hotdogs and beef sandwiches from Portillo’s. Participants are not required to sign up or register for the clinic in advance, and golf equipment will be provided.
The Junior Clinic will take place at the driving range located near gate 2 on Course No. 1 at Medinah Country Club. Kids under 16 receive complimentary access to the 2019 BMW Championship, but must be accompanied by an adult who has purchased a grounds ticket for Tuesday, Aug. 13. Tickets may be purchased at www.bmwchampionship.com.
“We’re thrilled to start our 2019 BMW Championship week by hosting this clinic with support from TOUR players who will officer junior golfers tips on how to improve their games,” said Vince Pellegrino, Senior Vice President of Tournaments for the Western Golf Association. “This will be the first of numerous exciting activities we have planned for year’s BMW Championship as we aim to provide fans with an unforgettable experience.”
The BMW Championship is the second of three PGA TOUR FedExCup Playoff events to be held this August, a month earlier than past FedExCup Playoffs.
The BMW Championship will feature the top 70 PGA TOUR players vying to earn one of 30 spots in the season-ending TOUR Championship and the chance to be crowned FedExCup champion. Past BMW Championship winners include defending champion Keegan Bradley, Dustin Johnson, Jason Day, Rory McIlroy, Zach Johnson, Justin Rose and Tiger Woods.
Proceeds from the 2019 BMW Championship will help fund Evans Scholarships for caddies. Since 2007, the BMW Championship has raised more than $30 million for college scholarships for deserving caddies of modest means.
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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 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 $30 million to the Evans Scholars Foundation, the event’s charitable beneficiary. To learn more, visit www.bmwchampionship.com.
About Medinah Country Club
Founded in the 1920s by a group of Shriners, Medinah Country Club boasts three golf courses, all originally designed by famed golf course architect Tom Bendelow. The massive 120,000-square foot clubhouse designed by Richard Schmid is a unique architectural blend with Byzantine, Oriental and Louis XIV influences. Medinah Country Club is one of the Chicago area’s best-known venues for championship golf. Course No. 3 has hosted the Ryder Cup (2012), three U.S. Opens (1949, 1975, and 1990), two PGA Championships (1999, 2006), three Western Opens (1946, 1962 and 1966), the U.S. Senior Open (1988) and other events in the pre-PGA TOUR era.
About the Western Golf Association
The Western Golf Association conducts six national golf championships and sponsors the nationally acclaimed Evans Scholars Foundation. Headquartered in Golf, 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, 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. Starting in 2019, the WGA also is conducting the Evans Scholars Invitational on the Korn Ferry Tour. To learn more, visit www.wgaesf.org.
About the Evans Scholars Foundation
Established by famed amateur golfer Charles Chick Evans Jr., the Evans Scholars Foundation provides full housing and tuition college scholarships to high-achieving caddies from across the country. The Program, supported by the Western Golf Association, is funded by contributions from more than 32,500 donors nationwide, including Evans Scholars Alumni, as well as proceeds from WGA championships. Since the Program’s inception in 1930, more than 10,800 caddies nationwide have graduated as Evans Scholars. To learn more, visit www.wgaesf.org.
