BMW Media Site The 2016 BMW Championship Kicks Off at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway with Bronze Medalist and PGA TOUR Player Matt Kuchar. Contact: Phil  Diianni phil.diianni@bmwna.com     The 2016 BMW Championship Kicks Off at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway with Bronze Medalist and PGA TOUR Player Matt Kuchar.The BMW Championship Has Raised More Than $21 Million in Support of the Evans Scholars Foundation Since 2007.  Carmel, IN – September 6, 2016... The 2016 BMW Championship kicks off today at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway with PGA TOUR player and recently crowned Bronze Medalist, Matt Kuchar attempting to ace a 100-yard chip shot down the track’s iconic front straightaway. If Kuchar records a hole-in-one from the designated BMW Championship teeing grounds positioned at the Yard of Bricks, BMW will award a full, four-year tuition and housing grant, valued at $100,000, to the Evans Scholars Foundation. The 2016 BMW Championship kicks-off on Thursday, September 8 and Kuchar will be among the top 70 players in the world who will compete in the penultimate event of the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup at Crooked Stick Golf Club in Carmel, IN.  All proceeds from the BMW Championship benefit the Evans Scholars Foundation. The BMW Championship has raised more than $21 million for the Evans Scholars Foundation since the tournament’s inception in 2007. This fall, 935 caddies are attending 20 major universities on Evans Scholarships, and there are more than 10,000 Evans Alumni. Keeping with tradition, BMW will also provide a full, four-year tuition and housing grant through the Evans Scholars Foundation in the name of the first PGA TOUR player to record a hole-in-one during the BMW Championship. TOUR Players will also have the opportunity to earn some significant prizes by recording a hole-in-one on either the 13th or 17th holes.  The first player to record a hole-in-one on the 13th hole will receive the all-new BMW M760i xDrive, BMW’s flagship sedan featuring the first 12-cylinder engine with M Performance TwinPower Turbo technology.  The first player to do so on the 17th hole will receive the first-ever BMW M2, the newest high-performance sports coupe to join BMW’s M lineup.  Additional activities and benefits at the BMW Championship include: BMW Experience:   The 10,000+ square foot BMW Experience features BMW’s newest vehicles and a variety of fun activities and contests. Visitors will see a line-up of some of BMW’s most exciting cars and bikes including the S1000 RR Motorcycle, M4 GTS, BMW’s X5 xDrive40e iPerformance, BMW i8 plug-in hybrid and the BMW 7 Series, the most innovative car in its class and BMW’s flagship sedan.   Spectators can participate in BMW’s Fan Hole-in-One Virtual Challenge testing their luck on the 17th hole at Crooked Stick, a demanding par 3. The first ace will win a 2-year lease of the BMW i3. Additionally, spectators can try to beat-the-pro in the closest-to-the-pin BMW Putting Challenge. The BMW Putting Challenge not only offers patrons the opportunity to win great prizes if they successfully sink a 30-foot putt, but also to support the Evans Scholars Foundation.   BMW Owners’ Parking and Concierge: BMW Owners receive exclusive parking in the BMW Owners’ Lot, personal concierge service, and shuttle service to/from the BMW Championship. The BMW Owners’ Parking Lot is in close proximity to Crooked Stick Golf Club for patrons who drive their BMW vehicles to the event, with complimentary shuttle services to/from the tournament’s Main Entrance. BMW Owners must register at www.bmwchampionship.com for a parking pass to gain access to the lot. Day specific parking passes will be emailed to all registered BMW Owners, along with a map and directions to the BMW Owners’ Lot. BMW Owners must present this parking pass in their BMW vehicles to gain access to the BMW Owners’ Lot.   BMW Owners’ Pavilion: Once inside the BMW Championship, Owners can access the BMW Owners’ Pavilion located behind the 17th tee by simply showing their BMW key fob. The BMW Owners’ Pavilion offers luxury grandstand seating with spectacular views of the course and premium concessions.For updates during the 2016 BMW Championship, follow the conversation with: Facebook: www.facebook.com/BMWChampionship Twitter: @BMWchamps, @PGATOUR, @WGAESF Instagram: @BMWChamps, @PGATOUR, @BMWUSA Hashtags: #BMWChamps #BMWGolf #PGATOUR #FedExCup Journalist Note:All press releases, downloadable photos and videos regarding the 2016 BMW Championship are available at: www.BMWUSANews.com/BMWChampionship About the BMW ChampionshipThe BMW Championship dates back to 1899 when it debuted as the Western Open, making it the third-oldest tournament on the PGA TOUR schedule, behind only the British Open and U.S. Open. BMW has sponsored the tournament since 2007 when it became the penultimate event of the PGA TOUR’s FedExCup Playoffs.  The BMW Championship features a field of 70 players to determine the final 30 players for the FedExCup finale at the TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola in Atlanta. All net proceeds from the BMW Championship benefit the Evans Scholars Foundation, which grants full college scholarships to deserving young caddies. Since BMW became title sponsor in 2007, the tournament has contributed more than $21 million to the Evans Scholars Foundation. For more information about the BMW Championship, visit www.BMWChampionship.com. About Western Golf Association/Evans Scholars FoundationThe Western Golf Association conducts four national golf championships and sponsors the nationally acclaimed Evans Scholars Foundation. Headquartered in Golf, Illinois, the organization was founded in 1899 by 11 Chicago-area golf clubs to promote their interests in golf. The WGA conducts two prestigious amateur championships, the Western Amateur and the Western Junior, as well as the BMW Championship, the third of four PGA TOUR FedExCup Playoff events. In 2013, the WGA added a fourth tournament, the Hotel Fitness Championship, one of four newly-created Web.com Tour Finals events. The WGA also champions education through golf by supporting the Evans Scholars Program, the sole charitable beneficiary of the BMW Championship. Established by the WGA and famed amateur golfer Charles “Chick” Evans Jr., the program provides full housing and tuition scholarships to deserving caddies across the country. This fall, 935 caddies are attending 19 major universities on Evans Scholarships, and there are more than 10,000 Evans Alumni.  The WGA Board of Governors has set a goal of having 1,000 Evans Scholars enrolled in college annually by 2020. The Evans Program is funded by contributions from more than 28,700 donors across the country, including many Evans Alumni, and by proceeds from the BMW Championship.