In response to record levels of demand and advance ticket sales for this year’s BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth Club from 19-24 May, The European Tour has announced that it has increased capacity in two of its most popular grandstands ahead of one of the UK’s blue riband summer sporting events.
Advance ticket sales for the 2015 BMW PGA Championship are currently the highest they have ever been (compared with the same sales period in previous years), with pre-booked seats in the iconic 18th grandstand up 40% on last year. As a result, The European Tour has added 475 extra seats in the 18th green amphitheatre for this year’s Championship, taking its overall capacity up to 2,561.
Despite the extra capacity, reserved seats in the 18th grandstand quickly sold out for the Saturday and Sunday of the tournament. However, The European Tour has reacted to the unprecedented levels of demand by releasing an additional 250 seats, which are now on sale and exclusively available to advance bookers. There is also limited seating available for the Thursday and Friday of the BMW PGA Championship.
Capacity in the 1st tee grandstand – a popular new addition in 2014, providing spectators with a spectacular view of the clubhouse, 1st fairway and first shot of each player’s round – has also been increased for 2015. The 1st tee grandstand will seat up to 288 spectators this year, an increase of 97 from 2014.
Jamie Birkmyre, Championship Director of the BMW PGA Championship, said: “The BMW PGA Championship continues to go from strength to strength, attracting many of the best players in the world and fantastic crowds. This year’s event has seen record levels of interest and advance ticket sales, which is testament to the quality of entertainment on offer – both on and off the course. We pride ourselves on providing the best possible experience for fans and this year we are making further improvements for everyone coming to Wentworth.
“The BMW PGA Championship is a world-class golf tournament and the demand for tickets has been higher than ever. We have reacted by increasing capacity in both our signature 18th and 1st tee grandstands, offering exceptional views and creating a fantastic atmosphere around those two key holes.”
The developments don’t stop there: the Championship Village (featuring a record 28 exhibitors), championship pavilion (15x80m) and media centre (5m longer in 2015; now 20x45m) are also bigger than ever in 2015, reflecting the scale and increasing popularity of the European Tour’s flagship event.
World Number One and defending BMW PGA champion, Rory McIlroy, the in-form Justin Rose, Martin Kaymer, Graeme McDowell and Luke Donald are just several of golf’s superstars confirmed to play in this year’s BMW PGA Championship.
The Championship’s successful Park and Ride will once again be in operation and will run from two locations: Broomhall Farm in Sunningdale, which will carry traffic from the South and East; and Ascot Racecourse, which will carry traffic from the North and West. The Park and Ride will run a free shuttle bus service to Wentworth Club every five minutes, direct to the entrance of the Championship Village.
The BMW PGA Championship offers six days of high quality entertainment, including Official Practice Day, Celebrity Pro-Am and four rounds of compelling competition from May 19-24. Advance tickets, with a discount on the gate price, are available via www.bmwpga.com.
Hospitality packages for the BMW PGA Championship 2015 are also selling fast and should be booked immediately to avoid disappointment. Packages for the Wentworth Clubhouse are sold out on Thursday and Friday, but there is limited availability for Saturday and Sunday. Hospitality packages within the Championship Village are sold out on Friday and are selling extremely well on the other three days.
For further information, or to book hospitality packages, call 0800 023 2557 or email enquiries@europeantourhospitality.com
European Tour www.europeantour.com
Read more stories about the world of Professional Golf and latest list of Most-read stories