After watching Lucas Glover win back-to-back events, the FedEx Cup Playoffs continue this week with the BMW Championship, which will be played at the North Course (par 70, 7,366 yards, Bentgrass/POA mix greens) of Olympia Fields Country Club in Olympia Fields, Illinois. The last time we saw this par 70 was for the 2020 BMW Championship, when Jon Rahm (-4) defeated Dustin Johnson in a playoff. Prior to this, Olympia Fields hosted the 2003 U.S. Open, which was won by Jim Furyk (-8).
For this week’s BMW Championship, only the top 50 golfers in FedEx Cup points have qualified and there will be no cut. Following this event, the FedEx Cup Playoffs will conclude with the TOUR Championship at East Lake, with only the top 30 players in FedEx Cup points competing.
Olympia Fields is a challenging test of golf that perfectly fits the intensity of the FedEx Cup Playoffs. Rahm was one of only five players to finish under par here for the 2020 BMW Championship and his four-under winning number that week is tied for the highest winning score on the PGA TOUR this decade.
Olympia Fields is a long par 70 that features narrow fairways, penalizing rough, tiny greens, 91 bunkers and water in play on eight of 18 holes. Being an elite driver of the golf ball is a must at this daunting venue, as Rahm finished sixth in driving distance and seventh in SG: Off-the-Tee during his victory at Olympia Fields in 2020. In fact, seven of the top-12 finishers that week ranked top-10 in SG: Off-the-Tee. Rahm also dominated the par 4s of Olympia Fields during his win 2020 - ranking second in par-4 efficiency for tournament – putting a heavy emphasis on par-4 play this week, which is always the case with a par 70. Lastly, with a brutal test awaiting at Olympia Fields, we need to be prioritizing golfers who are efficient at avoiding the crooked numbers on their scorecard, as Rahm finished with the fifth-fewest bogeys recorded during his victory here three years ago.
Below, I have featured three of my favorite sub $7.5K DraftKings value bargain plays for the BMW Championship.
Set your DraftKings fantasy golf lineups here: PGA TOUR $1.2M Summer Sand Trap [$250K to 1st]
Emiliano Grillo ($7,400) – Grillo has had an exceptional season. Most notably with a win at the Charles Schwab Challenge in May, the Argentinean has supplied 11 top-25 finishes this season, four of which have come in his last five starts. Gaining strokes off the tee in six of his past seven starts, Grillo’s driver has been excellent and he has also been terrific on the greens, ranking 11th in SG: Putting over his past 24 rounds, which is massive news, considering putting has always been Grillo’s Achilles heel.
The 30-year-old finished T19th at last year’s BMW Championship and has the potential to outdo himself this week, playing some of the best golf of his career.
Sepp Straka ($7,300) – Straka is vastly underpriced for his talent. Including a win at the John Deere Classic and a runner-up finish at the Open Championship, the 30-year-old has tallied four top-20 finishes in his last 10 starts. Overall, Straka is the 25th ranked golfer in the world, but is just the 35th most expensive option on DraftKings for the BMW Championship.
Yes, the Georgia graduate just produced an underwhelming 63rd place finish at the FedEx St. Jude Championship last week, but Straka showed some serious signs of life in the final round, carding a five-under 65 at TPC Southwind. Looking to build off this impressive round, Straka brings top-20 upside at Olympia Fields and shouldn’t be a common name in GPPs.
Lee Hodges ($6,100) – At this low of a cost, we need to keep attacking Hodges. The 28-year-old has finished T31 or better in six of his past 10 starts, with his dominant seven-shot victory at the 3M Open three weeks ago being the obvious highlight of this run. The Alabama product currently sits at a career-best No. 54 in the world golf ranking and has been brilliant in the ball striking department, ranking top-20 in SG:Tee-to-Green, SG: Off-the-Tee and SG: Approach over his last 24 rounds.
Hodges also ranks 24th in DKFP during this stretch and should have zero issues outproducing his inexpensive salary at this no-cut event.
Set your DraftKings fantasy golf lineups here: PGA TOUR $1.2M Summer Sand Trap [$250K to 1st]
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is Hunta512) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skills and judgment in building lineups. I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.