The PGA Tour heads to Maryland for the BMW Championship at Caves Valley! Get ready for the second leg of the FedEx Cup Playoffs.
This video breaks down everything you need to know:
* Tournament details: Location, course changes, and key stats.
* Who’s in the field: Featuring Scheffler, McIlroy, and more!
* Major storylines: The race to the Tour Championship and Ryder Cup implications.
* Missing players: Notable absences like Spieth and LIV Golf stars.
Don’t miss this preview to stay informed about the BMW Championship!
Golf fans, get ready for an exciting showdown in Maryland this week. The PGA Tour is back in town with the BMW Championship, a highstakes playoff event that will decide which players advance to the season finale. This isn’t just another tournament. It’s one of the most critical stops on the PGA Tour calendar. With millions of dollars and coveted spots in next year’s major championships on the line, the pressure is palpable. But here’s where it gets intriguing. Only the top 30 players will move forward, leaving the rest to watch from the sidelines. Who will rise to the occasion and who will fall short? Let’s dive into everything you need to know about this thrilling event. The action unfolds at Caves Valley Golf Club located in Owings Mills, Maryland. If the name sounds familiar, it’s because this prestigious course hosted the BMW Championship just 4 years ago in 2021. Since then, the course has undergone renovations, ensuring that even seasoned pros will face new challenges this time around. One key change, the layout now plays as a par 70 instead of a par 72, making birdies harder to come by. Stretching over 7,600 yd, the course is designed by the legendary Tom Fazio and promises to test every aspect of a golfer’s game. For context, Patrick Kentlay won the last BMW championship at Caves Valley with a jaw-dropping score of 27 underpar. However, don’t expect similar numbers this year. This revamped course is set to push the world’s best to their limits. Here’s a quick snapshot of Caves Valley par 70. Course length 7,601 yards. Designer Tom Fazio. One unique feature of this week’s tournament is the absence of a cut. All 50 competitors are guaranteed to play all four rounds, adding an extra layer of strategy and endurance to the competition. These elite players represent the cream of the crop, having earned their spots based on their performance throughout the FedEx Cup season. So, who exactly is teeing it up in Maryland? The field includes some of golf’s biggest names, including Scotty Sheffller, Rory Mroy, Xander Schoffé, and Colin Morawa. Shuffler, currently ranked number one in the world, leads the pack after securing two major victories earlier this season. Other notable participants include fan favorites like Ricky Fowler and local hero Denny McCarthy, a Maryland native eager to shine on home turf. And let’s not forget Justin Rose, whose consistent play has kept him firmly in contention. But this year’s roster also highlights some glaring absences. Jordan Spief, a three-time major champion, narrowly missed qualifying for the top 50 in the FedEx Cup standings. Meanwhile, several former PGA Tour stars have shifted their focus to the LIV golf circuit, meaning they won’t be competing in Maryland. Notable names like Bryson Dshambo, John Rom, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Kupka, and Sergio Garcia, all of whom performed admirably at Caves Valley in 2021, are conspicuously absent. This raises an interesting question. Do these defections signal a growing divide in professional golf or are they simply a natural evolution of the sport? Share your thoughts in the comments below. As for the story lines to watch, there’s plenty to keep fans glued to their screens. Beyond crowning a champion, the biggest drama revolves around which 30 players will punch their tickets to the Tour Championship in Atlanta. Players ranked between 25th and 35th in the FedEx Cup standings are especially vulnerable, knowing that a single poor round could end their seasons prematurely. Why does this matter so much? Because advancing to the Tour Championship comes with perks beyond prestige. It guarantees entry into three of next year’s four majors, the Mast’s, US Open, and British Open. A minimum payout of $550,000 for completing the event, and automatic invites to marquee tournaments throughout the 2026 season. Another subplot involves the US RDER Cup team. Six of the 12 spots will be locked in by the end of this week, determined by the point system used to select the squad. Captain Keegan Bradley will choose the remaining six members later this month, creating opportunities for players on the bubble to make a strong case for inclusion. Young talents like Cameron Young, Chris Goddarup, and Andrew Novak find themselves in prime positions to earn a captain’s pick if they perform well in Maryland. Could Bradley even pick himself for the team? That possibility adds yet another layer of intrigue to this already captivating event. For amateur golfers curious about how they’d fare at Caves Valley, consider this. The course is no walk in the park. Using the USGA’s target score formula, which combines a player’s handicap with the course’s difficulty rating, we can estimate scores for various skill levels. A scratch golfer, someone with a 0.0 zero handicap would likely shoot around 80 due to the course’s challenging slope of 144 and course rating of 77.2. Meanwhile, a 10 handicapper might struggle to break 90 with a projected target score closer to 90. As for a 20 handicapper, breaking triple digits would be a significant accomplishment given their estimated target score of 103. By contrast, the pros will navigate the course with ease, routinely posting scores well under par. Watching them play feels almost like witnessing a different sport entirely. Have thoughts on the BMW championship or predictions for who will emerge victorious? Join the conversation in the comments section. Whether you’re rooting for the heavy hitters like Sheffler and Mroy or pulling for underdogs like McCarthy, there’s something for everyone to enjoy in this week’s action-packed tournament.
