Select volunteer opportunities remain for August event at Olympia Fields Country Club
GLENVIEW, Ill. (February 26, 2020) – Golf fans interested in volunteering at the 2020 BMW Championship are encouraged to sign up soon, as nearly 1,300 of 2,000 volunteer positions available already have been filled for the event, set for Aug. 18-23 at Olympia Fields Country Club in Olympia Fields, Illinois.
Select volunteer opportunities are still available to assist in staging the BMW Championship – the penultimate event of the PGA TOUR FedExCup Playoffs – when it returns to Olympia Fields for the first time since 1971. Volunteers perform key tasks inside and outside the ropes during tournament week, including welcoming thousands of patrons each day, assisting corporate hospitality guests and selling apparel in the event’s merchandise tent.
“We are incredibly fortunate to have such an amazing outpouring of support from volunteers year after year to ensure the success of the BMW Championship,” said Vince Pellegrino, WGA Senior Vice President of Tournaments. “Serving as a volunteer presents a tremendous opportunity to see the tournament from a different perspective while also helping us raise funds for our sole charitable beneficiary, the Evans Scholars Foundation.”
Volunteers must be at least 18 years old and commit to work at least three shifts during tournament week. Shifts range from 4-6 hours in length, depending on assignment.
Volunteers are asked to purchase a volunteer package for $135. Valued at $629, the package includes:
- Two tournament round grounds tickets (good any one day)
- Two Peter Millar golf shirts
- One Peter Millar outerwear piece
- One hat or visor
- One BMW Championship commemorative pin
- One clear BMW Championship branded bag
- One volunteer credential, valid for entry all week
- One invitation to the volunteer appreciation party
- Food and beverage vouchers on days you volunteer
To volunteer or to view descriptions of each of the 22 volunteer committees, please visit www.BMWChampionship.com and click on the “Volunteers” tab. The deadline to apply is June 15. Many positions fill quickly, so those interested in specific volunteer positions are encouraged to sign up now.
The BMW Championship is the penultimate event in the PGA TOUR’s FedExCup Playoffs, with the top 70 PGA TOUR players competing for a $9.5 million purse and a chance to finish in the top 30 spots in the Playoffs and advance to the TOUR Championship. Past champions include Justin Thomas, Keegan Bradley, Jason Day, Zach Johnson, Rory McIlroy, Justin Rose, Dustin Johnson and Tiger Woods.
All proceeds from the BMW Championship benefit the Evans Scholars Foundation, which awards full tuition and housing college scholarships to deserving caddies from modest means. Since 2007, the event has raised more than $35 million for Evans Scholarships.
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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 finale at the TOUR Championship in Atlanta. Since 2007, the BMW Championship has contributed more than $35 million to the Evans Scholars Foundation, the event’s charitable beneficiary. To learn more, visit www.bmwchampionship.com.
About Olympia Fields
Olympia Fields Country Club, founded in 1915 in Olympia Fields, Illinois, is home to two nationally acclaimed courses, the North Course and the South Course. The BMW Championship will be contested on the nationally-ranked North Course, designed in 1923 by Scottish native Willie Park Jr., who won the Open Championship in 1887 and 1889 and is considered the grandfather of inland golf design. Park’s work as a golf course architect includes more than 100 courses worldwide, with the North Course at Olympia Fields often regarded as Park’s greatest achievement.
The North Course has been ranked continually by Golf Digest as one of America’s “Top 100 Greatest Courses,” currently at No. 79 among all golf courses in the United State. The North Course also is ranked No. 47 on Golfweek’s latest list of “Best Classic Courses.” Rickie Fowler and Vijay Singh share the course record of 63.
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 Web.com 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 31,800 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.
