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Rory McIlroy and Justin Rose commit to BMW PGA Championship

Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland poses with the trophy following his victory at the end of day four of the BMW PGA Championship
Image: Rory McIlroy came from seven shots behind to win at Wentworth last year

Rory McIlroy has confirmed that he will defend his BMW PGA Championship title at Wentworth in May.

The world No 1 and his Ryder Cup team-mate Justin Rose are the first two high-profile players to commit to the European Tour's flagship event, which regularly attracts the strongest field on the schedule.

McIlroy claimed his first victory on British soil in thrilling style last season, overcoming a seven-shot deficit overnight with a superb final-round 66 that earned him a one-stroke win over Shane Lowry.

The victory was McIlroy's first on either the European or PGA Tour after a barren 18-month period, and it laid the foundations for a spectacular year in which he won the Open Championship, the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational and the US PGA Championship to return to the top of the world rankings.

To return to Wentworth as defending champion is a huge honour and I can’t wait to draw on the memories of 2014
Rory McIlroy

“Growing up in Belfast, the BMW PGA Championship always featured high on my list of priorities along with the major championships," said McIlroy, who has won four of his last seven European Tour events, finishing second in the other three.

"To return to Wentworth as defending champion is a huge honour and I can’t wait to draw on the memories of 2014.”

Rose has been runner-up twice over the West Course, narrowly losing out to Anders Hansen in 2007 and finishing four shots behind runaway winner Luke Donald in 2012.

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“Our family lived close to Wentworth and I was always excited each May to attend the event with my dad," said the 2013 US Open champion who, along with McIlroy, will be at the forefront of a huge campaign promoting the event around the Greater London area ahead of this year's tournament.

Joining forces

"The BMW PGA Championship is rightly regarded as the flagship event of the European Tour and it is a privilege to join forces with Rory to bring the event to the attention of the millions of people who daily live and work in Greater London and the visitors who come to such a vibrant city.

Justin Rose BMW Masters 2014
Image: Justin Rose: Twice a runner-up in the European Tour's flagship event

“I’ve travelled to and from Heathrow many times over the years and it will be interesting when I return to England to see my image ‘up in lights’ on some of London’s most visible poster sites.”

A European Tour statement read: "To coincide with the announcement that Northern Irishman McIlroy and England’s Rose will compete in this year’s BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth Club in Surrey from May 21-24, the images of the gifted golfers will be prominent on some of the most highly visible sites in London.

"The two players, who are the first confirmed stars to line up in a world-class field for the 2015 event, can be seen around Greater London as part of the on-going agreement between the European Tour and outdoor advertising company, Clear Channel UK, which is an Official Media Partner of the Tour’s flagship event.

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"McIlroy and Rose, both major champions and Ryder Cup colleagues, will be prominent on 96-sheet sites on the Cromwell Road in London, close to Earl’s Court Road junction, as well as the imposing Chiswick Towers on the M4 arterial route in and out of the capital.

"The initial phase of activity with Clear Channel will be for two weeks with the next phase of the long-term campaign due to be launched around the time of the Masters Tournament at Augusta National in early April to coincide with a second tranche of world-renowned players confirming their attendance at one of the top sporting and social sporting events of the year."

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