Venue: Bellerive Country Club, St. Louis (Town and Country area), Missouri, USA.
Dates: Thursday, August 20 – Sunday, August 23, 2026.
Course setup: Par 70, 7,448 yards (Robert Trent Jones Sr. design, later refined by Rees Jones). Longer than the 2018 PGA Championship setup here (by ~132 yards, with notable additions on holes such as the 3rd, 5th, and 17th). Two long par-5s (both over 600 yards), multiple lengthy par-4s (several 460+ yards, some stretchable beyond 500), and four par-3s. Large, undulating bentgrass greens; zoysia fairways; thick but manageable rough; water in play on numerous holes; strategically placed deep bunkers. Closing stretch (15–18) is particularly demanding.
Starting times (CT, subject to change): Round 1 tee times begin ~9:03 a.m. Thursday (gates open 8 a.m.); similar Friday window. Weekend rounds start earlier (~8:21 a.m., gates 7 a.m.). Featured/marquee groups include Collin Morikawa/Ludvig Åberg and Scottie Scheffler/Matt Fitzpatrick among the notables; Rory McIlroy is paired with Xander Schauffele. No cut—top 50 in FedExCup points only. Top 30 after this event advance to the Tour Championship at East Lake. Purse: $20 million ($3.6 million to the winner); 750 FedExCup points to the champion.
Weather conditions
Generally favorable and milder than the extreme heat of the prior week’s FedEx St. Jude in Memphis. Thursday (Aug. 20): Mostly sunny after morning clouds/possible patchy fog, highs mid-80s°F (~29°C), lows upper 60s. Friday: Sunny to mostly sunny, upper 80s. Saturday: Sunny, around 85–90°F. Sunday: Partly sunny, mid-80s with a slight chance of storms possible later in the period. Light winds, low-to-moderate precipitation chances overall after any residual moisture from earlier storms. Conditions should support firm-and-fast play if the agronomy team succeeds.
Course conditions: Bellerive is prepared for a major-championship-style test. Superintendent Nick White and staff have dealt with recent intense rain (including a Sunday evening storm ahead of the event) but worked quickly to recover. Expect firm, fast surfaces where possible, with thick rough and large greens that reward precise approach play and strong driving. Summer humidity and the St. Louis climate (between major rivers) make storm readiness key; the goal is firm/fast conditions before and after any weather. Ball-strikers and longer hitters who control distance and find fairways should thrive; the length and par-70 setup emphasize approach accuracy and scrambling.
Player matchups / key storylines:
Scottie Scheffler (defending champion, world No. 1, FedExCup leader) is the clear favorite after an eight-stroke romp at the FedEx St. Jude Championship (17-under, second win of 2026, career win No. 21). He led in strokes gained putting there and has been dominant overall. Paired with Matt Fitzpatrick early.
Rory McIlroy (world No. 2) returns after a poor St. Jude (66th, +8, failed to break par any round) following limited recent competitive reps. He has described feeling “lost” with his swing and is treating the playoffs as a process/tune-up while already virtually locked for East Lake. Paired with Xander Schauffele. Strong historical BMW results (multiple top-10s/top-5s).
Other strong contenders: Ludvig Åberg (excellent recent driving), Xander Schauffele (heating up with T7 at St. Jude and prior strong BMW showings), Sam Burns, Tommy Fleetwood, Cameron Young, Matt Fitzpatrick, Hideki Matsuyama (string of top-10s), Si Woo Kim (runner-up last week), Viktor Hovland, etc.
Bubble drama is intense: Only the top 30 advance. Players near the cut line (around Nos. 27–50, including names like Rickie Fowler, Gary Woodland, Justin Thomas, Patrick Cantlay in various projections) need strong weeks. Justin Thomas and others require high finishes to climb.
Tournament history: The BMW Championship (formerly the Western Open in lineage) has been the second FedExCup Playoffs event since 2007 and rotates venues. It last visited Bellerive in 2008 (Camilo Villegas won at –15). Recent winners: Scottie Scheffler (2025, Caves Valley, –15), Keegan Bradley (2024, Castle Pines), Viktor Hovland (2023, Olympia Fields), Patrick Cantlay (2021–22), Jon Rahm (2020), Justin Thomas (2019), etc. Notable multiple winners include Tiger Woods (pre- and early playoff era), Dustin Johnson, Keegan Bradley, and Cantlay. The event has produced wire-to-wire winners, large margins, and dramatic playoffs. Bellerive itself has major history (1965 U.S. Open, 1992 PGA, 2018 PGA—Brooks Koepka won the latter).
Recent player form highlights:
Scheffler: Dominant at St. Jude (61 in Round 2 among other strong scores); elite consistency all season despite earlier win drought after January.
McIlroy: Masters winner earlier in 2026 but inconsistent of late (T40 Open, poor Memphis return); working on swing sync.
Others in form: Matsuyama (multiple consecutive top-10s/T14s), Schauffele (recent runner-up and T7), Åberg (strong driving of late), Si Woo Kim (podium finishes, runner-up last week), Sam Burns and others showing solid approach/putting. The field is deep with 19 of the top 20 in the world expected.
Betting trends
Scottie Scheffler heavy favorite (~+275 to +310 / ~3-1). Next tier: Rory McIlroy, Ludvig Åberg, Xander Schauffele, Sam Burns, Tommy Fleetwood (~+1300 to +1800). Then Cameron Young, Matt Fitzpatrick, Hideki Matsuyama, Si Woo Kim, Chris Gotterup, Viktor Hovland, Patrick Cantlay, Wyndham Clark (~+2000 to +3000). Longer shots include Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa, and others into the +3500–+10000+ range. Models and analysts widely favor Scheffler to win or finish high given his form and the course demands (length + approach play). Value discussions often focus on Åberg, Schauffele, Matsuyama, or Kim for top finishes or outright at longer prices. Prop interest includes first-round leaders and matchups involving bubble players.
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Overall outlook: Scheffler enters as the man to beat after Memphis dominance and as defending champion, on a long, demanding major venue that rewards elite ball-striking. McIlroy and others will try to close the gap while bubble players fight for East Lake spots. Expect a stern test with firm conditions if weather cooperates, high drama on the cut line, and a star-studded 50-man field. Coverage: ESPN/Golf Channel/CBS (times vary by round), PGA Tour Live on ESPN app, etc.
