Andy DevaneyEden Hazard will make his BMW PGA Championship Celebrity Pro-Am debut at Wentworth Club in September, joining John Terry and Robbie Fowler in a footballing contingent with enough Premier League mileage to make most hamstrings file for early retirement.
The former Chelsea and Belgium star is among the latest names confirmed for the Festival of Golf on Wednesday 16 September 2026, when the Celebrity Pro-Am once again opens BMW PGA Championship week with a cheerful collision of sporting pedigree, celebrity swagger and golf swings at various stages of technical negotiation.
Hazard Heads To Wentworth For First Celebrity Pro-Am Appearance
Hazard retired from professional football in October 2023, having left Real Madrid in June of that year. Since then, the Belgian has become a keen golfer, which is usually how retirement announces itself once the knees have had a word with the diary.
His appearance at Wentworth Club will be his first in the BMW PGA Championship Celebrity Pro-Am, adding another headline name to an event that has become one of the most popular curtain-raisers in British golf.
For Chelsea supporters, there is a pleasing symmetry here. Hazard will be joined by former team-mate John Terry, Chelsea’s most-decorated outfield player of all time and a five-time Premier League winner. Terry is no stranger to the day either; this will be his fifth appearance in the Celebrity Pro-Am.
Robbie Fowler Returns For Third Straight Year
Liverpool legend Robbie Fowler is also back, making his third consecutive appearance at Wentworth after teeing it up alongside Terry in last year’s edition.
Fowler scored 163 Premier League goals in 379 appearances, a return that suggests he knew a thing or two about finding small targets from awkward angles. Whether that translates to tucked pins, nervy putts and the occasional sand-based existential crisis is part of the charm.
The BMW PGA Championship Celebrity Pro-Am has always enjoyed this blend: serious golfers, famous faces and the public theatre of watching elite athletes discover that a stationary ball can be a profoundly rude object.
A Big Football Pull For The Festival Of Golf
“We’re thrilled to welcome John and Robbie back to the BMW PGA Championship Celebrity Pro-Am, alongside a new face in Eden Hazard,” said Darrell O’Hora, Championship Director of the BMW PGA Championship.
“Those three are among the biggest names in football, and with over 1,100 Premier League appearances between them, they bring real firepower to Wentworth Club.
“We will have even more exciting names to be announced soon for this year’s Celebrity Pro-Am, which is shaping up to be a day to remember, and we hope to see fans of all ages joining us as part of the Festival of Golf this September.”
It is a smart booking: Hazard brings freshness, Terry brings familiarity, and Fowler brings the kind of cult football gravitas that still makes grown Liverpool fans smile before remembering their lower back.
Wentworth’s Big Week Builds Beyond The Ropes
The BMW PGA Championship takes place just outside Central London and has steadily grown into far more than four tournament rounds. The week now carries the shape and noise of a proper sporting festival, with world-class golf, a lively Spectator Village and live entertainment on the Amazon Leo Live Stage.
British festival favourites The Kooks have already been confirmed as the Saturday headline act, giving the week another pull beyond the ropes. Golf has learned, wisely, that not every spectator wants to discuss launch windows and wedge gapping for eight consecutive hours. Some want birdies, some want burgers, some want a chorus they can shout at dusk. Wentworth is increasingly built to accommodate all three.
Tickets, Travel And Premium Experiences
More than 100,000 spectators are set to attend the Festival of Golf, with ticketing options covering the Tuesday practice day, Wednesday Celebrity Pro-Am and the four tournament days.
General Admission tickets are available, alongside Treetops presented by Buffalo Trace and Premium Experience options for those looking to elevate the day beyond the standard walk-and-watch routine.
BMW Group owners will again receive preferred parking benefits, while a free shuttle service from Virginia Water railway station will be available to all spectators.
The advice from organisers is simple enough: book early. Last year’s BMW PGA Championship saw record attendance, with General Admission completely sold out across Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Treetops presented by Buffalo Trace, formerly Ticket+, also sold out on all tournament days.
General Admission, Treetops presented by Buffalo Trace and Premium Experience tickets are available at etg.golf/BMW2026Tickets.
Why Hazard’s Debut Gives The Day Extra Bite
Celebrity pro-ams can sometimes drift towards polite applause and famous faces smiling through the terror of a downhill six-footer. This one has a better edge. Hazard is new to the Wentworth version of the circus, Terry knows the stage, and Fowler has become a returning part of the furniture.
For golf fans, it is a relaxed opening to one of the flagship weeks in the British golf calendar. For football fans, it is a chance to see three familiar names in a different theatre, where the crowd is closer, the atmosphere is looser and the ball, for once, refuses to be tackled.
The BMW PGA Championship Celebrity Pro-Am has found its sweet spot: a serious venue, a playful format and just enough sporting jeopardy to keep everyone honest.
Wentworth in September should have no shortage of polish, noise or famous divots.
