The 2012 Ryder Cup will undoubtedly go down in folklore as one of the most dramatic in the contest’s history, and the BMW PGA Championship brings together the players who produced that unprecedented comeback on American soil last September.
This week, members of that historic European Team, along with Captain José María Olazábal, reunite on British soil for the first time since the ‘Miracle at Medinah’, for The European Tour’s flagship event.
Since the BMW PGA Championship took up residency at Wentworth Club in 1984, 20 out of the 29 champions have been Ryder Cup players, including Olazábal himself who triumphed here in 1994, three years after his great friend Seve Ballesteros won his second title.
The 11 members of the Spaniard’s team who will tee it up will now be hoping for individual glory, led by defending champion Luke Donald, of England, who knows precisely what it takes to succeed on the West Course and who is aiming for a hat-trick of victories, a feat last achieved by Colin Montgomerie (1998-2000).
Alongside Donald are team-mates Justin Rose, of England, and Scotland’s Paul Lawrie, who both shared second place in last year’s Championship, four shots behind the seven-time European Tour winner.
