Previous Winners.
From Willie Smith to Rory McIlroy.
The BMW Championship carries on a rich tradition of professional championship golf that began in 1899 with the Western Golf Association’s first championship, the Western Open. The J.K. Wadley Cup, the championship’s permanent trophy, is engraved with the names of golf’s greatest legends and current stars, including Walter Hagen, Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Sam Snead, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods.
| Year | Winner | Venue |
| 2012 | Rory McIlroy | Crooked Stick GC (IN) |
| 2011 | Justin Rose | Cog Hill G & CC (IL) |
| 2010 | Dustin Johnson | Cog Hill G & CC (IL) |
| 2009 | Tiger Woods | Cog Hill G & CC (IL) |
| 2008 | Camilo Villegas | Bellerive Country Club (MO) |
| 2007 | Tiger Woods | Cog Hill G & CC (IL) |
| 2006 | Trevor Immelman | Cog Hill G & CC (IL) |
| 2005 | Jim Furyk | Cog Hill G & CC (IL) |
| 2004 | Stephen Ames | Cog Hill G & CC (IL) |
| 2003 | Tiger Woods | Cog Hill G & CC (IL) |
| 2002 | Jerry Kelly | Cog Hill G & CC (IL) |
| 2001 | Scott Hoch | Cog Hill G & CC (IL) |
| 2000 | Robert Allenby | Cog Hill G & CC (IL) |
| 1999 | Tiger Woods | Cog Hill G & CC (IL) |
| 1998 | Joe Durant | Cog Hill G & CC (IL) |
| 1997 | Tiger Woods | Cog Hill G & CC (IL) |
| 1996 | Steve Stricker | Cog Hill G & CC (IL) |
| 1995 | Billy Mayfair | Cog Hill G & CC (IL) |
| 1994 | Nick Price | Cog Hill G & CC (IL) |
| 1993 | Nick Price | Cog Hill G & CC (IL) |
| 1992 | Ben Crenshaw | Cog Hill G & CC (IL) |
| 1991 | Russ Cochran | Cog Hill G & CC (IL) |
| 1990 | Wayne Levi | Butler National GC (IL) |
| 1989 | Mark McCumber | Butler National GC (IL) |
| 1988 | Jim Benepe | Butler National GC (IL) |
| 1987 | D.A. Weibring | Butler National GC (IL) |
| 1986 | Tom Kite | Butler National GC (IL) |
| 1985 | Scott Verplank | Butler National GC (IL) |
| 1984 | Tom Watson | Butler National GC (IL) |
| 1983 | Mark McCumber | Butler National GC (IL) |
| 1982 | Tom Weiskopf | Butler National GC (IL) |
| 1981 | Ed Fiori | Butler National GC (IL) |
| 1980 | Scott Simpson | Butler National GC (IL) |
| 1979 | Larry Nelson | Butler National GC (IL) |
| 1978 | Andy Bean | Butler National GC (IL) |
| 1977 | Tom Watson | Butler National GC (IL) |
| 1976 | Al Geiberger | Butler National GC (IL) |
| 1975 | Hale Irwin | Butler National GC (IL) |
| 1974 | Tom Watson | Butler National GC (IL) |
| 1973 | Billy Casper | Midlothian CC (IL) |
| 1972 | Jim Jamieson | Sunset Ridge CC (IL) |
| 1971 | Bruce Crampton | Olympia Fields CC (IL) |
| 1970 | Hugh Royer | Beverly CC (IL) |
| 1969 | Billy Casper | Midlothian CC (IL) |
| 1968 | Jack Nicklaus | Olympia Fields (IL) |
| 1967 | Jack Nicklaus | Beverly CC (IL) |
| 1966 | Billy Casper | Medinah CC (IL) |
| 1965 | Billy Casper | Tam O'Shanter CC (IL) |
| 1964 | Chi Chi Rodriguez | Tam O'Shanter CC (IL) |
| 1963 | Arnold Palmer | Beverly CC (IL) |
| 1962 | Jacky Cupit | Medinah CC (IL) |
| 1961 | Arnold Palmer | Blythefield CC (MI) |
| 1960 | Stan Leonard | Western G & CC (MI) |
| 1959 | Mike Souchak | Pittsburgh Field Club (PA) |
| 1958 | Doug Sanders | Red Run GC (MI) |
| 1957 | Doug Ford | Plum Hollow GC (MI) |
| 1956 | Mike Fetchick | Persidio GC (CA) |
| 1955 | Dr. Cary Middlecoff | Portland GC (OR) |
| 1954 | Lloyd Mangrum | Kenwood CC (OH) |
| 1953 | Dutch Harrison | Bellerive CC (MO) |
| 1952 | Lloyd Mangrum | Westwood CC (MO) |
| 1951 | Marty Furgol | Davenport CC (IA) |
| 1950 | Sam Snead | Brentwood CC (CA) |
| 1949 | Sam Snead | Keller GC (MN) |
| 1948 | Ben Hogan | Brookfield CC (NY) |
| 1947 | Johnny Palmer | Salt Lake City CC (UT) |
| 1946 | Ben Hogan | Sunset CC (MO) |
| 1945 | No Championship | |
| 1944 | No Championship | |
| 1943 | No Championship | |
| 1942 | Herman Barron | Phoenix GC (AZ) |
| 1941 | Ed Oliver | Phoenix GC (AZ) |
| 1940 | Jimmy Demaret | River Oaks CC (TX) |
| 1939 | Byron Nelson | Medinah CC (IL) |
| 1938 | Ralph Guldahl | Westwood CC (MO) |
| 1937 | Ralph Guldahl | Canterbury GC (OH) |
| 1936 | Ralph Guldahl | Davenport CC (IA) |
| 1935 | John Revolta | South Bend CC (IN) |
| 1934 | Harry Cooper | CC of Peoria (IL) |
| 1933 | MacDonald Smith | Olympia Fields CC (IL) |
| 1932 | Walter Hagen | Canterbury GC (OH) |
| 1931 | Ed Dudley | Miami Valley CC (OH) |
| 1930 | Gene Sarazen | Indianwood G&CC (MI) |
| 1929 | Tommy Armour | Ozaukee CC (WI) |
| 1928 | Abe Espinosa | North Shore GC (IL) |
| 1927 | Walter Hagen | Olympia Fields CC (IL) |
| 1926 | Walter Hagen | Highland G & CC (IN) |
| 1925 | MacDonald Smith | Youngstown CC (OH) |
| 1924 | William Mehlhorn | Calumet CC (IL) |
| 1923 | Jock Hutchison | Colonial CC (TN) |
| 1922 | Mike Brady | Oakland Hills CC (MI) |
| 1921 | Walter Hagen | Oakwood Club (OH) |
| 1920 | Jock Hutchison | Olympia Fields CC (IL) |
| 1919 | Jim Barnes | Mayfield CC (OH) |
| 1918 | No Championship | |
| 1917 | Jim Barnes | Westmoreland CC (IL) |
| 1916 | Walter Hagen | Blue Mound CC (WI) |
| 1915 | Tom McNamara | Glen Oak CC (IL) |
| 1914 | Jim Barnes | Interlachen CC (MN) |
| 1913 | J.J. McDermott | Memphis CC (TN) |
| 1912 | MacDonald Smith | Idlewild CC (IL) |
| 1911 | Bob Simpson | Kent CC (MI) |
| 1910 | Chick Evans | Beverly CC (IL) |
| 1909 | Willie Anderson | Skokie CC (IL) |
| 1908 | Willie Anderson | Normandie GC (MO) |
| 1907 | Robert Simpson | Hinsdale GC (IL) |
| 1906 | Alex Smith | Milwaukee CC (WI) |
| 1905 | Arthur Smith | Cincinnati GC (OH) |
| 1904 | Willie Anderson | Kent CC (MI) |
| 1903 | Alex Smith | Milwaukee CC (WI) |
| 1902 | Willie Anderson | Euclid Club (OH) |
| 1901 | Laurie Auchterlonie | Midlothian CC (IL) |
| 1900 | No Championship | |
| 1899 | Willie Smith | Glen View Club (IL) |
