By Cris Barrish
The BMW Championship provided a boost for the Wilmington area economy and earned praise from those attending the event that drew 130,000.
Visitors packed hotels and restaurants around town, and the course was packed all four rain-free days.
Fans paraded around the course, either following their favorite players or wandering from hole to hole. Thousands gathered near the 18th hole, where an amphitheater of sorts had been erected. Kids also clamored around the autograph zone, where many players, but not all, were more than happy to oblige their youngest adorers after completing their rounds each day.
Jack Enslen of York County, Pennsylvania, showed off a ball signed by Justin Thomas. “I was trying to get Rory, but he didn’t come over for signatures” on Saturday, Enslen said.
For duffer Garrad Gray of Elkton, Maryland, just seeing professional golf at its highest level was the prize. He watched earlier rounds on TV, then trekked up to the country club for Sunday’s final round.
“I think it’s great for the city,” Gray said while relaxing near the 18th hole. “Hopefully everything ran smooth this week so that the PGA says they did a great job and come back for something different. And the announcers on TV were talking a lot about the city, and [showing] aerial shots of the course. Everything looked good.”
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