The PGA TOUR heads to Maryland this week for the second leg of the FedExCup Playoffs — the BMW Championship. Caves Valley Golf Club will be the host, and measures as a 7,601-yard par 70 with Bentgrass greens.
This week’s field features the top 50 players remaining in the FedExCup standings, led by World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler. Rory McIlroy will be making his return this week after taking last week off. Additionally, there will be no cut this week, meaning all players are guaranteed four rounds. The top 30 in the standings after this event will advance to next week’s Tour Championship.
Below, I have outlined three of my favorite DraftKings plays for the week.
Set your DraftKings fantasy golf lineups here: PGA TOUR $800K Summer Sand Trap [$200K to 1st]
Rory McIlroy ($11,400)
If there’s one thing Rory McIlroy loves, it’s a Tom Fazio designed course. Caves Valley, a classic Fazio layout, is just one of several where McIlroy has left his mark. He’s a four-time winner at Quail Hollow — home of the Wells Fargo Championship — and claimed back-to-back victories at the CJ Cup in 2021 and 2022, played at Fazio’s Summit Club and Congaree, respectively. Adding to the résumé, McIlroy finished solo fourth at Caves Valley during the 2021 BMW Championship, the last time the event was held at this venue.
We haven’t seen the Northern Irishman in action since The Open Championship last month, and he’ll be returning from a four-week layoff. That said, McIlroy was in strong form before the break, posting finishes of T7, T2, and T6 in his three previous starts.
McIlroy has transformed into one of the world’s elite putters this season, currently ranking fourth on the PGA TOUR in Strokes Gained: Putting—behind only Harry Hall, Sam Burns, and Taylor Montgomery. To put that improvement in perspective, he was 59th in this category last season and 65th in 2023. The flat stick has truly become one of the biggest weapons in his bag.
That skill will be on full display this week at Caves Valley—a course practically tailor-made for McIlroy, demanding excellence both off the tee and on the greens, two areas where he ranks among the very best. On top of that, McIlroy has been sharp with his irons lately, gaining 2.9, 3.9, and 1.5 strokes on approach in each of his last three starts, showing that his all-around game is firing on all cylinders.
Obviously it’s hard to fade Scottie Scheffler at any event, but we are getting a full $2,000 discount on McIlroy this week at a course that he could compete at in his sleep.
Cameron Young ($9,800)
Young has been on an impressive run this summer, finishing T5 or better in four of his last seven starts, highlighted by his maiden PGA TOUR victory just two weeks ago at the Wyndham Championship. Much like McIlroy, Young has become a true maestro with the putter, ranking seventh on the PGA TOUR this season in Strokes Gained: Putting.
Young is essentially a “poor man’s” version of McIlroy at this point in his career—elite off the tee and now a strong putter, but still inconsistent with his irons and a bit vulnerable around the greens. McIlroy, of course, sets himself apart with an exceptional short game.
However, the short game will be somewhat muted this week at Caves Valley, where the driver and putter will take center stage—setting Young up for a potentially huge week. The 28-year-old led the field in Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee last week at TPC Southwind and also gained 3.2 strokes on approach en route to a T5 finish.
When golfers get hot down the stretch like this, it’s no surprise to see them take down a FedEx Cup Playoff event—just like Lucas Glover did in 2023.
Since this is a no-cut event, you can comfortably fit Young into your lineup at $9,800—even if you’re also playing McIlroy.
Si Woo Kim ($7,300)
Kim isn’t your typical BMW Championship contender, given that he’s not elite with his driver or putter. However, he comes into this event off a strong showing at the FedEx St. Jude Championship, where he led the field in Strokes Gained: Approach, gaining an impressive 8.1 strokes with his irons. He also played well off the tee at TPC Southwind, gaining 2.74 strokes—marking the second consecutive week he’s been a net positive in that category.
Kim played the BMW Championship at Caves Valley in 2021, finishing T29, so he’s no stranger to this course. After a tough stretch that saw him miss his previous three cuts, he finally showed signs of life last week in Memphis. Known for going on hot streaks, Kim is setting up as a strong value play at just $7,300 this week—a perfect chance to strike while the iron is hot.
With no risk of an early exit in Maryland and coming off a strong performance at the St. Jude, you can do a lot worse in this price range than the four-time PGA TOUR winner.