BMW Championship

The BMW Championship is the core of a six-year partnership agreement of BMW with the PGA TOUR and the Western Golf Association. The event - the third of four PGA TOUR Playoff tournaments that culminate in the new FedExCup competition, debuted in 2007 with Tiger Woods winning the championship at Cog Hill Golf & Country Club in Lemont, Illinois.

The 2008 BMW Championship USA will be played the week of September 1-7, 2008, at Bellerive Country Club in St. Louis, Missouri. The championship will return to Chicago in 2009.

The BMW Championship again will be the third of four PGA TOUR Playoff events in the FedExCup competition. Following a shorter regular season of 33 weeks, a four-week-long post season begins in the middle of August. During the course of the season, the pros collect special ranking points, which decide their qualification for the season final. Prior to the start of the four-week-long championship series, points are reset. Based on the players position in the ranking, the top 144 players receive a certain amount of points as a "starting bonus" heading into the playoffs.

An increasing number of player are eliminated each week of the playoffs, with the top 120 continuing after the first week (Barclays Classic in New York), 70 continuing after the second event (Deutsche Bank Championship in Boston) and 30 qualifying at the BMW Championship to move on to THE TOUR Championship in Atlanta the following week.

"Globally, BMW has aligned itself with the premier performance-driven sports. Just as the America's Cup and Formula 1 represent the pinnacle in their respective arenas, the U.S. golf market is the largest in the world," said Jan-Christiaan Koenders, Director, BMW Brand Communications. "For more than 20 years, BMW has been involved in international golf. Golf represents excellence, precision, aesthetic appeal and a cultivated lifestyle. This  partnership agreement exemplifies BMW's ongoing commitment to the advancement and legacy of the sport."