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Last week’s St. Jude Championship provided the perfect precursor to the season’s final two playoff rounds, as Justin Rose emerged victorious in an absorbing grandstand finish at TPC Southwind. The first players over the age of 40 to secure a title on the PGA Tour this year, Rose edged reigning U.S Open champion J.J. Spaun in a nail-biting three-hole playoff. The Englishman’s dramatic victory came 12 years after finishing runner-up in his previous best performance at the St. Jude Championship, which saw him navigate four rounds of New Jersey’s Liberty National Country Club in one more stroke than winner Adam Scott.
This year’s BMW Championships will be staged at the notoriously challenging Caves Valley Golf Club for the first time since 2021, as it becomes the fifth venue to host the competition on more than one occasion.
2025 BMW Championships – Key information
Date: Thursday 14th August to Sunday 17th August
Venue: Caves Valley Golf Club, Owings Mills (MD)
Opening Round Tee Time: 9:21am (ET)/14.21pm (BST) on Thursday 14th August
Format: Stroke Play
Rounds: Four (one per day)
TV channel: Sky Sports Golf/Sky Sports+/ Sky Sports Main Event
Live stream: Sky Go
Last year’s winner: Keegan Bradley
This year's favourite: Scottie Scheffler (5/2 at bet365)
Format – BMW Championships and beyond
Only those who assume one of the top 50 positions in the current FedEx Cup standings are eligible to participate at this year’s BMW Championships, formerly known as the Western Open. As 70 players competed in the opening playoff round, a small chunk of the field was eliminated in Memphis last week.
The BMW Championships will be contested over four days as per any other PGA Tour event, with the fourth and final round scheduled to take place on Sunday. Given the reduced number of participants, there will be no cut at the midway stage. A total of 30 players will advance from this week’s competition to the season-defining Tour Championship, which will once again be held at the prestigious East Lakes GC.
Following a significant adjustment to the PGA’s scoring system in 2019, the winner of the Tour Championship would automatically claim the FedEx Cup. This was because each competitor’s progressive points tally for the entire season was converted into a handicap ahead of the tournament, ensuring the player with the lowest score would be declared the overall champion. The handicaps were distributed on a sliding descending scale, so that the current highest-ranked points scorers gained the strongest advantage in the event (i.e., the leader started at -10, second place at -8, etc.)
The PGA announced another update to its scoring system in May. Although the ‘winner takes all’ concept remains, the outcome of next week’s curtain closer in Atlanta – and by extension the recipient of the FedEx Cup – will be determined by the traditional stroke play format without any handicaps applied. In essence, an infinite number of points is allocated to the winner. Therefore, even the player who occupies 30th position in the rankings following the BMW Championship still has a realistic shot at glory.
Schedule
Players will be able to familiarise themselves with current course conditions during practice rounds on Tuesday, which get underway at 7.00am local time. Cave Valley then hosts the annual Gardner Heidrick Pro-Am the following day, offering amateur golfers the opportunity to pit their wits against a PGA Tour professional. Attention then turns to the main tournament early on Thursday morning, before the winner of this year’s BMW Championship is crowned on Sunday evening.
Full schedule below:
Tuesday 12th August: Practice Rounds – from 7.00am (ET)/12.00pm (BST)
Wednesday 13th August: Gardner Heidrick Pro-Am Tee Times – 8.00am to 10.12am (ET)/1.00pm to 3.12pm (BST)
Thursday 14th August: Round 1 Tee Times – 9.21am to 1.50pm (ET)/2.21pm to 6.50pm (BST)
Friday 15th August: Round 2 Tee Times – 9.21am to 1.50pm (ET)/2.21pm to 6.50pm (BST)
Saturday 16th August: Round 3 Tee Times – 9.20am to 1.40pm (ET)/2.20pm to 6.40pm (BST)
Sunday 17th August: Final Round Tee Times – 9.20am to 1.40pm (ET)/2.20pm to 6.40pm (BST)
Where to watch
As the PGA Tour’s exclusive broadcasting partner in the United Kingdom, Sky Sports provides live coverage of all signature events, major championships, and FedEx Cup playoff rounds. Sky’s cameras will be stationed at Cave Valley for the full duration of this week’s tournament, ensuring viewers don’t miss a minute of the action.
The network’s coverage will be split between three different channels, with each session shown on either Sky Sports Golf, Sky Sports+, or Sky Sports Main Event. The full television schedule is as follows:
Thursday 14th August (Round 1): Sky Sports + (from 2.15pm), Sky Sports Golf (from 5.00pm), Sky Sports Main Event (9.30pm)
Friday 15th August (Round 2): Sky Sports + (from 2.15pm), Sky Sports Golf (from 5.00pm)
Saturday 16th August (Round 3): Sky Sports + (from 3.00pm), Sky Sports Golf (from 6.00pm), Sky Sports Main Event (8.30pm)
Sunday 17th August (Final Round): Sky Sports Golf (4.00pm), Sky Sports Main Event (9.00pm)
All times are in BST and are subject to change depending on tournament progress.
Prize Money
The BMW Championship’s total prize fund sits at an eye-watering $20m, with the overall winner receiving $3.6m of this purse. The exact same sums were distributed at the 2023 and 2024 editions, but were previously substantially lower.
Less than a year after beating Bryson DeChambeau in an extended playoff to attain his first BMW Championship crown, Patrick Cantlay once again hoisted the J.K. Wadley Trophy aloft following a stunning performance at Wilmington Country Club. Although he earned a cool $1.71 million for his triumphant efforts in 2021, the Californian’s title defence was worth almost $1 million more.
Rewind slightly further back, and we see 2017 champion Marc Leishman walking away from Conway Farms with just over $1.5 million, while Tiger Woods was awarded less than 20% of a $7.5 million prize pot eight years earlier.
After the conclusion of this weekend’s tournament, the remaining participants will scrap for a share of the Tour Championship’s $40 million kitty, with many already having received a steady stream of payouts during the 2025 campaign.
Ticket Prices
For those hoping to catch a glimpse of golf’s biggest stars this weekend, there are various ticketing options available. Spectators can buy a general admission ticket (which permits basic access to Cave Valley’s grounds), reserve a grandstand seat, or take advantage of one of several all-inclusive hospitality options. There are no full week/weekend packages currently on sale, so tickets must be purchased for each individual day. Military personnel are granted free entry for this event.
Prices may vary within each ticket ‘tier’ depending on the date of attendance (i.e., it’s cheaper to watch the first day of action than it is the final round), while spectators will obviously pay a higher fee for a more premium experience. The full list of options and accompanying costs is noted below:
General Admission: Provides basic access to the course’s grounds. Price – $30 to $115
Trophy Club by Michelob Ultra: Grandstand located adjacent to the 17th hole, a picturesque Par 3 with sand and water hazards. Spectators can also enjoy panoramic views of the 16th hole, have access to private restrooms, and order from a superior food & drink menu. Price – $55 to $210
The Barn: Platform located alongside the 18th fairway, enabling spectators to greet players as they walk down the final stretch. Tickets include a complimentary soft and alcoholic drinks service, and access to upgraded restrooms. Price – $350
Harbor Club: Grandstand located alongside the 18th fairway, offering shaded outdoor seating. As well as unlocking all the benefits enjoyed by those located in the Barn, Harbor Club ticketholders are also issued a hospitality parking pass. Price – $575
N.B. Please note that Friday tickets for this location are now sold out.
Bay Club: VIP area with amazing views of the 11th and 18th fairways, premium bar service, and restaurant-quality dining options. Tickets include a valet drop-off parking pass and allow convenient access to the site via Cave Valley’s main entrance. Price – $1,250
Please note that all non-General Admission tickets also provide access to the course’s grounds
Past winners
Keegan Bradley is the competition’s defending champion, having clinched his seventh PGA Tour crown in Colorado last summer. The experienced American arrived at the Castle Pines GC as the lowest-ranked qualifier, but completed four rounds of the Jack Nicklaus-designed course in just 276 shots to ensure he finished one stroke ahead of runners-up Ludvig Åberg, Sam Burns, and Adam Scott. Six years earlier, Bradley secured his maiden BMW Championship title after overcoming 2011 winner Justin Rose in a single-hole playoff.
The stats suggest native players tend to fare better in this competition, which has witnessed an American champion in five of its last seven editions. Bradley’s President Cup teammate Patrick Cantlay has also earned two BMW Championship titles throughout this period, while Kentucky-born ace Justin Thomas got his hands on the J.K. Wadley Trophy six years ago. European duo Jon Rahm and Viktor Hovland are the only players to disrupt this latest chapter of U.S dominance, having won golf’s third-oldest tournament in 2020 and 2023 respectively.
Favourites
The usual suspects are amongst the bookies’ pre-tournament favourites, as the cream of the crop prepare to give it everything in the all-important penultimate playoff round. There are also several dark horses to consider, who may be hoping a victory in Owings Mills can serve as the springboard toward Tour Championship success.
The odds markets suggest Scottie Scheffler has the best chance of claiming the 2025 BMW Championship title, with familiar foe Rory McIlroy running closely behind. We assess the recent form of the PGA Tour’s two leading icons, while also casting the spotlight on St Jude Championship runner-up J.J. Spaun. Will one of these three favourites conclude this weekend at the summit of the leaderboard, or can an underdog cause an upset ahead of the season finale?
Scottie Scheffler
Scottie Scheffler’s best performance at the BMW Championships came at Olympia Fields in 2023, where a miraculous late charge from Viktor Hovland scuppered his title chances. A year on from his disappointment in Illinois, Scheffler would conclude the competition’s next edition in a lowly 33rd position. Despite this minor setback, the all-conquering American would go on to secure the FedEx Cup at East Lakes the following weekend.
The two-time Masters winner has enjoyed a magical 2025 campaign, adding two further majors to an increasingly bustling trophy cabinet. Having kick-started his season by lifting the CJ Cup Byron Nelson on home Texan turf, Scheffler earned a first PGA Championship title in May. He won the Memorial Tournament in Ohio less than a fortnight after his triumph at Quail Hollow, before sweeping aside the field at the Open Championship last month. Scheffler’s latest PGA Tour victory leaves him perfectly poised to complete a career Grand Slam, with his attention already turning to next year’s U.S Open in New York.
The 29-year-old delivered yet another strong display in last week’s St Jude Championship, narrowly missing out on joining Justin Rose and J.J. Spaun in the playoff. Although he currently leads the FedEx Cup standings by more than 2,000 points, the new format means this statistic matters little heading into the Tour Championship. Nevertheless, Scheffler will be keen to build his momentum this week and perhaps acquire one of the few pieces of silverware which has so far eluded him.
To win the BMW Championship: 5/2 (bet365)
Rory McIlroy
Almost 13 years have passed since Rory McIlroy landed his first and only BMW Championship title, a time lapse longer than his extended wait for a fifth majors crown. The Northern Irishman kept his nerve amidst pressure from Phil Mickelson and Lee Westwood to scoop the J.K. Wadley Trophy in 2012, the first time the competition had been held outside of Illinois in its entire 113-year history up to that point.
McIlroy made a blistering start to 2025, claiming an unrivalled score of 21 under par at Pebble Beach before becoming only the eighth player ever to win a second Players Championship crown. Less than a month after his history-making triumph at TPC Sawgrass, the three-time PGA Tour Player of the Year was presented with the green jacket at Augusta, in turn ending his prolonged and at times painful pursuit of a career grand slam.
Underwhelming performances at the PGA Championships and U.S Open threaten to derail his positive campaign, but ‘Wee-Mac’ recovered his form on native soil, clinching seventh place at Royal Portrush – where he set a still unbroken course record at just 16 years of age – in front of a partisan home crowd.
Although he concluded the 2024 BMW Championships in a respectable eleventh place after delivering four steady rounds at Castle Rock, McIlroy was undoubtedly impacted by his shocking display at TPC Southwind the previous week. The current world number two had finished in joint second-bottom position at the St. Jude Championship following three tumultuous final rounds in Tennessee, which inflicted a fatal blow to his hopes of landing a record-extending fourth FedEx Cup. As a direct result of these events, McIlroy opted to miss this year’s first playoff stage.
To win the BMW Championship: 13/2 (bet365)
J.J. Spaun
Having once considered ending his professional golf career after surrendering his PGA Tour card, J.J. Spaun clinched an emotional U.S Open triumph in Pennsylvania. Amidst horrendous conditions at the Oakmont Country Club, the 34-year-old skilfully protected his lead as Robert MacIntyre watched nervously on from the clubhouse.
Although delivering his first title since winning the 2022 Texas Open has undoubtedly been the highlight of his season, managing to make the cut in all four majors for the first time in his career was another major plus point.
However, Spaun has also had to suffer several lows in 2025, albeit on the back of positive performances. Sunday’s head-to-head defeat to Justin Rose was his second playoff loss within the last five months, having imploded on the 17th hole at TPC Sawgrass to hand McIlroy an unassailable lead in the Players Championship decider. Nevertheless, his performance in the St. Jude Championship catapulted him into third place in the FedEx Cup rankings, unfamiliar territory for a player who is usually languishing in the lower reaches of the leaderboard.
If the popular Californian were to scoop first prize at this week’s BMW Championships, Spaun may start to believe he can deliver a fairytale ending to what has been a surprisingly fruitful campaign.
To win the BMW Championship: 28/1 (bet365)
The odds, correct at the time of publication, are subject to change. All odds provided by bet365.