Golf
BMW Championship preview: McIlroy’s distance puts him in the driving seat
We’re down to 50 players at the FedExCup Playoffs after the St. Jude; now the Tour heads to Denver for the BMW Championship.
We got off to a flyer this year as Hideki Matsuyama went clear on moving day to eventually finish two shots ahead of the field and land victory for us at 25/1.
We’re hoping for similar this week, but it will be no easy task to find the winner at Castle Pines Golf Club this week. The course measures 8,130 yards and will become the longest course in PGA Tour history.
Our two selections combine distance with accuracy and we’re hoping that will be the recipe for success here.
Rory McIlroy 12/1
Where to start with Rory McIlroy? He’s just about the only player who could have back-to-back wins and four further top five finishes in a single season, and still feel as though he hasn’t been at his best.
He certainly wasn’t at his best last week, but rather than seeing his T68 in a 70-man field as a negative, we think this could be a great opportunity. It is not often you’ll see the Northern Irishman go off at 12/1 for any tournament and we’re willing to take a chance on him at those odds.
As previously mentioned, the 8130-yard par-72 will pose a serious test to the players, but McIlroy’s main weapons will be most effective here. His driver has been one of, if not the best on Tour for many years now and the distance he possesses – which ranks second in the world at an average of 319 yards – is almost scary.
He has no problem hitting greens, ranking second on the Tour in that aspect as well. Everyone knows about the putting problems he’s had this season, with the US Open still potentially haunting him.
His ball-striking can be mesmerising at times and if he’s on song in that respect, then the 6 places available with William Hill will be well within his sights.
Cameron Young 45/1
You have to go back to April 2023 for the last time we picked Cameron Young to break his maiden on the PGA Tour, and he is still yet to do so.
With six T9 or better finishes and a runner-up at the Valspar Championship this season, Young hasn’t been without chances to land that all-important first victory. That makes him a nice option to finish in the 6 places available with William Hill, but can he finally get over the line?
Finishing in the places wouldn’t be the end of the world as he heads here at a nice enough price of 45/1, but this certainly wouldn’t be a bad place for him to break his duck. The course looks to suit him as well, with great distance in his arsenal as well as solid iron play.
He notches up an average of just over 308 yards with the big stick, backing that up by ranking 27th for strokes gained from tee-to-green. Whilst he can get closer than most off-the-tee, if he ends up with greater distances he’ll be more than able to cope. From 200-225 yards he ranks 10th in the world, whilst he sits 14th when it comes to those approaches from 175-200.
With a scoring average of just under 70 before the cut, Young is more of a fast starter than a strong finisher and could be the value play in the first round leader market at 35/1.
