BMW PGA Championship 2021: Course and current form stats for the European Tour event at Wentworth

With the PGA Tour taking a well-earned, albeit short, break between seasons, all the focus is on Europe. And it's a big one too!

The European Tour's flagship event, the BMW-sponsored PGA Championship, takes place over Wentworth's West Course for a 38th consecutive year.

Second only to The Open Championship in importance, regarding tournaments staged outside the United States, this week's event has attracted a decent field.

Although Tour chief Keith Pelley will be disappointed that leading Europeans Jon Rahm and Rory McIlroy have chosen not to cross the Atlantic, he will still be satisfied with the overall content of this week's field.

On the tee

Young Norwegian Viktor Hovland and experienced American Billy Horschel - both of whom competed in Atlanta - will be teeing-up on Thursday.

World No 14 Hovland, whose only previous trip to Wentworth earned him a tie-for-11th two years ago, arrives in England after posting the joint-fourth lowest 72-hole total in Georgia on Sunday.

Horschel, meanwhile, also played in the Tour Championship, completing 72 holes in 10-under-par.

The 34-year-old from Florida tied-fourth on his Wentworth debut in 2019.

Two pros with a solid history over the West Course are Matt Fitzpatrick and Shane Lowry.

Latest betting for BMW PGA Championship

Fitzpatrick appears almost certain to qualify for Europe's Ryder Cup team - which will be named next week - while Lowry is currently occupying the final cut-off position.

Qualifying for the three-day contest ends this Sunday, so the pair may have other matters on their minds this week.

Lowry's West Course record is the stronger of the two, and he is currently in better shape than Fitzpatrick. But both certainly have the game to conquer the field this week.

Encouraging signs

Elsewhere, Tommy Fleetwood made a welcome return to form over the weekend, finishing just one stroke behind the winner (Nicolai Hojgaard) of the Italian Open.

It was his first podium finish for almost 14 months and first strokeplay top-10 since March.

Finally, another golfer showing better form again is Alex Noren, a former champion over the West Course.

The world No 62 posted T-10s in the opening two FedEx Cup Play-Off events last month, but just failed to qualify for the Tour Championship.

Latest each-way betting for Wentworth

All three of his PGA Tour T-10s during the past 12 months have come in his last six starts, dating back to early July.

Although the Swede is highly unlikely to snatch a late Ryder Cup wild-card for the European team, another strong performance this week just might give skipper Padraig Harrington something to think about.

Wentworth winner in 2017, Noren followed this up with a tie-for-third 12 months later.

West Course details

Wentworth, possibly Britain's most famous non-links course, will be hosting the third of this season's four Rolex Series events.

The West Course has been the tournament's permanent home since 1984 and has undergone a number of changes since the turn of the Millennium.

Ernie Els, who first revamped the Surrey course 12 years ago, was called upon to make a few more updates in 2016.

During this latest renovation, all 18 putting surfaces were dug up and re-seeded with a new creeping bent grass.

Four greens were completely re-built, with another five partially re-constructed.

A new sub-air system was installed below each of the putting surfaces with the purpose of making them firmer and faster, while improving drainage.

A number of putting surfaces had their contours eased, 29 bunkers were removed, while some other hazards were made less severe.

Water hazards are few and far between, but it remains a good test of accuracy, especially from the tee.

Good course management is vital on a layout which possesses a handful of tricky dog-legs.

And this iconic Virginia Water heathland remains a tough, tree-lined course, ready to challenge the skills and nerve of all those teeing-up this week.

Top 12 Stroke Averages

West Course (2015-20)
Avg:...Player...(Rds)
69.90: Francesco Molinari (20)
70.09: Shane Lowry (22)
70.15: Alex Noren (20)
70.42: Marcus Kinhult (12)
70.63: Justin Rose (16)
70.75: Chris Wood (20)
70.85: Matt Fitzpatrick (20)
70.86: Danny Willett (22)
70.90: Ross Fisher (20)
70.93: Rafael Cabrera-Bello (14)
70.94: Ian Poulter (16)
71.00: Miguel Angel Jimenez (12)
Min. No. of Rounds = 10

Twitter: Andy Swales@GolfStatsAlive

MC* - Missed Additional 54-Hole Cut

Note: List Contains Leading Reserves

Note: Tour Championship positions relate to 72-hole total, not position after handicap.