The 20th BMW Championship has teed off at Bellerive Country Club in St. Louis, opening with the traditional Gardner Heidrick Pro-Am in support of the Evans Scholars Foundation. For the first time, a player who aces the 16th hole can choose between a BMW X5 and the all-electric BMW iX3, the first model of the Neue Klasse. Juliya Tabaka of Manchester, Missouri, was also named the seventh BMW Hole-in-One Scholar at the event.

The penultimate playoff tournament of the PGA TOUR season began today at Bellerive Country Club in St. Louis, Missouri, marking the 20th edition of the BMW Championship. As tradition dictates, the week opened with the Gardner Heidrick Pro-Am, with every dollar raised from Pro-Am spots — and all proceeds from the tournament itself — going to the Evans Scholars Foundation.

The foundation, run by tournament organisers the Western Golf Association, awards college scholarships to caddies. Since the BMW Championship debuted in 2007, more than $63 million has flowed to the charity through the event, funding full tuition and housing scholarships.

A scholarship born from an ace

Juliya Tabaka, from Manchester, Missouri, was named the latest BMW Hole-in-One Scholar during the Pro-Am. She receives a full four-year Evans Scholarship covering tuition and accommodation at the University of Missouri. The scholarship exists because of Akshay Bhatia’s hole-in-one during the third round of last year’s BMW Championship at Caves Valley Golf Club in Owings Mills, Maryland — BMW funds a scholarship whenever a player aces the designated hole.

Tabaka, a former caddie at Bellerive itself, is the seventh recipient of the award.

“Being named the BMW Hole-in-One Scholar means so much to me and my family,” Tabaka said. “My mom has made countless sacrifices to give my siblings and me every opportunity, and this scholarship will allow me to study animal sciences at the University of Missouri as I pursue my dream of becoming a veterinarian. I’m incredibly grateful and excited to thank Akshay in person for his incredible shot that helped make this possible.”

Sebastian Mackensen, President and CEO of BMW of North America, said Bhatia’s shot had an impact reaching well past the course. “Akshay’s hole-in-one was an unforgettable moment, and its impact now extends far beyond the golf course,” he said. “Through our longstanding partnership with the Western Golf Association, BMW is proud to help Juliya and other deserving young caddies pursue their college dreams. We look forward to seeing all she accomplishes at Missouri and beyond.”

X5 or iX3 — the player picks

BMW will again fund a full Evans Scholarship for the first hole-in-one recorded in a tournament round this year. A player who aces the 16th hole picks up a car as well — and for the first time in the tournament’s history, that player gets a choice of model.

The two options are the new BMW X5 and the all-electric BMW iX3. The iX3 carries particular weight for the brand: it is the first production model of BMW’s Neue Klasse, the new electric architecture the company is building its next generation of EVs around. Putting it alongside the X5 — one of BMW’s highest-volume combustion SUVs — as an equal prize is a neat piece of positioning for a car BMW needs American buyers to notice.

The strongest field of the year

The anniversary edition again fields the top 50 golfers in the PGA TOUR season standings, and 19 of the world’s top 20 professionals are playing. Among them are defending champion Scottie Scheffler, reigning Masters winner Rory McIlroy and defending FedExCup champion Tommy Fleetwood.

There is no cut, so all 50 players compete through to Sunday. After that, the field contracts sharply: only the top 30 in the season standings after the BMW Championship advance to next week’s TOUR Championship in Atlanta, Georgia.

Back at Bellerive

This is only the second time Bellerive Country Club has hosted the BMW Championship, after the 2008 edition. The venue also gives the Hole-in-One Scholar story a local thread, given Tabaka caddied there.

Play continues at Bellerive through Sunday, with the season finale in Atlanta the following week.

Source: www.press.bmwgroup.com