This article is part of our PGA Tour Stats Review series.
The PGA Tour returns to action this week at the BMW Championship from Conway Farms outside of Chicago, the third of the four FedEx Cup playoff events. Only the top 30 emerge from here and go to East Lake for the Tour Championship, with the top five players in the FedEx Cup points standings after this week controlling their own destiny next week.
History Lesson
The event is back at Conway Farms for the first time since 2013, where Zach Johnson was the champion, winning by two over Nick Watney. The event has rotated since 2011, making the results from other years fairly moot.
I continue to really like Johnson, who tied for 22nd in Boston two weeks ago, even with shooting his final two rounds in the 70s, and uncharacteristically ranking T34 in greens in regulation for the week. With a week off to recharge the batteries, look for Johnson to be on target again.
Who To Pick
Jordan Spieth and Jason Day, who both probably also ran out of juice at the Deutsche Bank Championship, now have had a week off to recharge their batteries, with both saying in their press conferences this week that they feel like different people.
Phil Mickelson was a controversial pick for the Presidents Cup team, which means he's playing this week and grinding on his game (he may not have if he wasn't a captains pick). I'm still wary of picking him, but if you believe that being picked is a spark
The PGA Tour returns to action this week at the BMW Championship from Conway Farms outside of Chicago, the third of the four FedEx Cup playoff events. Only the top 30 emerge from here and go to East Lake for the Tour Championship, with the top five players in the FedEx Cup points standings after this week controlling their own destiny next week.
History Lesson
The event is back at Conway Farms for the first time since 2013, where Zach Johnson was the champion, winning by two over Nick Watney. The event has rotated since 2011, making the results from other years fairly moot.
I continue to really like Johnson, who tied for 22nd in Boston two weeks ago, even with shooting his final two rounds in the 70s, and uncharacteristically ranking T34 in greens in regulation for the week. With a week off to recharge the batteries, look for Johnson to be on target again.
Who To Pick
Jordan Spieth and Jason Day, who both probably also ran out of juice at the Deutsche Bank Championship, now have had a week off to recharge their batteries, with both saying in their press conferences this week that they feel like different people.
Phil Mickelson was a controversial pick for the Presidents Cup team, which means he's playing this week and grinding on his game (he may not have if he wasn't a captains pick). I'm still wary of picking him, but if you believe that being picked is a spark that will lead to contention, then go for it.
The guy I really like this week is Keegan Bradley. He's switched back to his old instructor -- Jim McLean, per Golf Channel and Golf Digest's Tim Rosaforte -- and immediately saw dividends, tying for 25th and ranking 19th in strokes gained-tee to green and T19 in driving accuracy two weeks ago.
And, of course, you can't overlook Rickie Fowler and Henrik Stenson, who finished 1-2 respectively at TPC Boston. Fowler ranked sixth in greens in regulation, sixth in strokes gained-tee to green, and second in strokes gained-putting for the week.
And although a mental mistake cost Stenson the win, he still is a strong pick and ranked T3 in greens in regulation, first in strokes gained-tee to green, and seventh in putts per green in regulation. Impressive stuff all around.
With only 70 players in the field, we recommend you look at the field, and just go by hunches. I know it's a tough thing to say at this time of the year -- where your fantasy league may be coming to a close and you're desperately trying to win. But sometimes, especially in the playoffs and in a format like the FedEx Cup that resets after this week, odd things happen. No one saw Billy Horschel going crazy last year. So go with your gut, and if you have a hunch, run with it.
