The second event of the FedExCup Playoffs, the BMW Championship is being played at Olympia Fields Country Club in Illinois. The village of Olympia Fields is known as “one of the wealthiest and best educated, majority African-American communities in the United States.”
Of the 4,970 residents of Olympia Fields, 74.2 percent are African-Americans; 22.2 % are white, and the median income is $97,014.
In 2018 the Chicago Tribune reported that 98% of black residents living in Olympia Fields own their homes. The nationwide rate of black homeownership is 41 percent.
In neighboring South Holland, where African-American home ownership is comparably high, Mayor Don De Graff says: “We took a strong approach to diversity back in the 1970s and 1980s,” and “we passed the strongest fair housing ordinance in the nation.”
John Petruszak, executive director of the South Suburban Housing Center said: “The challenge to this day is to encourage expansion of the market so we can attract whites who value living in diverse communities.”
At the BMW Championship, the top 70 players in points compete, with the top 30 come Sunday (August 30) advancing to the Tour Championship. The third-round of the BMW Championship airs Saturday, August 29 from 3 pm to 6 pm.
