There is a lot more than ‘just’ the $3.6million first prize at stake or the final fifty who have qualified for this week’s second FedExCup play-off event, the BMW Championship.
As well as determining the thirty players who will battle it for the $18million FedEx bonus at next week’s Tour Championship, the BMW also doubles as the final qualifying event for the US Ryder Cup team.
The top six on the American points list on Sunday evening will earn automatic spots for Rome, and USA captain Zach Johnson will announce his six wild cards the following day.
But while the Yanks are jockeying for position, it would not surprise me to see three Europeans among the main contenders at Olympia Fields.
The last time the event was played at the tough par 70 track near Chicago – three years ago – it was won by Jon Rahm, who continues to head the FedEx Cup standings, despite a disappointing performance at the St Jude last week.
Rahm will be determined to hold onto top spot before next week’s mega-bucks shoot-out in Atlanta.
But Rory McIlroy – who is currently third, with Scottie Scheffler also ahead of him – will want to close the gap as he targets a record fourth FedEx Cup jackpot.
Who is favourite to win the BMW Championship this week?
McIlroy’s share of third last week made it eight top ten finishes in a row, and he is due another win on US soil.
The bookies clearly agree, and have installed him as favourite, at a best priced 15-2. But at 9-1 Rahm may be better value to repeat his 2020 victory.
But the 50-1 about Matt Fitzpatrick is even more tempting even though he has not been firing on all cylinders since he won the Heritage, a week after a gritty top ten finish at the Masters.
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How to bet on the golf
Betting on golf is easier than you'd image and there are a host of interesting markets you can pick from.
Here are five easy steps for beginners.
1. Choose Your Favourite Sportsbook – there are plenty to choose from and most have their own app or mobile site.
2. Make a Deposit – each sportsbook will walk you through how to connect your bank account to their system including providing a list of all the safeguards they have set up to ensure the safety of your transactions.
3. Claim Your Bonuses – most sportsbooks offers bonuses to first time bettors in the form of free bets.
4. Place Your Bet – now it’s time to navigate through your sportsbook’s odds where they will offer a variety of options including outright winners, or top finishing positions, such as top 10 or 20, or even to make the cut. For the event this week each way odds are generally paid on the top eight players.
5. Collect Your Winnings – If you're successful you will be able to withdraw your winnings once the bet is complete. Some bookmakers offer cashout options on certain bets as well, which is worth keeping an eye on.
Where to find the best odds for the golf?
Lots of bookmakers have different options for betting on the golf this week, including competitive odds and different place markets.
We like the markets on bet365, including the price boosts on offer pre-tournament.
But it is worth shopping around to get the best value with each way odds and different places available throughout the market.
With bet365 this week, you can get Tommy Fleetwood to win at 22/1 – from 20/1 – or Viktor Hovland to win at 16/1 which was 14/1. You can also get Rory McIlroy, Viktor Havland and Patrick Cantlay to finish in the top 10 at 7.5/1.
Bet on the golf with bet365 here
Golf tips for the BMW Championship
Matt Fitzpatrick seems to reserve his best form for hard courses that put the emphasis on scrapping it out for pars, rather than feasting on birdies.
Olympia Fields definitely fits that description. Rahm beat Dustin Johnson in a play-off in 2020 after both men finished on four under par, and only three other players managed to break par.
The Sheffield star was not among them. But he did claim a share of sixth on level par, doing all his best work at the weekend with rounds of 68-67, after a second round 75 left him with too much to do.
Fitzpatrick will also be thinking Ryder Cup. He needs to pile up a few more world ranking points to break into the automatic qualifying spots for the European team, although he is virtually guaranteed a wild card anyway.
A bit of extra motivation will not hurt, and two either non-Americans worth checking out at similar odds are the in-form Corey Conners and Cameron Davis.
Patrick Cantlay has won the last two BMW Championships, and even though they were both on different courses, he will be a popular choice to complete the hat-trick especially after just losing out to Lucas Glover in a play-off on Sunday.
Glover is another player eyeing a hat-trick and he did us a favour when winning for the second week in a row, at 55-1. He should also relish this test, but it is probably asking too much to expect him to make it a ‘threepeat’.
Adam Schenk, who obliged with each way money at 200-1 last week, is again available at a decent price. He is a general 125-1, and could make the frame again.
Eric Cole is listed at the same price, and he is another player who continues to improve. He is also worth a small interest in what looks like a wide open event.
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- Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
- Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
- Never chase their losses
- Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed
- Gamcare – www.gamcare.org.uk
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