BMW Championship: The playoffs continue
The summer heat continues in Chicago. Round two of the FedEx Cup playoffs as the North Course at Olympia Fields Country Club is the host venue for the BMW Championship. The magnificent parkland layout has hosted four major championships. The scorecard displays a par 70 layout that measures 7,366 yards. The last time the BMW was played here only five players finished under par.
Jon Rahm won that edition of the BMW Championship in a playoff over Dustin Johnson. The tournament will be remembered for extreme firm and fast playing conditions. The maintenance staff even watered the putting surfaces over the weekend in an effort to maintain some semblance of control. As I walked the grounds yesterday, I noticed right away a different color array than in 2020. The grass is green.
The course is in perfect competitive condition and the guys are locked in on the range. I’ve been to many events this season, designated or otherwise and this feels just below the atmosphere at a major championship. Earning a spot in the Top 30 and the Tour Championship can mean so many things. For some it is expected, others a bonus or goal, compete in Atlanta and you gain entrance to all four 2024 majors.
With $20 million in the purse and 12 of the top 25 in the OWGR in the field, this promises to be the most entertaining of the three stages this playoff season. Olympia Fields’s North Course is the real deal. Eight par-4s over 440 yards, four par 3s average over 200 yards and both par 5s extend over 600 yards! Better bring the driver because DJ and Rahmbo didn’t get into that playoff in 2020 for just their “short” game.
As I watch the practice rounds and see the elite build a game plan, double digits under par seems pretty low over 72 holes. A nice eight to 10 under total seems appropriate considering all these guys have to play for. Twenty-four from this field were here three years ago. Twelve of them finished in the top 20. What will it take to contend again? Just keep reading to find out.
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BMW Championship 2023: Odds
| Golfer | Odds | Top 5 | Top 10 |
| Rory McIlroy | +650 | +140 | −150 |
| Scottie Scheffler | +700 | +160 | −150 |
| Jon Rahm | +850 | +190 | −120 |
| Patrick Cantlay | +1000 | +210 | −110 |
| Xander Schauffele | +1600 | +330 | +140 |
| Viktor Hovland | +1600 | +350 | +150 |
| Tommy Fleetwood | +2000 | +400 | +175 |
| Tyrrell Hatton | +2200 | +400 | +180 |
| Collin Morikawa | +2200 | +450 | +200 |
| Max Homa | +2500 | +450 | +200 |
| Jordan Spieth | +2800 | +500 | +225 |
| Rickie Fowler | +3000 | +600 | +250 |
| Cameron Young | +3000 | +600 | +260 |
| Wyndham Clark | +3500 | +650 | +280 |
| Russell Henley | +3500 | +650 | +275 |
| Hideki Matsuyama | +3500 | +600 | +250 |
| Tony Finau | +4000 | +750 | +300 |
| Tom Kim | +4000 | +800 | +300 |
| Sungjae Im | +4000 | +750 | +300 |
| Jason Day | +4000 | +750 | +300 |
| Byeong Hun An | +4000 | +750 | +300 |
| Matt Fitzpatrick | +4500 | +850 | +330 |
| Lucas Glover | +4500 | +800 | +330 |
| Corey Conners | +4500 | +850 | +330 |
| Brian Harman | +4500 | +800 | +300 |
| Sam Burns | +5000 | +900 | +360 |
| Justin Rose | +5000 | +900 | +360 |
| Cam Davis | +5000 | +900 | +360 |
| Si Woo Kim | +5500 | +1000 | +360 |
| Keegan Bradley | +5500 | +1000 | +400 |
| Emiliano Grillo | +6500 | +1100 | +450 |
| J.T. Poston | +7000 | +1200 | +450 |
| Taylor Moore | +7500 | +1400 | +500 |
| Sahith Theegala | +8000 | +1400 | +500 |
| Sepp Straka | +9000 | +1400 | +550 |
| Harris English | +9000 | +1600 | +600 |
| Eric Cole | +10000 | +1800 | +650 |
| Denny McCarthy | +10000 | +1600 | +600 |
| Adam Schenk | +10000 | +1600 | +600 |
| Adam Hadwin | +10000 | +1600 | +600 |
| Lee Hodges | +11000 | +2000 | +700 |
| Chris Kirk | +11000 | +2000 | +700 |
| Brendon Todd | +11000 | +1800 | +650 |
| Patrick Rodgers | +13000 | +2200 | +800 |
| Nick Taylor | +13000 | +2500 | +900 |
| Andrew Putnam | +13000 | +2200 | +800 |
| Adam Svensson | +13000 | +2000 | +750 |
| Tom Hoge | +15000 | +2500 | +900 |
| Seamus Power | +15000 | +2500 | +900 |
| Kurt Kitayama | +15000 | +2500 | +850 |
BMW Championship: Major skills
Sometimes it is fun to watch these players pause and think over standard golf shots. The North Course will put a little fear into your psyche. It starts off the tee as these guys must find the fairway. Four inch rough awaits those who cannot secure the short grass landing areas. Similar to TPC Southwind, left to right ball flight players will like the look of these holes. Faders will be favored and gain a slight edge over four rounds.
Mid-iron shots are the key in the iron game. Forty percent of the approaches will fall between 150-175 yards. The field historically hits far less than the TOUR average of greens in regulation at this venue. This puts pressure on your iron game to be more precise. The average green size is 5,200 sq/ft. We’ve seen much smaller, but overall with 53 greenside bunkers surrounding them and eight holes where water comes into play; accuracy counts.
(For a direct connection to the betting boards, click the links in our Read The Line summary.)
These guys aren’t perfect, and with 15 holes recording a bogey rate over 15%, scrambling becomes a separation skill. Bogey avoidance can be measured and saves a round on a course like Olympia Fields. The best scramblers will be able to hang around long enough to contend. The course is just that hard and everyone will make mistakes. It showed in 2020 when Rahm was six over par after 36-holes and ended up winning.
No cut, 72-hole tournaments keep everyone close. These are the best 50 players from the past season. Although some aren’t in the same form that got them here, plenty are with so much to play for. Lucas Glover has shown us how quickly you can enter any conversion. With two weeks to go before those Team USA Captain’s picks, the best skill you can display is resiliency. This is a US Open style test and who’s ready to perform under pressure?
Rahm gained over two strokes against the field with his flatstick. Certain favorites have been struggling with theirs. When the test is this well-rounded, I’m watching everything in advance of my preview article. Patrick Cantlay was asked in his press conference today if he approaches this event any differently as the two-time defending champion. His retort, “I approach this event like any other, to try and win. That’s my only concern.” On that note, let’s take a look at this week’s pre-tournament card.
BMW Championship: Third time's the charm
Best bet to win: Patrick Cantlay (+1000 bet365)
Patrick Cantlay is the ultimate driving machine. With back to back BMW wins on two different golf courses was anyone surprised he showed up in Memphis last week? The fourth ranked golfer in the world excels on difficult golf courses. Feel free to poke holes in his major record, but when it comes to the FedEx Cup playoffs no player has been more impressive in recent history. Only Rory is ranked higher with the driver and McIlroy does not have Cantlay's scrambling ability (or putter). Forget Glover's three-peat, the iceman is coming to Chicago for a third win of his own.
BMW Championship: Battle of the Cams
Take Cam Davis over Cam Young (+100 BetMGM)
Two Cams that are heading in completely different directions. Both Cam Davis and Cam Young show tremendous promise. At the moment, Davis has three straight top 10 finishes. Young on the other hand missed the cut at the 3M and has been struggling with his approach game and putter. Take Davis as Young will be pressing to make the Ryder Cup team and Davis’s ball striking has been some of the best in this field.
BMW Championship: Best Bet of the Week!
Best Bet: Ben An Top 20 (+120 BetMGM)
In 2020, Ben An finished tied twelfth at the BMW Championship. An lost his card two years ago and fought to get it back. With two top three finishes in his last four starts, Ben excels on driver heavy courses where his short game and putter can separate him. He will put the ball in play, contend over four rounds, and repeat that strong finish from a couple years ago.
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