PRIZE money for the European Tour's flagship event, the BMW PGA Championship, will total €5 million in 2015, an increase of €250,000 from last year, when world No.1 Rory McIlroy triumphed at Wentworth.

George O'Grady, chief executive of the European Tour, said: "It is a sure sign of the tournament's pre-eminence on The European Tour International Schedule that the prize fund for the BMW PGA Championship has been increased to €5 million.

"We are delighted to be able to announce this significant increase, and are indebted to the continued support of BMW as the title sponsor. Since they came on board as the event's title sponsor 10 years ago, the prize fund has increased significantly, which is a sign both of their commitment and also the increasing prestige of this championship."

This year's event takes place from May 21-24.