The PGA TOUR heads to Illinois for the second of three playoff events. Olympia Fields Country Club hosts the BMW Championship, featuring the top 50 players in the FedEx Cup standings. The penultimate weekend of the 2023 season will decide the fates of many golfers seeking a trip to Atlanta for the Tour Championship next weekend (Top 30 players qualify).
After crunching the numbers, studying film, recent form, course history, and simulating the tournament 100x on EA Sports PGA TOUR, we’re locking in 4 golfers in to excel in Illinois.
Collin Morikawa (#22 in FedEx Cup)
-To Win Odds: +2500
-Top 10 Odds: +250
His last win on TOUR came at the 2021 British Open, so Collin’s clearly due. His game is sharp, ranking 2nd in “Strokes Gained – Approach to Green” and 2nd in “Driving Accuracy”. With the Maui wildfires on his mind, lets see if the California kid can light up Olympia Fields with birdies.
Hideki Matsuyama (#47 in FedEx Cup)
-To Win Odds: +3500
-Top 10 Odds: +250
The Japanese ace is showing immense signs of life in the back-9 of the season and just went on a blitz to make it to Illinois, going 5 under in his final 6 holes in Memphis to penetrate the top 50. The ball striking is elite right now, it all comes to sinking a few more putts for Matsuyama.
Sungjae Im (#28 in FedEx Cup)
-To Win Odds: +4500
-Top 10 Odds: +300
After a rare mini slump from the South Korean sensation, Sungjae looks to have rediscovered his top game. T6 in Memphis last week, Olympia Fields is a course that sets up well for Im, who is eager to improve his position going into his hometown East Lake, a property he torches.
Tom Kim (#18 in FedEx Cup)
-To Win Odds: +4500
-Top 10 Odds: +360
A misprice here, I had him in the +2800 range in my odds preview. Kim is 10th on TOUR in “Strokes Gained – Approach to Green”, a category that’s paramount for success at Olympia Fields. Tom Kim is flying under the radar this weekend and could be a danger man at BMW.
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