Scheffler, Schauffele Lead Field for 2024 BMW Golf Championship

Scottie Scheffler greets Belgium's Thomas Detry's caddie after completing the course in round 4 of the men's golf individual stroke play of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at Le Golf National in Guyancourt, south-west of Paris, on Aug. 4, 2024. Emmanuel Dunand/AFP via Getty Images

Scottie Scheffler, the world’s No. 1 golfer, is the favorite to win the BMW Championship at Castle Pines, the longest course in PGA Tour history that takes place Thursday, August 22, through Sunday in Colorado.

However, the No. 2 player, Xander Schauffele, will be a tough challenge for Scheffler in the 50-man field.

Hideki Matsuyama, the winner of last week’s FedEx St. Jude Championship, Collin Morikawa, and Rory McIlroy are the other players ranked in the top five of the FedEx Cup standings heading into the BMW Championship, the second leg of the season-ending FedEx Cup playoffs.

Matsuyama has had a tough time at the BMW Championship, with an average finish of 25th in his last seven appearances. Last year, Matsuyama failed to make the cut at Castle Pines when he finished with a score of 1-over. He is playing much better golf heading into this year’s tournament, with one win and a pair of top-five finishes in his last five appearances.

Viktor Hovland made 10 birdies and one bogey, setting a course record with a 61 to win the 2023 BMW Championship. Hovland finished just ahead of Scheffler (66) and Matt Fitzpatrick (66) and is a popular pick to repeat as this year’s champion.

The event winner will carry $3.6 million and 2,000 FedEx Cup points into the Tour Championship season finale.

Castle Pines is a dynamic course because it has an average altitude of 6,200 feet, which means the ball flies a lot farther than at sea level. It is also the longest course in the history of the PGA Tour, measuring 8,130 yards.

Scheffler is the favorite to win the BMW Championship because he is having a phenomenal season. He has already picked up victories in the Travelers Championship, the Memorial Tournament, RBC Heritage, the Players Championship, and the Masters Tournament, where he ran roughshod over the rest of the field, shooting a final-round 68 for an 11-under par for the weekend to win the $3.6 million purse. Scheffler, who was 27 at the time of the tournament, became the fourth-youngest player to have two green jackets after also winning the tournament in 2022.

Scheffler also won his first gold medal at the men’s Olympic golf competition earlier this month. He played well in last year’s BMW Championship and is looking to carry the momentum he has built for himself this season.

“This tournament last year, I had a really good final round,” Scheffler said at the pre-tournament press conference this week. “I had a couple-shot lead on the back nine, and I think I played the last five or six holes in even par on a very, very difficult golf course and got chased down by Viktor,” he continued.

“This year at The Players, for example, there was a couple guys at the end who had a chance to catch me, and they didn’t. Sometimes the breaks fall your way, and sometimes they don’t. This year, I feel like, at times, the breaks have definitely fallen my way.”

Schauffele, 30, is also riding momentum and could be battling Scheffler for the BMW Championship on the final day. Schauffele is playing some of his best golf heading into the weekend and won his first two majors of his career at the PGA Championship and Open Championship. He also tied for second with Hovland at last week’s FedEx St. Jude Championship.

Schauffele has finished in the top 15 or better in each of his last eight starts on the PGA Tour. He knows Scheffler is just one of the toughest players to beat in Colorado.

“I’ve won two times, and [Scheffler]’s won seven,” Schauffele said in a pre-tournament interview. “We both have a lot of top 10s. That’s kind of how I’m drawing it up. I know that’s how you guys draw it up,” he continued.

“[Scheffler]’s been playing unbelievable golf. I feel like we’re all just chasing him. I’ve done probably the best job of getting the closest to him, but it’s still very far away.”