As we edge closer to the end of what has been nothing short of a phenomenal PGA season, the legendary BMW Championship is rapidly approaching. This upcoming week couldn’t arrive sooner for avid golf fans. Initially, 70 players competed in the FedEx St. Jude Championship in Memphis, TN, vying for a $25 million purse and a solidified spot to showcase their extraordinary talents at the substantially challenging yet photogenic course at Castle Pines Country Club in Castle Rock, CO.
Castle Pines Golf Course stretches to 8,130 yards and offers one of the most heavenly views, overlooking the gorgeous Rocky Mountains. For most, it would be a “once in a lifetime” opportunity to compete with a very selective list of unquestionably great golfers. One factor that must be taken into consideration is the high altitude in Colorado, requiring each golfer to adjust accordingly, as it will likely affect the distance the ball travels at about 6,300 feet above sea level—especially if the tournament takes place on a windy Rocky Mountain day.
From August 23-25, Castle Pines Country Club will host one of the most anticipated and prestigious golf events of the year, featuring the top 50 players from the FedEx St. Jude Championship competing for a $20 million purse. The BMW Championship will then advance the top 30 golfers to the PGA Tour Championship. In the past, the event has been graced with a historic list of BMW Champions, including 2x winner Patrick Cantlay, 5x winner Tiger Woods, Jon Rahm, Justin Thomas, and others. Now, with the results of the 2024 FedEx Championship etched in stone, we are likely to see the new generation of talent dominate the top 10 of the BMW Championship, with players like Matsuyama, Hovland, Schauffele, Dunlap, Burns, Clark, MacIntyre, McCarthy, and Horschel scorching past every other competitor in the 2024 FedEx Championship.
The BMW Championship will be one for the ages for Colorado locals, especially for Colorado native Wyndham Clark, who will be competing in this tournament. One player who should be closely watched during the BMW Championship is the University of Alabama’s Nick Dunlap, who last year won the USAM at Cherry Hills Country Club in Colorado. Ironically, the BMW Championship was held at Cherry Hills Country Club back in 2014, so it would be thrilling to see Nick Dunlap win another trophy in Colorado. This young talent is a force to be reckoned with and is back in familiar territory, aiming for another shot at finishing first at high altitude. Dunlap just finished tied for 5th at the FedEx St. Jude Championship, with a final total of -13. The confidence and poise he competes with should give him a solid chance of staying within the top 5, at the very least.
