BMW Championship favourites

The event will begin on Thursday, 14 August, and will spread across four days, with the final play on Sunday, 17 August. Last year, the event provided a dramatic finish with Keegan Bradley claiming a title with one shot clear of Ludvig Aberg. Here are favourites to win a title.

Xander Schauffele

Xander Schauffele enters the event as the clear favorite, as he leads in the FedEx standings with 5,456 points. The 31-year-old talented American golfer is in remarkable form and is probably having the best season of his career. Last month, Schauffele made history by becoming the first player in 17 years to defend the Open Championship title, since Padraig Harrington achieved that feat back in 2008. It was his career’s fourth major and second of the year, having successfully defended the PGA Championship at Quali Hollow Club in May. He will now be a dangerous man to clinch a title that goes with a purse of $20 000 000.

Rory McIlroy

After deciding to miss the St. Jude Championship last week, Rory McIlroy makes a return, hoping to leave a good mark. The reigning Masters Champion has a good track record in history. In 2021, he finished in fourth place. Plus, he owns a career-high seven top-10 finishes from 14 career starts. With the expanded 7601-yard par-70, it suits ball strikers and talented players, and McIlroy is one of them on the tour. The 36-year-old Northern Irish five-time major winner will be a tough player to defeat. 

Justin Rose

Fresh from pulling a stunning performance on a final day to reign supreme at the St. Jude Championship last week, Justin Rose will no longer be a dark horse this week. He scored six birdies in the last 8 holes to put a nail-biting finish to top US Open Champion JJ Spaun. The 45-year-old Englishman ended up making history, becoming the oldest tour winner since 2021. His less rent approach will put him into contention to give his competitors another show. 

Patrick Cantlay

In 2021, the last time Caves Valley hosted the event, Patrick Cantlay signed for 27-under 261. He came back the following year to successfully defend the title, his eighth and most recent title on tour. He is currently sitting in 19th place in the FedEx standings, and there is no doubt he will want to excel in the course to move to a much higher position. In Memphis, the American Cantlay put on a decent performance in the FedEx playoff comeback, finishing inside the top 10—the first one since May. 

Tommy Fleetwood

Following an impressive showing at the St. Jude Championship last week, Tommy Fleetwood showed the golf fraternity that he is one of the most talented players on tour. The Englishman enjoyed a healthy lead for much of the race before settling for the third-place finish. He is in good form of late, as he has secured two podium finishes in the last four events. The 34-year-old will be eager to convert last week’s disappointment into a happy ending in Caves Valley. Currently ranked 13th in the FedEx ranking, Fleetwood will feel he has an opportunity to move higher in the rankings.