The plot thickens as the FedEx Cup playoffs returns to Colorado for the first time since 2014 with this week’s BMW Championship, which will take place at the longest course in PGA Tour history.
The top 50 advanced to the second leg, but only the top 30 after this week will move on to the season-ending Tour Championship at East Lake. Our golf experts preview the event and share their favorite prop picks along with best bets to win this week.
BMW CHAMPIONSHIP
Location: Castle Rock, Colo., Aug. 22-25
Course: Castle Pines Golf Club (Par 72, 8,130 Yards)
Purse: $20M (Winner: $4M)
Defending Champion: Viktor Hovland
FedEx Cup Leader: Scottie Scheffler
HOW TO FOLLOW
TV: Thursday-Friday: 3-7 p.m. ET (Golf Channel); Saturday: 1-3 p.m. (Golf Channel), 3-6 p.m. (NBC); Sunday: 12-2 p.m. (Golf Channel), 2-6 p.m. (NBC)
Streaming (ESPN+): Thursday-Friday: 10:15 a.m.-7 p.m. ET; Saturday-Sunday: 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
X: @BMWChamps
PROP PICKS
–Tommy Fleetwood to Beat Patrick Cantlay (+105 at DraftKings): Cantlay is a two-time winner of the event, going back-to-back in 2021-22 before finishing T15 last year. But we’re drawn by the solid underdog odds for Fleetwood, who followed a silver in the Olympics with a T22 last week.
–Ludvig Aberg Top 10 (+163 at BetRivers): The young Swede’s 13 Top-10s this season trail only Scottie Scheffler (18) and Xander Schauffele (15) on tour. And Aberg only needs to beat 40 other players in the field this week.
–Sam Burns to Beat Russell Henley (-115): Burns is a streaky player who can be a risky play any week, but he enters the BMW on the heels of a top-5 at the St. Jude — despite snapping his driver in anger on Saturday — and a T12 at the 3M Open. Henley posted a 66 on Sunday to climb to a T30 in Memphis and did finish fifth at the 3M Open.
2024 Prop Picks Record: 39-48-1
BEST BETS
–Scheffler (+300 at DraftKings) enters the BMW Championship leading the standings for the third consecutive year. He has won four signature events, the Masters, The Players and the Olympic gold medal in 2024. Scheffler leads all players with 14 percent of the money and 12 percent of the total bets backing him to win this week.
–Schauffele (+550) shot a closing 63 on Sunday to tie for second last week, following a win at The Open and a T9 at the Olympics. He has received relatively modest support with 8 and 9 percent of the action, respectively.
–Rory McIlroy (+1200) tied for 68th last week and missed The Open cut but is also the only three-time winner of the FedEx Cup. He finished fourth here in 2023. He is not among the top-10 most popular players in either market this week.
–Collin Morikawa (+1400) has 12 consecutive top-25 finishes worldwide as he seeks his first win since last fall.
–Viktor Hovland (+1800) has had an uneven season, but the defending champion is coming off a T2 last week and is tied for second in the field with 13 percent of the money backing him along with 10 percent of the total bets.
–Hideki Matsuyama (+1800) vaulted to third in the standings with last week’s win that came on the heels of a bronze medal.
–Wyndham Clark (+2500) has been a popular play with his longshot odds drawn the second most money in the field along with Hovland. He quietly finished T7 last week after a 14th at the Olympics. Before a MC at The Open, Clark posted a pair of top-10s at the Scottish Open and Travelers Championship.
NOTES
–All players in this week’s field have qualified for each of the eight signature events next year along with The Players Championship. Jake Knapp, Mackenzie Hughes and Tom Kim were bumped from inside the top 50 last week.
–Denny McCarthy currently occupies the No. 30 spot, just two points ahead of Tommy Fleetwood and nine ahead of Chris Kirk.
–Castle Pines is playing host to a PGA Tour event for the first time since 2006. The course is 6,200 feet above sea level and is the longest course in PGA Tour history. It was also the venue for The International from 1986-2006, having since undergone a full renovation that included new bunkers, rebuilt tees and greens and renovated water features.
