While those competing at the BMW Championship have all already earned great riches this year on the PGA Tour—final-round co-leader Scottie Scheffler has made a tour record $19.2 million before even arriving at Olympia Fields this week—all 50 are attempting to battle their way to the final step of the FedEx Cup, the Tour Championship next week at East Lake.
Of course, the top 50 in FedEx Cup points from last week’s FedEx St. Jude Championship advanced to the BMW Championship, where the top 30 on the points list after this second leg of the PGA Tour Playoffs move on to play for the $18 million first-place FedEx Cup prize in Atlanta. This week they are competing for the $20 million purse, with $3.6 million going to the winner.
Patrick Cantlay, World No. 4 and ranked fifth in the FedEx Cup, is attempting to win the event for the third straight year (although it was at different venues in 2021 and 2022); his chances, however, are thin as he starts the final round eight back of Scheffler and Matt Fitzpatrick. Jon Rahm (three over through 54 holes and 14 off the lead) defeated Dustin Johnson in a playoff to win the BMW Championship in 2020, the last time it was held at Olympia Fields.
Lucas Glover, winner of the Wyndham Championship two weeks ago to get into the playoffs, won the FedEx St. Jude Championship last week in Memphis via a playoff over Cantlay. He is No. 4 in FedEx Cup standings, but his chances at a third straight win also look unlikely given he starts the round seven shots back.
It’s hardly far-fetched to think that either of the two 54-hole co-leaders at 11 under par will be the ones controling things on Sunday outside Chicago. Scheffler, seeking his third win of the 2022-23 season, is three-for-seven in converting final round leads into wins in his career, including his WM Phoenix Open and Players Championship wins this season. Fitzpatrick, however, is two-for-three in his career closing out 54-hole leads, including the 2022 U.S. Open and this year’s win at the RBC Heritage in April. That said their closest pursuers are no slouches: recent British Open winner Brian Harman is one off the lead, Max Homa is just two back and within three are Viktor Hovland and Rory McIlroy.
Here’s the prize money payout for each golfer competing this week at Olympia Fields. Check back here after the tournament for updated results.
50: Hideki Matsuyama, 71-WD, $66,000*