Jon Rahm may have let victory slip away in the final round of the Northern Trust on Monday, but bookmakers still see the Spaniard as the favorite to win the BMW Championship this week at the Caves Valley Golf Club in Owings Mills, Maryland.
Rahm ranks as the No. 1 player in the world and second in the FedEx Cup Playoffs standings.
Rahm seeking defense of BMW Championship title
Halfway through the final round on Monday, Rahm appeared poised for victory at the Northern Trust. But two bogeys in his final four holes sent Rahm into third place, while Tony Finau and Cameron Smith battled for the title in a playoff.
Now, DraftKings Sportsbook sees Rahm as the +550 pick to win the BMW Championship. Rahm hasn’t finished outside the top 10 of a tournament in more than five months, and is looking to position himself to win his second straight title at Caves Valley.
“It looks like it is going to be a challenging one, so I can’t wait to get out there and I’m hoping I can make this my first PGA Tour defense,†Rahm told reporters. “I’ve heard great things about the golf course and I haven’t been out there yet because I just got here, so I’m looking at the pictures around me to see and it looks like it’s going to be a challenging one and a really fun one.â€
Finau ultimately won Monday’s playoff to capture his first PGA Tour victory in five years. That victory pushed Finau to the top of the FedEx Cup Playoffs standings, a position he’s never been in this late in the season.
Finau in pole position with two tournaments remaining
Finau comes into the BMW Championship as just a +2800 pick to win the tournament, but the American says he’s eager to capitalize on his postseason success.
“I’ve never been in this situation,†Finau said, via PGATour.com. “It’s exciting to be in this position. I’ve played great all season. No win throughout the season, but in the Playoffs, this is what makes the Playoffs, immense pressure, and a lot of things riding on these three events, and I’m happy to win this first one.â€
| BMW Championship Odds (via DraftKings Sportsbook) | |
| Jon Rahm: +550 | |
| Xander Schauffele: +1600 | Bryson DeChambeau: +1800 |
| Justin Thomas: +1800 | Collin Morikawa: +1800 |
| Jordan Spieth: +1800 | Rory McIlroy: +2200 |
| Dustin Johnson: +2200 | Brooks Koepka: +2500 |
| Patrick Cantlay: +2500 | Louis Oosthuizen: +2500 |
While Finau is sporting long odds at the BMW Championship, everyone ranks far behind Rahm. Olympic gold medalist Xander Schauffele comes in as the +1600 second choice at DraftKings, with Americans Bryson DeChambeau, Justin Thomas, Colin Morikawa, and Jordan Spieth each fetching +1800 odds.
While 70 players qualified for the BMW Championship, only 69 are participating. Patrick Reed withdrew from the field after announcing that he is battling pneumonia at home. He also pulled out of the Northern Trust due to an ankle injury.
Only the top 30 players in the FedEx Cup standings will qualify for next week’s Tour Championship. The Playoffs winner will earn a $15 million bonus.