While some may want to take a breath and breathe a sigh of relief, the postseason rolls on. Jude Championship cut the field size from 70 players down to 50, those who still remain in the FedEx Cup Playoffs test a new site this week with Bellerive Country Club hosting the 2026 BMW Championship. Having not held a professional golf tournament since the 2018 PGA Championship -- which also doubled as the final PGA Championship in the month of August -- Bellerive will look much the same.
A par 70 that can stretch just about 7,500 yards, the Robert Trent Jones, Sr. design should cater itself to big hitters and world-class ball strikers. Whenever that phrase gets introduced, world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler soon follows. Now 21 times a winner on the PGA Tour, the four-time major champion looks to keep the momentum rolling into a title defense as he outlasted Robert MacIntyre at Caves Valley a season ago.
While Scheffler seems to be surging at the perfect time to collect another FedEx Cup crown, three-time winner Rory McIlroy was met with head-scratching results in his return to competition. Beating only two players in Memphis, the Masters champion hopes to do better over these next eight rounds with the BMW Championship offering an opportunity to work out the kinks and rust in his game that was well apparent at TPC Southwind. Both Scheffler and McIlroy have secured their place on the tee sheet at the Tour Championship just as 22 of the 50 men in the BMW Championship field.
According to Data Golf, Viktor Hovland is the last man at No. 22 in the season-long race to have a 100% chance of making it to East Lake. Alex Smalley, Justin Rose, Ryan Fox and Tom Kim trail Hovland in the standings but still have north of an 80% chance to play their way into next week. That percentage drops rapidly once Adam Scott enters the fold, but the wily veteran should be more than comfortable given his play at Bellerive in the past.
Those hoping to take Scott's spot include Sungjae Im at No. 40, who was the only player to play himself into the BMW Championship last weekend. The South Korean is just ahead of former BMW Championship winners Justin Thomas and Patrick Cantlay and behind PGA Championship winner Aaron Rai, who checks in at No. 37. Dates: Aug. 20-23Location: Bellerive Country Club — St.
Louis, MissouriPar: 70 | Yardage: 7,448 | Architect: Robert Trent Jones, Sr.Purse: $20 million
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