09-12-17

With 16-under-par and 22-under-par the winning scores, I’d suggest finding folks who can make birdies and handle the pressure of a big event like this.

You have questions? I have 70 answers.

Grab a knife, fork and six pack and enjoy.

Or don’t. It’s already written so I WIN!

BMW Championship

FedExCup Playoff Event III

Conway Farms Golf Club

Lake Forest, IL

 

Yards: 7,208 per the official scorecard;

Par: 71 (36-35);

Course Architect(s): Arnold Palmer Design (2001); redesign Gil Hanse (2006-ongoing);

Greens: 007 Bentgrass 12.5′; 5,000 sq. ft. on average.

Rough: Kentucky Bluegrass at 3.5″

Bunkers: 88

Water Hazards: 5

Purse: $8.75 million; $1.575 million (winner) plus 2,000 FEC points.

Defending Champion (event): Dustin Johnson shot 23-under to set the event record in relation to par at Crooked Stick outside Indianapolis.

Defending Champion (course): Jason Day had a six-shot lead on the first tee Sunday morning and won easily the last time Conway Farms hosted in 2015.

Notes: 70 players over 72 holes with no cut.

Notes II: The top 30 at the conclusion of play advance to The Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club outside Atlanta next week. The top five point earners will win the FedExCup title if they win at East Lake. The other 25 will need help from the field.

 

2016-17 PGA Tour Winners

Frys.com: Brendan Steele,

CIMB: Justin Thomas

WGC-HSBC: Hideki Matsuyama

Sanderson Farms: Cody Gribble**

Shriners: Rod Pampling

OHL Mayakoba: Pat Perez

RSM Classic: Mackenzie Hughes**

SBS TOC: Justin Thomas

Sony Open: Justin Thomas

CB Challenge: Hudson Swafford*

Farmers: Jon Rahm*

WMPO: Hideki Matsuyama

AT&T Pebble Beach: Jordan Spieth

Genesis Open: Dustin Johnson

Honda: Rickie Fowler

WGC-MC: Dustin Johnson

Valspar: Adam Hadwin*

Arnold Palmer: Marc Leishman

WGC-Match Play: Dustin Johnson

Shell Houston Open: Russell Henley

Masters: Sergio Garcia

RBC Heritage: Wesley Bryan**

Valero Texas Open: Kevin Chappell*

Zurich Classic: Cameron Smith* & Jonas Blixt

Wells Fargo Championship: Brian Harman

THE PLAYERS: Si Woo Kim

AT&T Byron Nelson: Billy Horschel

Colonial: Kevin Kisner

Memorial: Jason Dufner

FESJC: Daniel Berger

U.S. Open: Brooks Koepka

Travelers: Jordan Spieth

QLN: Kyle Stanley

Greenbrier: Xander Schauffele**

John Deere Classic: Bryson DeChambeau**

The Open Championship: Jordan Spieth

Barbasol: Grayson Murray

RBC Canadian: Jhonattan Vegas

WGC-BI: Hideki Matsuyama

Barracuda: Chris Stroud*

PGA Championship: Justin Thomas

Wyndham Championship: Henrik Stenson

FEC Playoff I: Dustin Johnson

FEC Playoff II: Justin Thomas

*-First-time winner

**-First-time winner AND rookie winner

 

BMW Winners:

2015: Jason Day, -22

2013: Zach Johnson, -16

* – playoff

 

 

The Particulars:

Tom Fazio’s link-style design in the north Chicago suburbs hosts for the third time in five years. Year one, 2013, saw 59 from Jim Furyk but it was Zach Johnson who opened with 64 and closed with 65 who was left holding the trophy. Returning two years later, the hottest player on the planet broke every 36 and 54 hole record on the planet probably as he opened 61-63 and sat 20-under after 54 holes. If Day wasn’t in the field, it would been a hell of a battle down the stretch as five players were within two shots for second.

I’m always going to lean on guys with course form and experience most of the time because they have a point of reference. They also have the greens mapped and do’s and don’ts on the yardage book. But most importantly, they have class and experience.

If you throw out Day’s record-setting performance, the winning score would have been 16-under each time so I’m targeting that number this week. With below average greens and wind from the Windy City, accurate, class players should benefit.

The putters might have a say this week as the Bentgrass is running a very tasty almost 13′ on the Stimpmeter. I’ll double down on those who have seen this track eight times before as well.

With only 10 yards added to the card since 2015 barely over 7,200 yards shouldn’t cross too many off the list before they tee it up on Thursday. I will point out there are no prevailing winds until Sunday and that’s going to be too late for most if history takes its usual course at Conway Farms.

Top 10 Finishers in 2013 and 2015 (active this week)

 2013

Zach Johnson (win)

Jason Day (T-4)

Charl Schwartzel (T-8)

2015

Jason Day (win)

Daniel Berger (2nd)

Rickie Fowler (T-4)

Rory McIlroy (T-4)

Dustin Johnson (T-7)

Hideki Matsuyama (T-7)

Kevin Na (T-10)

Henrik Stenson (T-10)

Weather:

I’d save this for late Wednesday as what’s left of Irma is swirling around the upper Midwest.

This will win you a bar bet I:

I mention this weekly and I will do so until I’m proven otherwise: the last 10 winners of FEC Playoff events have resided in the OWGR top 15

This will win you a bar bet II:

Jim Furyk shot 59 here and didn’t win. He’s the only player in Tour history to shoot 58 and 59. He’s also didn’t win either event.

This will win you a bar bet III:

This is Luke Donald’s “northern” home course. Sadly he didn’t qualify this year or in 2015 after finishing T-4 in 2013.