Olympia Fields Country Club will be hosting the BMW Championship golf tournament Aug. 25 through 30, but spectators won’t be on the sidelines.
Information from the Western Golf Association, host of the event, issued an updated statement:
“As we have said from the start, our No. 1 priority remains the health and safety of everyone in the communities where we are invited guests each week,” said Andy Pazder, PGA tour chief tournaments and competitions officer. “We appreciate the understanding of the Western Golf Association, BMW and — of course — the fans of Greater Chicago for recognizing why this decision needed to be made. We continue to be very excited about the opportunity to present the BMW Championship to a global audience as part of the three-week stretch of FedExCup Playoffs events.
“The ultimate goal continues to be to conduct a safe and entertaining event while raising awareness and funds for the BMW Championship’s sole charitable beneficiary, the Evans Scholars Foundation.”
“We greatly appreciate the support of BMW, Olympia Fields Country Club and the PGA TOUR in conducting the 2020 BMW Championship,” said Vince Pellegrino, WGA senior vice president of tournaments. “We will continue to work with them and follow the recommendations and regulations of county, state and federal officials to ensure the safety of the players, volunteers and staff essential to conducting the BMW Championship.”
Golf caddies from local clubs have benefitted from the Evans Scholarship that covers tuition, room and board at select colleges.
Most recently, Homewood-Flossmoor High School 2020 graduate Jonathan Kriarakis, who caddied at Flossmoor Country Club, will use his Evans Scholarship at Northwestern University. H-F Class of 2019 Evans Scholarship winners were Michael Grupp and Madelyn Fitzgerald.
Fans who already have purchased BMW Championship tickets through Ticketmaster will automatically receive a full refund within the next 30 days.
Those still interested in contributing to the Evans Scholars Foundation’s mission of sending deserving caddies to college may make a gift through the foundation’s secure website or by calling 224-260-3746.
The tournament will be broadcast by NBC and the Golf Channel.