Patrick Cantlay poses with the trophy after winning the BMW Championship at Wilmington Country Club on August 21, 2022, in Wilmington, Delaware. | Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images
The second event of the FedEx Cup Playoffs is here, and the Playing Through staff has revealed who will win the BMW Championship.
The PGA Tour returns to the Chicago area for the first time since 2020, when Jon Rahm defeated Dustin Johnson in a playoff at Olympia Fields to win the BMW Championship.
The BMW Championship returns to the iconic North Course at Olympia Fields this week, where the top 50 players in the FedEx Cup standings will tee it up.
Like last week’s FedEx St. Jude Championship, the BMW Championship does not feature a 36-hole cut. So after Sunday’s final round, the top 30 players in the FedEx Cup standings will advance to the season-ending Tour Championship in Atlanta.
With this in mind, let us get to who Playing Through picked to win at Olympia Fields this week:
Kendall Capps – Editor
I am going with Rory McIlroy to win the BMW Championship, which will vault him to the top of the FedEx Cup standings heading into East Lake.
He got the monkey off his back by winning the Genesis Scottish Open in July, proving he can close tournaments again. The North Course at Olympia Fields is a par 70 that measures over 7,300 yards, meaning you absolutely need length off the tee. McIlroy has that, as he ranks first on the PGA Tour in average driving distance and first in strokes gained: off the tee. McIlroy might be the best driver of the golf ball out of anyone that has ever swung a club.
The Northern Irishman is playing exceptionally well right now. He has recorded eight straight top-10s dating back to the PGA Championship and has played well at Olympia Fields before. He tied for 12th at the 2020 BMW Championship. McIlroy wins the whole thing this time around, setting himself up to repeat as FedEx Cup champion.
Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images
Rory McIlroy plays his shot from the 17th tee during the final round of the FedEx St. Jude Championship at TPC Southwind on August 13, 2023, in Memphis, Tennessee.
Jack Milko – Staff Writer
After much consideration, I have decided that Tyrell Hatton will win at Olympia Fields this week. Hatton has had a strong season: he has recorded seven top-10s and has not missed a cut since before The Masters.
He may not have exquisite length off the tee, but Hatton still averages 306.4 yards per drive—enough to withstand the wet conditions at the lengthy North Course this week.
The Englishman has a phenomenal short game and ranks seventh on the PGA Tour in strokes gained: putting. Overall, Hatton ranks fifth in total strokes gained this season, with Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, and Patrick Cantlay being the only four golfers ahead of him in this metric.
This course also sets up well for Hatton, who will soar up the FedEx Cup standings with a victory this week. He currently sits in 26th, but a win at Olympia Fields will vault him into the top-three, which will pay huge dividends for him at East Lake considering the handicapped format of the Tour Championship.
Photo by Jason Allen/ISI Photos/Getty Images
Tyrrell Hatton hits a drive on the seventh hole at TPC Southwind on August 11, 2023, in Memphis, Tennessee.
Savannah Richardson – Staff Writer
Patrick Cantlay will win his third straight BMW Championship and shake off the demons from last week’s heartbreaking defeat to Lucas Glover.
The former UCLA Bruin has yet to win this season but has recorded nine top-10s.
He has struck the ball beautifully from tee to green all season, which was on full display in Memphis. Cantlay ranked first in the FedEx St. Jude Championship in strokes gained: tee-to-green, strokes gained: around the green; and tied for first in overall strokes gained.
Cantlay does not hit as far as McIlroy or Rahm, but he is accurate off the tee. He ranks fourth on the PGA Tour in strokes gained: off the tee this year.
He finally puts everything together in the Chicago area and will head to Atlanta as the top-ranked player in the FedEx Cup standings.
Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images
Patrick Cantlay reacts to his missed par putt during the first playoff hole on the 18th green at the FedEx St. Jude Championship at TPC Southwind on August 13, 2023, in Memphis, Tennessee.
Luke Robitaille – Producer
I am picking Collin Morikawa to win at Olympia Fields, in what will be an emotional victory considering the devastation wildfires have inflicted on Maui—a place Morikawa has called a second home.
During the FedEx Cup Playoffs, Morikawa has pledged to donate $1000 for every birdie he makes. His grandfather owned a restaurant in Lahania, the area in Maui affected the most.
Morikawa most recently tied for 13th at the FedEx St. Jude Championship and lost to Rickie Fowler in a playoff at last month’s Rocket Mortgage Classic.
He has five top-tens this season but, like Cantlay, has not recorded a victory. He has played well, ranking fourth on the PGA Tour in strokes gained: tee-to-green and second in strokes gained: approach the green. Morikawa has been one of the best iron players in the world over the past few years.
The former California Golden Bear finally wins this week, emerging victorious for the first time since the 2021 DP World Tour Championship.
Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
Collin Morikawa tees off during the final round of the FedEx St. Jude Championship at TPC Southwind on August 13, 2023 in Memphis, Tennessee.
Who do you think wins the BMW Championship? Comment below and let us know who will win and why!
Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko for more golf coverage. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough too.
