Are you ready for BMW Championship picks? The 2023 PGA TOUR Playoffs got underway last week with the FedEx St. Jude Championship. The top 50 players in the FedEx Cup standings post-tournament qualified for the BMW Championship this week. They are set to face off once more in Chicago.
The BMW Championship signals the start of the second round of the FedEx Cup Playoffs. Last year, the top 70 qualified for the event but this year it is just the top 50. The likes of Scottie Scheffler (+650), Rory McIlroy (+650) and Jon Rahm (+850) are the current favorites to win the tournament. Check out my BMW Championship picks below.
2023 FedEx St. Jude Championship Results
Lucas Glover was crowned the champion at the 2023 FedEx St. Jude Championship on Sunday as he was able to follow up his Wyndham Championship triumph. That is now consecutive tournament wins on the PGA Tour for Glover. He really is on top form.
Glover was an +8000 underdog heading into the tournament which made his victory even sweeter. However, it wasn’t an easy task as he was taken to a playoff with both him and Patrick Cantlay level on -15, following a final round charge by the 31-year-old.
Our 2023 FedEx St. Jude Championship picks failed to hit last week but hopefully we can find some winners this week with our BMW Championship picks. You can access my picks from my handicapper page, at Ashlee Kiddell.
🚨PLAYER ANNOUNCEMENT @TommyFleetwood1, @TyrrellHatton and @Danny_Willett are all confirmed to play in the 2023 #BMWPGA Championship!
— BMW PGA Championship (@BMWPGA) August 10, 2023
Buy your tickets here 🎟️: https://t.co/lESMevVOxu pic.twitter.com/K9N9c2UBA5
2023 BMW Championship Preview
When: Thursday August 17th – Sunday August 20th, 2023
Where: Olympia Fields’ North Course in Chicago, Illinois
TV: CBS / Golf Channel
Field: 50 Golfers (No players to be cut)
Purse: $20,000,000 (Winner gets $3,600,000)
The top 30 in the standings by the end of the week will qualify for the TOUR championship at East Lake. The winner of the BMW championship will receive 2000 FedEx Cup points.
The current tournament holder is Cantlay who won with a score of -14. The 2022 BMW Championship was played at Wilmington Country Club. Jon Rahm won the 2020 BMW Championship that was played at Olympia Fields’ North Course. Both him and Dustin Johnson finished the four rounds -4 as Rahm was crowned the victor with a playoff victory.
Olympia Fields’ North Course Information
Par: 70 / Yards: 7,366
Greens: Bluegrass / Fairways: Bentgrass / Rough: Kentucky Bluegrass
Par 3s: 4 / Par 4s: 12 / Par 5s: 2
The 70 par course is one of Golf Digest’s “Top 100 Greatest Courses” and hosted the 2020 BMW Championship.
The North Course was opened in 1923 and was designed by Willie Park Jr. It has been home to a host of different major golf tournaments over the years. That includes the 2003 U.S. Open, the 1961 PGA Championship and the 2017 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.
The course is most suited to ball strikers and requires golfers to hit tight playing passageways. Players will need to be accurate and it is crucial to hit the fairway due to the thick rough. Rahm’s winning scoring of just -4 in 2020 proves just how difficult the course is to play.
Some of the most notable holes on the course are the 1st, 14th and the 15th.
The course begins with its longest hole (par 5, 626 yards). It is thought that players should be able to make the green in two shots but they will have to be wary of a donut bunker with a turf island. Nevertheless, players will be hoping to begin their rounds with a birdie on this hole.
The 14th hole (par 4, 450 yards) is considered to be one of the signature holes on the course. It can be an incredibly difficult hole to play for golfers due to the densely-filled tree lines. It also features a creek down the right-hand side of the fairway. Players should approach this hole with caution.
Expert BMW Championship Picks for 2023
Scheffler and McIlroy are the current favorites to win the competition (+650). The former finished T31 at last week’s FedEx St. Jude Championship but the latter had a strong showing, finishing T3. McIlroy was just one shot behind leaders Glover and Cantlay.
McIlroy has finished T9 or better in eight consecutive events which has seen him rival Scheffler as favorite. McIlroy finished T12 at the 2020 BMW Championship with a score of +3. He also finished T6 at the Open Championship last month and will be one of the most popular BMW Championship picks.
Rahm (+850) will be another popular choice. His victory at the 2020 BMW Championship on the same course will be a key factor. He is also the current leader in the FedEx Cup standings. He finished T37 at the St. Jude Championship last week but he will like his chances after his previous success at Olympia Fields’ North Course.
Once again, all top three contenders will be heavily backed this week and will be some of the most popular BMW Championship picks.
Top Contenders to Win the 2023 BMW Championship
It is hard to ignore McIlroy after his strong performance in the St. Jude Championship. He is in fantastic form of late too, also winning the Genesis Scottish Open last month. He currently leads the way in SG: Off-the-tee (1.075). McIlroy also ranks second in both SG: Total (2.209) and SG: Tee-to-Green (2.110).
Cantlay (+950) is another popular contender for BMW Championship picks. He has won this tournament back-to-back. That includes a one-stroke victory over Scott Stallings at Wilmington Country Club in 2022 and a playoff win over Bryson DeChambeau at Caves Valley in 2021. Cantlay also finished T12 (alongside the aforementioned McIlroy) when he last played at Olympia Fields’ North Course.
Of course, his recent form is hard to ignore too after narrowly missing out on a St. Jude Championship triumph in the playoffs. Cantlay ranks fourth in SG: Total (2.007), fifth in SG: Tee-to-Green (1.585) and fourth in SG: Off-the-Tee (0.848).
Viktor Hovland (+1550) looks like another good contender. He is a fantastic ball striker which will suit well on this course. He finished T13 at the St. Jude Championship last week. Hovland won the Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village back in June which is a good indication that he will do well at Olympia Fields’ North Course.
Longshots to Win the 2023 BMW Championship
Glover’s odds have been cut considerably for the BMW Championship compared to the beginning of last week’s St. Jude. Glover was priced at +8000 last week but is now at +2800. Nevertheless, his incredible form is hard to ignore and could be worth a punt at that price. However, a third win in a row would be truly remarkable.
Hideki Matsuyama (+3000) looks like a solid choice for a longer odds pick. He finished T3 at the 2020 BMW Championship and just about qualified for the event here with a 47th ranking in the FedEx Cup standings. He will need a big performance in Chicago if he is to make it to the Tour Championship.
Although not too much of a longshot, Tommy Fleetwood (+2000) should be spoken about. He finished T3 in the St. Jude Championship last week with a score of -14. The course doesn’t seem to suit him too well due to his inaccuracy off-the-tee. He ranks 33rd in SG: off-the-tee (0.321) but his excellent form cannot be ignored.
Had a bit of downtime to knock together a BMW most tipped chart.
— Golf Tips Checker (@GolfTipsChecker) August 16, 2023
Let me know how many you have on your card.
Might do a recap tweet later today if I have time.
Enjoy guys.#FedExCup #BMWChampionship #BMWCHAMPS #GolfTips #GolfBetting pic.twitter.com/L9LGCXYx4O
2023 FedEx Championship Picks – Outright Winner
Like last week, I have selected a total of three outright winners for my BMW Championship picks. It includes two shorter odds picks and one longshot selection.
In order to take a look at my BMW Championship picks, sign-up to Sports Hub to gain full access. Let’s hope we can find the winner this week and make some big profits!
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2023 FedEx Championship Picks – Top 5 Finish
I have made two choices for a top 5 finish. Both golfers have fairly shorter odds to finish in the top 5 but both look good to do so.
First up is Fleetwood due to his fine form. He may not be accurate enough off-the-tee to win the tournament but his recent performances could see him finish inside the top 5. I have also selected Hovland since the course should suit his ball striking ability and he looked solid in the St. Jude last week.
Best Bets: Tommy Fleetwood (+350) & Viktor Hovland (+275)
2023 BMW Championship Odds
Here are the odds for the top 30 golfers at the 2023 FedEx Championship (subject to change):
- Scottie Scheffler +650
- Rory McIlroy +650
- Jon Rahm +850
- Patrick Cantlay +950
- Xander Schauffele +1550
- Viktor Hovland +1550
- Collin Morikawa +2000
- Tommy Fleetwood +2000
- Max Homa +2300
- Tyrrell Hatton +2500
- Cameron Young +2800
- Lucas Glover +2800
- Hideki Matsuyama +3000
- Jordan Spieth +3000
- Rickie Fowler +3500
- Byeong-Hun An +4500
- Corey Conners +4500
- Russell Henley +4500
- Tom Kim +4500
- Sungjae Im +4500
- Tony Finau +4500
- Wyndham Clark +4500
- Brian Harman +5000
- Jason Day +5000
- Sam Burns +5500
- Cameron Davis +5500
- Matt Fitzpatrick +6000
- Si Woo Kim +6000
- Justin Rose +6000
- Keegan Bradley +7000
