BMW Championship: what you need to know ahead of PGA Tour event at Olympia Fields Country Club
OLYMPIA FIELDS, Ill. (CBS) -- John Rahm, Scottie Scheffler, and Rory McIlroy are just some of the PGA Tour's best golfers set to converge in the southwest suburbs this week for the BMW Championship at Olympia Fields Country Club.
You can be there, too, and CBS 2's Jackie Kostek has what you need to know before you go.
Bleachers up, greens pristine; Olympia Fields Country Club is hosting the BMW Championship for the first time since 2020, when no fans were allowed due to the pandemic. This time around more than 100,000 fans are ready to roll.
"As exciting as 2020 was, to have another 30,000 people a day here is going to be great," said Nick DiGiovanni, vice chairman of the tournament committee at Olympia Fields Country Club.
Before you can watch the PGA Tour's top 50 golfers duke it out at Olympic Fields this week, you've got to get there. You have a few options, and organizers have said the best is to ride the Metra Electric Line to the Olympia Fields station. From here, the Gate 1 entrance is just a few steps away.
If you prefer to drive yourself, know that there is no spectator parking at the country club. General parking is in Lot G at the Lincoln Mall in neighboring Matteson. Free shuttles will run to and from the course all day.
Rideshare drop-offs and pickups will happen at Gate 1 at 3033 203rd Street in Olympia Fields. With limited supply and potentially high demand, organizers warn wait times might be longer than normal.
Once inside, spectators can do a lot more than just watch some of the world's best golfers compete. They can get in the game themselves.
Behind the clubhouse, the BMW Fan Experience is an auto show, driving range, and putting green all in one. And on the North Course, nestled between holes 10 and 18, sits Destination Recharge, offering fans a look at BMW's lineup of electric vehicles, along with a long putt challenge.
"You'll be able to do a number of things, including take putting lessons, and also hit that iconic 66-foot putt that Jon Rahm made in 2020 to win the tournament. So that will be exciting for everyone," DiGiovanni said.
While the BMW Championship has created a fan experience worth experiencing, bearing witness to a moment you'll never forget is why you come: to taste greatness.
"Patrick Cantlay, as you mentioned, has won the BMW Championship in 2021 and 2022. This would be an unprecedented third in a row, and that would be certainly historic. We also have Jon Rahm returning, who's now number one in the standings, and Jon Rahm of course won this tournament back here in 2020. So he has a chance to repeat on the same course that he made that great 66-foot putt," DiGiovanni said.
The BMW Championship at Olympia Fields Country Club begins Thursday. The third and fourth rounds on Saturday and Sunday will be broadcast on CBS 2. Wednesday brings the Gardner Heidrick Pro-Am, a chance for amateurs to play golf with PGA Tour pros.
