The BMW Championship is the second event in the PGA Tour annual playoffs. This is not an event that every golfer gets into.
To make the cut into the BMW Championship, you first have to be one of the top 70 players at the end of the golf betting season and make it into the FedEx Cup Championships.
Then, you must finish within the top 50 after the first event to make it to the BMW. It’s a very select event, and the competition will be for the best players in the world at Castle Pines Golf Club. Here’s what you can expect from this event.
Castle Pines Golf Club Overview
Castle Pines is a golf club in Castle Rock, Colorado. It is a Jack Nicklaus design and has hosted the International, a PGA Tour event, for twenty years. Castle Pines is known for its incredible mountain views and significant elevation changes.
It’s a par 72 golf course which will play more than 7600 yards. Golfers being up high in the mountains will get some extra yardage, meaning that players are going to have to make some adjustments when they start their rounds. Take that into account when looking at golf tips for the event...
Key Holes To Watch
The first hole at Castle Pines is a par 5, starting at the highest point on the entire course. Not too many PGA Tour courses start with a par 5.
The hole is reachable in two for long hitters, but there are bunkers in all the right positions. Hole 10 is a par four that typically plays into the wind. It has a narrow fairway with trouble on both sides.
The 17th hole is one of the best-looking golf holes on the course. This is a par 5 that features a creek and a hole that is reachable in two. It’s a blind approach but not an overly long hole.
Finally, hole 18 is another par 4 requiring two great shots. This hole has recently had some bunkers added, and it’s 514 yards in total.
Golfers To Watch at the BMW Championship
If you are gearing up to watch the BMW Championship, there are a few standout players that you will want to keep your eye on.
Take a look a little further down the list than just Scottie Scheffler, who you can imagine has earned his place at the top.
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Scottie Scheffler: Scottie has had one of the best PGA Tour seasons of any player in history. Not only can his game hold up at Castle Pines, but nothing seems to scare Scotty. The more pressure there is, the better he handles it.
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Rory McIlroy: Although he has difficulty staying out of the limelight at times, Rory has had a really strong season. However, he hasn’t played quite as well as we expected them to in a few of the key events this season. Certainly, his ability to hit a long and straight drive will help at Castle Pines.
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Xander Schauffele: Xander has had an incredible year. He’s a major champion now and done with all these top 5 and second-place finishes. He knows he can go right to the top regardless of the event.
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Collin Morikawa: Morikawa has so much accuracy in his irons that he could make Castle Pines look like a junior golf course. The narrow fairways and tricky greens won’t throw him off, as he knows how to play target golf like that.
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Patrick Cantlay: Cantlay knows how to keep his name on the first page of the leaderboard. He keeps calm and handles pressure well, so the fact that this is a playoff event shouldn’t bother him too much.
Course Strategy and Predictions
One of the biggest challenges the professionals will face at the BMW Championship is the change in elevation. Going from a sea-level course to one that is a mile high has a major impact on scoring.
Managing the altitude and adapting to the challenging greens will be difficult. The course has been modified in the last few years to add more strategic bunkers and ensure it’s truly a PGA Tour-level course.
A Focus On The BMW Championship
The BMW Championship is a big week for golfers. Without a strong finish at this event, a golfer's FedEx Cup Playoff dreams will be shattered.
You have to play well enough in the BMW to make it to the Tour Championship, with just the top 30 finishers making it that week. The season may be winding down, but we still have plenty of great golf left to get us through the rest of 2024.
*Credit for the photos in this article belongs to Alamy*
