BMW CHAMPIONSHIP
Dates: Aug. 17-20 | Location: Olympia Fields Country Club (North Course) — Olympia Fields, Illinois
Par: 70 | Yardage: 7,366 | Purse: $20 million
Defending Champion: Patrick Cantlay
FedEx Cup leader: Jon Rahm
The PGA Tour heads to Olympia Fields Country Club in Illinois this week for the 2023 BMW Championship. The event will serve as the second event in the 2023 FedEx Cup Playoffs and feature the top 50 golfers in the FedEx Cup standings. Rory McIlroy enters as the 13-2 favorite in the latest 2023 BMW Championship odds. He is followed by Scottie Scheffler (7-1), Jon Rahm (9-1), Patrick Cantlay (10-1), Viktor Hovland (16-1) and Xander Schauffele (16-1).
I made a promise to my co-worker that I will hit every bet this weekend, and thats on GOD. Obviously we are down to the top 50 players so the odds are technically in my favor, and with me being an expert in the golf world, I guarantee I will have the outright winner this week. Just like I had Ronald Acuna to homer, and took the Atlanta Braves alternate run line at -4 last night. I will be upfront about this, I will not be picking Viktor Hovland, not this week, not next, and possibly never again....unless the data supports it. Suck on that, Jim.
Jim is my co worker who has an infatuation with Hovland, even gave him a nickname..."The Norwegian Bomber". A little weird. Just going to leave this here (Viktor Hovland hasn't cracked the top 10 of an event since winning the Memorial Tournament in June, but he tied for 13th last week after finishing with rounds of 64, 65 and 69.) I also won't be picking my close personal friend, Max Homa, because Jim also likes to call me a Barstool Sports homer.
Anyway, here are my picks.
Patrick Cantlay (10-1): The 2021 FedEx Cup champion nearly accomplished a first at TPC Southwind by becoming the first to win each playoff event. Ultimately coming up short with an untimely tee shot on the first playoff hole. A winner of the BMW Championship at Caves Valley and Wilmington Country Club, he now tries his hand at Olympia Fields where he finished T12 in 2020. The wins have yet to come for the world No. 4, but he is currently enjoying the best statistical season of his career in terms of strokes gained. While all eyes are on the top three players in the standings, Cantlay could easily claim his second FedEx Cup in the last three years if he continues to play this way. I will go on a limb and say Cantlay has been the most consistent players this season, without the wins. He is DUE. Weird looking guy though, no offense.
Tommy Fleetwood (22-1): The Englishman continues to put himself in position on Sunday, but the confidence has to be waning. Experiencing yet another close call at the St. Jude Championship, Fleetwood collected his 22nd top five on the PGA Tour the most of any player without a win. Conventional wisdom suggests if he keeps doing what he is doing, eventually the ball will bounce his way as he ranks fourth in total strokes gained over the last three months. Tommy has never won on North American soil, but starting with his sudden-death playoff loss at the Canadian Open, he has five top-10s and four top-six finishes in six starts, including T3 last week. Flow for days.
Cameron Young (35-1): The reigning PGA Tour Rookie of the Year endured a sophomore slump compared to last year's campaign, but he still finds himself with a chance to qualify for the Tour Championship. Young turned it on at the end of his regular season with top 10s at the John Deere Classic and The Open, and he's a great statistical fit for Olympia Fields. He remains one of the best drivers in the game and has plenty to play for between the Tour Championship and Ryder Cup.
Sahith Theegala Top 20 (+190):
Theegala with his strong mid-short irons, elite off-the-tee play and scrambling ability around the green. If we can get a positive weekend of approach play, Theegala should have no problem finishing inside the top 20. He's only gotta beat 30 people, math!
Jordan Spieth -115 Over Lucas Glover:
All I have to say about this is, if you didnt see Lucas Glover's pants this past Sunday, well, that man gave it all he had. You can't come back the next week with your A game after a catastrophe like that. Not enough baby powder in the world. I don't believe this should be an indicator of why Glover should/shouldn't make the Ryder Cup team, but I am fading a bad course fit that has been propelled up the board as often as I can this week for any logical matchup I can find.
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