Andy DevaneyWentworth rarely needs help attracting attention in September, but the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth has added a particularly persuasive trio for 2026.
Matt Fitzpatrick, Shane Lowry and Robert MacIntyre will all play from 17–20 September, bringing major pedigree, Ryder Cup history and three rather different relationships with the West Course.
A BMW PGA Championship field with Ryder Cup muscle
The latest confirmations deepen a field that was hardly short of names. Rory McIlroy, Open champion Ryan Fox, defending champion Alex Noren, two-time winner Billy Horschel and Tyrrell Hatton are among the former champions returning to Wentworth.
Justin Rose and Aaron Rai add further English major-winning interest, while Tommy Fleetwood, Ludvig Åberg, Sepp Straka and Marco Penge broaden a line-up with a distinctly European Ryder Cup flavour.
Fitzpatrick, Lowry and MacIntyre also share more recent team history. All three were part of Europe’s back-to-back Ryder Cup victories in Rome and New York. That connection gives the week a little extra edge: Wentworth has always enjoyed the theatre of familiar faces arriving with fresh history attached.
Shane Lowry has more than nostalgia on his side
Of the three, Lowry owns the strongest BMW PGA Championship record. He won here in 2022 and, since making his debut in 2010, has added four further top-ten finishes and 11 top-20s on the West Course.
That is enough evidence to make the annual return feel less like a ceremonial diary entry and more like a genuine opportunity.
“I always enjoy coming back to the BMW PGA Championship. It’s a course where I’ve played well over the years and my win in 2022 was really special, so I’m looking forward to getting back to Wentworth in September.”
Lowry’s six DP World Tour titles include the 2019 Open Championship, and his comfort around Wentworth is well established. Some players merely know where the clubhouse is. Lowry tends to know where the leaderboard is, too.
Matt Fitzpatrick brings form and a home target
Fitzpatrick arrives as world number four and with an obvious piece of history in sight: no Englishman has won the BMW PGA Championship since Hatton in 2020.
The 2022 U.S. Open champion has recorded three PGA TOUR victories this season, plus five further top-ten finishes. For a player with ten DP World Tour titles and two Rolex Series wins, Wentworth remains a conspicuous gap rather than a missing credential.
“The BMW PGA Championship is a great event, and it gets better every year. We always get such a warm welcome and I would love to lift the trophy in front of my home fans.”
Those home fans should be plentiful. After record attendance last season, more than 115,000 spectators are set to gather during the week.
Robert MacIntyre keeps his Wentworth streak going
MacIntyre returns for an eighth consecutive appearance, maintaining a run that dates back to his arrival on the DP World Tour.
The Scot has four DP World Tour victories, including a Rolex Series win on home soil two years ago, and has also won twice on the PGA TOUR. Wentworth has become a fixture rather than a novelty.
“I’ve played the BMW PGA Championship every year since I joined the DP World Tour, so it’s definitely one that I enjoy coming back to. It’s shaping up to be another great event this year, so I’m looking forward to seeing what we can do over the West Course.”
His phrasing is cautious. The field is not.
Wentworth is already filling up
The tournament’s “Festival of Golf” billing is doing plenty of work, but the crowds suggest it has found an audience. Alongside the championship itself, the week includes a Celebrity Pro-Am and live entertainment on the Amazon Leo Live Stage, with The Kooks and Ella Eyre headlining at the weekend, plus the activity around the Spectator Village.
Ticket availability is tightening well before the first tee shot. Saturday General Admission is sold out, while Friday and Sunday have limited availability. Friday has only General Admission remaining, with Treetops presented by Buffalo Trace and all Premium Experience options sold out.
The Green on 18 is sold out for the full week. Treetops is unavailable from Thursday to Sunday and has only limited availability on Wednesday.
There is also a free shuttle for spectators from Virginia Water railway station, while BMW Group owners again receive preferred parking benefits.
The names will draw the first glance, naturally. But the more telling detail may be how quickly the ropes are filling behind them. Wentworth in 2026 is shaping up as one of those weeks where the gallery becomes part of the field.
