Golf Glance: Top 50 tackle longest course in PGA Tour history

Field Level Media’s Golf Glance provides weekly news and storylines from each of the major North American golf tours.

PGA TOUR

LAST TOURNAMENT: Wyndham Championship (Aaron Rai)

THIS WEEK: BMW Championship, Castle Rock, Colo., Aug. 22-25

Course: Castle Pines Golf Club (Par 72, 8,130 Yards)

Purse: $20M (Winner: $4M)

Defending Champion: Viktor Hovland

FedEx Cup Leader: Scottie Scheffler

HOW TO FOLLOW

TV: Thursday-Friday: 3-7 p.m. ET (Golf Channel); Saturday: 1-3 p.m. (Golf Channel), 3-6 p.m. (NBC); Sunday: 12-2 p.m. (Golf Channel), 2-6 p.m. (NBC)

Streaming (ESPN+): Thursday-Friday: 10:15 a.m.-7 p.m. ET; Saturday-Sunday: 9 a.m.-6 p.m.

X: @BMWChamps

NOTES: The top 50 in the standings after the first leg of the FedEx Cup playoffs qualified for this week’s event. The top 30 after the BMW Championship will advance to the Tour Championship. All players in this week’s field have qualified for each of the eight signature events next year along with The Players Championship. Jake Knapp, Mackenzie Hughes and Tom Kim were bumped from inside the top 50 last week. Denny McCarthy currently occupies the No. 30 spot, just two points ahead of Tommy Fleetwood and nine ahead of Chris Kirk. … The BMW returns to Colorado for the first time since 2014, and Castle Pines is playing host to a PGA Tour event for the first time since 2006. The course is 6,200 feet above sea level and is the longest course in PGA Tour history. It was also the venue for The International from 1986-2006, having since undergone a full renovation that included new bunkers, rebuilt tees and greens and renovated water features.

BEST BETS: Scottie Scheffler (+300 at DraftKings) enters the BMW Championship leading the standings for the third consecutive year. He has won four signature events, the Masters, The Players and the Olympic gold medal in 2024. … Xander Schauffele (+550) shot a closing 63 on Sunday to tie for second last week, following a win at The Open and a T9 at the Olympics. … Rory McIlroy (+1200) tied for 68th last week and missed The Open cut but is also the only three-time winner of the FedEx Cup and finished fourth here in 2023. … Collin Morikawa (+1400) has 12 consecutive top-25 finishes worldwide as he seeks his first win since last fall. … Viktor Hovland (+1800) has had an uneven season, but the defending champion is coming off a T2 last week. … Hideki Matsuyama (+1800) vaulted to third in the standings with last week’s win that came on the heels of a bronze medal.

NEXT TOURNAMENT: Tour Championship, Atlanta, Aug. 29-Sept. 1

LPGA Tour

LAST TOURNAMENT: Women’s Scottish Open (Lauren Coughlin)

THIS WEEK: AIG Women’s Open, Fife, Scotland, Aug. 22-25

Course: St. Andrews, Old Course (Par 72, 6,784 Yards)

Purse: $9M (Winner: $1.35M)

Defending Champion: Lilia Vu

Race to the CME Globe leader: Nelly Korda

HOW TO FOLLOW

TV/Streaming: Thursday-Friday: 7-2 p.m. ET (USA); Saturday-Sunday, 7 a.m.-12 p.m. (USA), 12-2 p.m. (NBC/Peacock)

X: @AIGWomensOpen

NOTES: This is the 49th edition of the event and the 24th as a major championship. … Thirteen past champions are in the field, including each of the past eight, along with all 16 winners on tour this year. … St. Andrews is playing host to the event for the third time. It was won by Lorena Ochoa in 2007 and Stacy Lewis in 2013. … This is the final event for players to earn points toward the United States and European Solheim Cup standings. The final automatic spot on the U.S. team is currently held by Andrea Lee, but she can be passed this week by five players: Rose Zhang, Alison Lee, Sarah Schmelzel, Jennifer Kupcho and Angel Yin.

NEXT TOURNAMENT: FM Championship, Norton, Mass., Aug. 29-Sept. 1

PGA Tour Champions

LAST TOURNAMENT: Rogers Charity Classic (Ken Tanigawa)

THIS WEEK: The Ally Challenge, Grand Blanc, Mich., Aug. 23-25

Course: Warwick Hills G&CC (Par 72, 7,085 Yards)

Purse: $2.2M (Winner: $330,000)

Defending Champion: Vijay Singh

Charles Schwab Cup leader: Ernie Els

HOW TO FOLLOW

TV: Friday: 10 p.m.-Midnight ET (Golf Channel-Tape Delay); Saturday: 3-6 p.m. (GC); Sunday: 2-5 p.m. (GC)

X: @ChampionsTour

NOTES: Warwick Hills will play host to the event for the seventh time. … Joe Durant set the tournament scoring record of 17-under 199 in 2021. … Six events remain before the start of the Charles Schwab Cup playoffs. … Singh is not in this week’s field to defend his title.

NEXT TOURNAMENT: Ascension Charity Classic, St. Louis, Sept. 6-8

LIV Golf League

LAST TOURNAMENT: Greenbrier (Individual: Brooks Koepka; Team: Smash GC)

THIS WEEK: OFF.

2024 Leaders: Players, Joaquin Niemann; Team, Crushers GC

NEXT TOURNAMENT: Chicago, Bolingbrook, Ill., Sept. 13-15

–Field Level Media