Rory McIlroy may not have been at his best last time out but the Northern Irishman will be confident of bouncing back at this week’s BMW Championship.
McIlroy to Make Experience Count
The world number four was certainly not at his best with the putter at The Northern Trust last week, recording his worst statistics on the greens in nearly four years. But, in contrast, he had his best week in terms of approach play since March.
The putting statistics may also be misleading, as McIlroy was never really in contention at TPC Boston, eventually finishing in a tie for 65th, which means perhaps a lack of concentration was one of the reasons why his putter went cold.
Now sitting 12th in FedEx Cup standings, the 31-year-old’s focus should be sharp ahead of this week’s event in Illinois, as he looks to give himself a chance of retaining his FedEx Cup crown for a record third time.
McIlroy certainly knows how to win FedEx Cup events, as he has registered five such victories to date, including at two-stoke success at the BMW Championship back in 2012, and he is priced at an intriguing 14/1 to repeat that trick this week.
Finau Looking to Break Nearly-man Tag
It is one of the quirks of the Tour that world number 16 Tony Finau has not been able to add to his sole victory on the PGA Tour from the Puerto Rico Open in March 2016.
It certainly isn’t for the want of trying, as the 30-year-old has four top-five finishes to his name in Major events, including his tie for fourth at the US PGA Championship earlier this month.
That would suggest Finau performs better on more difficult courses and Olympia Fields Country Club, the venue for this week’s BMW Championship, certainly falls into that category having hosted the 2003 US Open.
Finau may still not be quite ready to end his long wait for a second title, but he has to be regarded as an interesting proposition to finish in the top-five at 6/1, particularly as he sits 29th in the FedEx Cup standings and needs a strong week to make sure he qualifies for the Tour Championship finale.
Long Game Could Make Cameron Champ
Another player in need of a strong showing in Illinois if he is to reach the Tour Championship is Cameron Champ, who, after missing the cut at The Northern Trust, sits 25th in the FedEx Cup standings.
A weekend off at TPC Boston could suggest Champ is out of form, but he is an up and down kind of player, with three top-15 finishes and four missed cuts to his name from his last nine starts.
The lengthy nature of Olympia Fields could also play into a big-hitter like Champ’s hands, as only Bryson DeChambeau is averaging further with the driver on the PGA Tour this year.
Champ also underlined he is the man for the big occasion with a maiden Major top-10 finish at this month’s US PGA Championship and he could provide a tempting outside option at 60/1 to win the BMW Championship.
*All odds correct at time of writing