Golf’s most glamorous week on the European calendar is almost here. The BMW PGA Championship returns to the West Course at Wentworth from 17–20 September 2026, and the DP World Tour’s flagship event has drawn a field that would grace any major — with one storyline towering over the rest: can Rory McIlroy finally win his home tour’s biggest prize again?
McIlroy heads to Wentworth fresh from home soil: he is also in the field at the Amgen Irish Open, the last Irish Open before Ireland hosts the 2027 Ryder Cup at Adare Manor.
What Happened
The DP World Tour has confirmed a stacked field for the 2026 BMW PGA Championship. Defending champion Alex Noren headlines the title defence, but the marquee names around him make this one of the deepest non-major fields of the year. Rory McIlroy, the reigning Masters champion, returns to a course where he has finished runner-up three times, while Jon Rahm — twice a Wentworth runner-up himself, in 2019 and 2022 — is back chasing a first BMW PGA title.
They are joined by a who’s who of European talent: Tommy Fleetwood, Justin Rose, Matt Fitzpatrick, Tyrrell Hatton, Viktor Hovland and Ludvig Åberg, plus 2024 champion Billy Horschel. Competitive rounds run Thursday to Sunday, following the traditional Wednesday celebrity pro-am that has become part of the event’s identity.
Momentum matters heading into Surrey. The tour has just seen Paul Casey in the mix at altitude — as our coverage of the European Masters at Crans-Montana showed — and several Wentworth contenders arrive with sharp late-season form.
Why It Matters
Wentworth’s West Course is one of the most recognisable tests in golf, and the BMW PGA is the DP World Tour’s crown jewel — the event every European member circles first. For McIlroy, the symbolism is huge. He won here in 2014 but has since collected three runner-up finishes and has spoken openly about how much a second title would mean. Coming off a career-defining Masters, a Wentworth win would cap one of the finest seasons of his career.
For the tour itself, a blockbuster field at Wentworth is a statement of health in a fractured professional landscape. Drawing McIlroy, Rahm, Hovland, Åberg and Fitzpatrick to the same leaderboard, in the same week, reminds fans why the flagship event still carries such weight.
The West Course rewards a specific skill set. Its three reachable par-5s tempt aggressive play, but water and clever bunkering punish anything loose, and the greens demand precise pace. It is a second-shot and short-game course as much as a bomber’s paradise, which is exactly why it tends to crown complete players.
What This Means For You
You do not need Wentworth’s grandstands to borrow from how these players win there. The West Course is a masterclass in disciplined scoring, and the lessons translate directly to your own game.
First, approach play wins at Wentworth. The best players control their distances into firm, undulating greens, and long, accurate iron shots separate contenders from the pack. If you want to sharpen that part of your bag, our guide to hitting long irons with solid contact is a great place to start. Second, the greens are treacherous — pace control is everything, and three-putts are killers on a course this demanding. Learning to putt confidently on fast greens will save you more shots than any driver upgrade.
Finally, watch how the pros stay patient across four pressure-packed days. The West Course tempts gamblers on its par-5s, and the winner is usually the player who picks the right moments. A repeatable routine helps you make those same calm decisions under pressure, so build your own with our guide to a consistent pre-shot routine. Combine solid approach play, reliable lag putting and steady decision-making and you will score better on any tough layout — not just at Wentworth.
Key Takeaways
- When and where: The BMW PGA Championship runs 17–20 September 2026 on the West Course at Wentworth, the DP World Tour’s flagship event.
- The headline: Reigning Masters champion Rory McIlroy chases a second title on a course where he has been runner-up three times.
- The field: Defending champion Alex Noren leads a star cast including Jon Rahm, Tommy Fleetwood, Justin Rose, Matt Fitzpatrick, Tyrrell Hatton, Viktor Hovland and Ludvig Åberg.
- The test: Wentworth rewards precise approach play, sharp pace putting and disciplined decisions on its reachable par-5s.
- For your game: Better long irons, fast-green putting and a steady pre-shot routine translate straight from Wentworth to your weekend round.
With a major-caliber field and McIlroy on a mission, the 2026 BMW PGA Championship shapes up as one of the most compelling weeks left in the golf season. For another marquee showdown worth revisiting, see our preview of The Open at Royal Birkdale.
