BMW Championship preview and betting card by Danny Speck

Can Rahm hit top gear this week at the BMW Championship?

BMW Championship Golf Tips

John Rahm 14/1 - 3pt e/w 7 places

Cameron Young 28/1 - 2pt e/w 8 places

Joaquin Niemann 40/1 - 1pt e/w 7 places

Back to back winners as 25/1 shot Will Zalatoris finally landed his first PGA Tour victory in Memphis at the FedEx St Jude Championship. A 3-hole playoff with Sepp Straka which ended in an incredible and dramatic short par 3 where Zalatoris won with a bogey. Somehow Will’s ball didn’t find the water after it bounced on the rocks around four times and then nestled into a ridge. It was then go-time for Straka as he just needed to find the green, he then duffed his approach and found the water himself then dumped his third shot into the bunker. Will stuffed his third shot from the drop zone to about 6 feet and won his first event on Tour. First of many for sure I believe. There were a few eye-catchers last week which I may mention below.

Onto the penultimate event of the PGA Tour 21/22 season and we are at Wilmington Country Club (South Course) for the BMW Championship. This is the first time the PGA Tour will have an event played in Delaware. A long 7,534 yard par 71 awaits the players this week. This course is ranked by Golf Digest as the number 1 course in Delaware and most recently in 2013 it held the Walker Cup where noticeably Justin Thomas earned 3.5 points from four matches played. The dramatic season ending cut will occur following the BMW Championship, with only the top 30 in the FedEx Cup standings making it through to East Lake the following week. The FedEx Cup is not the only thing to play for this week with Presidents Cup team spots up for grabs where players will look to be securing their automatic spots in the teams. Patrick Cantlay is the defending champion this week after he was victorious against Bryson DeChambeau in a dramatic 6-hole playoff at Caves Valley.

Jon Rahm 14/1

First player in my portfolio this week is the big Spaniard and world number five Jon Rahm. All in all it’s been a poor season for Rahm with only one win in the Mexico Open, poor by his standards and ability. However, last week he showed signs that he’s coming back to form just after his wife Kelly gave birth to their second child. Nappy factor indeed. Last week he ranked 3rd T2G and 10th on approach so a massive improvement in his long game. As is always the problem with Rahm is his flatstick, so we’re kind of banking on him having a good run with the putter this week. Another positive I like about Rahm this week is the fact he ranks first off-the-tee since the start of the year and this is certainly a course where you have to drive the ball well. Rahm won the BMW Championship in 2020 and has three other top 10s in this event. I struggle to see how Rahm doesn’t get placed this week and how he isn’t contending come Sunday.

Cameron Young 28/1

Next up is potential superstar and T2G machine Cameron Young. Four 2nd place finishes and two 3rd place finishes in 2022 just tell you all you need to know about Cam’s rookie season on the PGA Tour. Two of those results were in The Open and the USPGA Championship, major form telling of how good this player is. All that’s missing is that first win which I’m sure isn’t far away. Over the last 24 rounds amongst players in this field this week, Young ranks 2nd T2G and 1st OTT, very impressive stats. His putter let him down massively at TPC Southwind, like Rahm he’ll need to improve with that club this week to contend but I’m prepared to take the chance. One of the best players off-the-tee on the circuit, I’m keen to be onside Young each way at 28/1 quotes.

Joaquin Niemann 40/1

The third and final player for me this week is young Chilean Joaquin Niemann, another solid T2G player. A player who has kicked on this season after winning The Genesis Invitational at Riviera. He now finds himself 18th in the world rankings and is certainly someone I could see around the top 10 in years to come. Niemann ranks 7th T2G since the turn of the year and 7th OTT, two important stats I keep referring to for this week’s test. A 3rd place finish in the 2020 edition of the BMW Championship is a big pointer as Olympia Fields is said to be a correlating course to Wilmington Country Club. I’m a big fan of Niemann this week and I think there’s certainly value in the 40/1 odds on offer for this young talent who will be looking to climb the world rankings and have a say in the TOUR Championship next week.