Rory McIlroy challenges Gary Woodland in BMW charity driving event

(September 11, 2013) LAKE FOREST, Ill. — The 2013 BMW Championship kicked off Sept. 10 when PGA golfer and defending champion Rory Mcllroy competed in a driving challenge with Gary Woodland in a BMW i3, the first purpose built electric vehicle made primarily of carbon fiber.

McIlroy and Woodland competed on a specially created driving course at Six Flags Great America for the BMW Championship and Evans Scholars Foundation, to which BMW made a $10,000 donation in their honor.

They completed several laps in the i3 on the course, and were only two seconds shy of beating the track record. Both golfers were two of the first people in the world to drive the i3 since the car's global reveal on July 29. The i3 will launch in the U.S. in spring 2014. They were joined at the finish line by Evans Scholars Justin Cruz and Yesenia Juarez who are both students at Northwestern University.

"With the playoffs in full swing, it was thrilling to kick off the BMW Championship in a fun and fast fashion," McIlroy said.  "Today's competition was fierce, but the true winners are the Evans Scholars."

The 2013 BMW Championship will be played Sept. 12 through Sept.15 at Conway Farms Golf Club in Lake Forest where the top 70 players on the PGA TOUR will compete for the FedExCup.  Mcllroy and Woodland will be joined by Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Adam Scott and Luke Donald.  All proceeds from the BMW Championship will benefit the Evans Scholars Foundation.  Since 2007, the BMW Championship has raised more than $14 million for the Evans Scholars Foundation.

"The Evans Scholars program is one of our most rewarding initiatives and I am inspired every year by their dedication and commitment to higher education," said Ludwig Willisch, President of BMW of North America.  "We are thrilled to continue our support of the Evans Scholars Foundation and allow young men and women the opportunity to pursue their goals."

In addition to supporting the Evans Scholars Foundation through the BMW Championship, BMW of North America, also provides a summer internship program for Evans Scholars to work for BMW, offering them real-world experience and invaluable insight into their future careers.