How do you follow an 11-shot victory? That’s the task facing Dustin Johnson this week at the BMW Championship, where he’ll look to build upon the biggest winning margin on the PGA Tour since 2006.
Johnson is back to No. 1 in the world and up to No. 1 in the FedExCup standings. But he’ll have work to do this week to protect that position, as 68 other players tee it up at Olympia Fields Country Club outside Chicago. Hosting professionals for the first time since the 2003 U.S. Open, OFCC isn’t expected to yield scores anywhere close to Johnson’s 30-under total last week.
[[ad:athena]]
Only the top 30 players will advance to next week’s Tour Championship, meaning that some players are vying for coveted starting strokes while others are simply hoping to move inside the final bubble number of the season. Here’s a look at the players you should consider this week when crafting your DraftKings lineups, starting with the guy who blew the field away a week ago:
Favorites
Dustin Johnson ($11,500 on DraftKings): He’s the highest-salaried player for a reason. Johnson erased any lingering disappointment from his PGA Championship runner-up with a dominant performance at The Northern Trust, making more eagles (5) than bogeys (3). He now has two wins since the re-start to go along with his close call at Harding Park, and while his off weeks have been notably off, the play when his game is clicking has been astounding. Johnson called last week his best ever ball-striking performance, and if he even comes close to the same tee-to-green display this week he’ll be tough to catch on a challenging, tree-lined venue that should play to the strengths of the former U.S. Open champ.
Daniel Berger ($9,700): No reason to think the hot streak will end this week. Berger has been one of the biggest surprises this year on Tour and perhaps the hottest golfer since the break, with four top-3 finishes in six starts including a win at Colonial. He was third last week in TPC Boston while also ranking third in both Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee and SG: Putting. Berger has finished worse than T-13 only one time in nine starts since February and is bordering on auto-play status until he shows signs of slowing down.
Value Plays
Viktor Hovland ($8,100): The former U.S. Amateur champ has some work to do if he’s going to edge out red-hot Scottie Scheffler in the Rookie of the Year race, but this seems like a course where he should have some success. Hovland hasn’t missed a cut since the Honda in February, and while that won’t be an issue this week it speaks to his consistency during a summer stretch that included a run of five straight top-25s after returning from the break. He got back into the mix last week, finishing T-18 behind a final-round 66, and ranks eighth this season in SG: Approach. On a course where positioning and iron play are expected to have increased importance, this particular strength should shine.
Alex Noren ($7,900): The Swede made the Ryder Cup in 2018, fell apart in 2019 and now appears to have put the pieces back together. Noren’s T-8 finish in Boston was his fourth straight top-25 and third top-10 finish in his last four starts. Outside the top 125 in points just a few weeks ago, he is now in the mix for a spot at the 30-man East Lake finale and playing with momentum at the exact right time in the schedule. Noren has won and played well on narrow, challenging tracks before, namely Le Golf National, and should have more success this week.
Sleepers
Robby Shelton ($6,400): Shelton cracked the top 70 to make the BMW in impressive fashion, firing a final-round 63 at TPC Boston that proved to be the low round of the day. While many in the field don’t have familiarity with Olympia Fields, Shelton played here in college and was a factor at the 2015 U.S. Amateur, finishing T-5 in stroke play before advancing to the Round of 16. Shelton doesn’t contend every week, but when he does he can usually take it deep (T-3 at the 3M Open). Given an unexpected opportunity fresh off a hot round and heading to a course he knows well, the 24-year-old has ample appeal at this price point.
Maverick McNealy ($6,200): McNealy snuck into the field at No. 67, and like Shelton he has nothing to lose and plenty to gain this week. He also had some success here as an amateur, playing well twice in collegiate events while in Stanford. He also might have get some tips this week from girlfriend Danielle Kang, who won the 2017 KPMG Women’s PGA at Olympia Fields. Given his course history, he stated that getting to this event was a significant goal for him entering this season. Now that he’s here, expect him to make the most of the opportunity.
