
The FedEx Cup Playoffs continue this week as the remaining 50 players head to St Louis for the BMW Championship, with a place in next week’s season-ending Tour Championship now the target.
Only the top 30 in the standings after Sunday will progress to East Lake, raising the stakes considerably as the Playoffs reach their penultimate event. Scottie Scheffler arrives as the man to beat after his success at the FedEx St Jude Championship, but the challenge changes significantly at Bellerive Country Club.
The Missouri venue returns to the PGA Tour spotlight for the first time since the 2018 PGA Championship, when Brooks Koepka held off Tiger Woods to claim his third major title. Bellerive will play as a 7,448-yard par 70 this week, making it one of the more demanding courses the players will encounter during the Playoffs.
Length is a major feature, with both par fives stretching beyond 610 yards and several substantial par fours placing an emphasis on powerful, accurate ball-striking. Its tree-lined fairways, thick rough, deep bunkering and water hazards provide further protection, while the large bentgrass greens will place plenty of importance on approach play.
Rain in the build-up could also soften Bellerive and reduce run on its Zoysia fairways, potentially making an already lengthy course play even longer.
With only 30 places at East Lake available, here are golf tipster Ben Smith’s best bets for the 2026 BMW Championship. The selections are with BetMGM, one of the leading golf betting sites.
Hideki Matsuyama looks increasingly close to adding another triumph to his PGA Tour record, having produced six consecutive top-14 finishes heading into the BMW Championship.
The standout feature of that run has been the consistency of his long game. Matsuyama gained more than seven strokes from tee to green at TPC Southwind last week, with the bulk of that advantage coming through his approach play. He also produced another positive performance with the driver, an area which had caused him problems earlier in the campaign.
That combination should translate well this week, particularly with finding the right sections of the large greens likely to be important.
His previous visit also offers some useful evidence. Matsuyama was only 35th in the 2018 PGA Championship but broke 70 in three of his four rounds, including a closing 66.
With his long game operating at such a high level, Matsuyama looks well equipped to turn another strong week into a victory.
There is plenty to like about Wyndham Clark this week, particularly given the way he responded to consecutive missed cuts with a fifth-place finish in Memphis last week.
Clark's power immediately catches the eye for this assignment. His ability to generate distance while shaping the ball from left to right should be particularly useful around the numerous doglegs, where positioning from the tee will be important.
The American has also become a much more complete player in 2026. He sits inside the top 25 on the PGA Tour for both approach play and putting, while last week's display offered further evidence that there are currently few obvious weaknesses in his game.
More importantly, Clark has repeatedly delivered in strong company this year. He has collected two titles, including the US Open, alongside a third at the Memorial and two further top-five finishes.
At 28/1, Clark looks an appealing alternative to those at the head of the market.
Kurt Kitayama has put together an excellent season and arrives in St Louis inside the top 30 of the FedEx Cup standings as he targets a first appearance at the Tour Championship.
The setup should play to the American's strengths. Kitayama's game is built around powerful driving and high-quality iron play, giving him an appealing skill set for a demanding ball-striking test.
He has also been remarkably dependable throughout 2026, regularly featuring towards the business end of leaderboards and competing well in stronger events.
With a victory at the demanding Bay Hill already on his PGA Tour CV, Kitayama has shown he can handle difficult championship-style tests and looks capable of another strong showing here.
Adam Scott's return to form makes him an interesting outsider at a venue where he has already produced some of his best golf.
The Australian finished third when the course hosted the 2018 PGA Championship, contending throughout the weekend before eventually finishing behind Brooks Koepka and Tiger Woods.
Eight years later, there are signs that Scott can challenge again. He followed an excellent ninth at the Open Championship with another strong display at TPC Southwind, where he finished 12th.
Scott also has a long history of performing well in the BMW Championship, including second place in 2024 and fifth in 2022. His combination of recent form, experience and proven course form adds to his appeal at 60/1.
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