First State Times

WILMINGTON, Del. – Attendance at August’s BMW Championship surpassed 126,000 over four days, delivering a welcome lift to Delaware businesses and boosting the state’s profile as a place to stay and play.

Tournament organizers said this week that cumulative attendance reached 126,802 for the event at Wilmington Country Club, according to event organizer, the Western Golf Association. The tournament also reached an international television audience of 16 million people.

“An event of this magnitude is good for the many businesses that benefit, but it also helps boost Delaware’s image in the minds of so many people around the world,” said Jessica Welch, Director of the Delaware Tourism Office. “The people who came to Delaware not only got to see great golf, but they also saw that Wilmington is a great place to visit and explore and can be a world-class setting for major sports events like the BMW Championship.”

“The tournament’s impact on Delaware’s reputation is incalculable,” said Jennifer Boes, Executive Director of the Greater Wilmington Convention and Visitors Bureau. “Fans left the state with a positive image of Wilmington and lots of good memories of their stay, and event organizers around the globe saw that our city can successfully host large-scale events.”

BMW players, VIPs, staff, and volunteers accounted for close to 1,500 room nights during their stay, and countless other fans also poured into town to patronize hotels, restaurants and shops in and around the city.

Golf fans raved to local media about their time in Wilmington, praising the city’s hotels and restaurants. Happy restaurant owners and chefs snapped photos of themselves with golf pros who dined in the city after their rounds.

“The BMW Championship was a great success, thanks to the many Delaware businesses, government agencies, volunteers and golf fans that enthusiastically supported the event,” said Tom Humphrey, BMW Championship Committee Chair. “The feedback from the Western Golf Association, BMW and the PGA Tour has all been wonderfully positive.”

The BMW Championship was the first PGA tournament ever held in Delaware and took place over four days, August 18 through August 21, 2022. Getting the championship to Delaware was a statewide effort, one that involved dozens of local vendors, contractors, agencies and other businesses. The Delaware Tourism Office, which helped accommodate the more than 2,100 tournament volunteers, has also been involved in efforts to draw other major sports events to the state, including the NCAA Atlantic 10 Women’s Basketball Championship, USA Lacrosse Youth Nationals, and Slam Dunk to the Beach, which attracts top basketball stars on their way to playing in the NBA.

“We saw how excited the fans were this week. They were amazing,” tournament winner Patrick Cantlay said at a press conference after his victory. “And this golf course provided great theater, especially coming to the last hole. And it was a great feel and great energy all week.”

The Delaware Tourism Office, part of the Delaware Division of Small Business, promotes tourism and economic growth in Delaware. For more information, go to VisitDelaware.com.

Original source can be found here.