Past Champions Who Made BMW Championship An Event To Remember

The initial event of the innovative 2023 FedEx Cup has officially concluded. Fans and golfers are now looking forward to the penultimate event, the iconic BMW Championship, that is being organized at Olympia Fields village in Illinois in Chicago. The Olympia Field Golf Club is set to welcome the field consisting of the top 50 players in the FedEx Cup standings in just about a couple of days, and it is going to be enthralling! 

As the field of top 50 golfers gears up to make their way to the third playoff event, the Tour Championship, let us take a walk down memory lane to honor the previous winners of this prestigious event. 

The Past champions of the BMW Championship 

The BMW Championship was introduced back in 2007, and in its existence of 17 years, there have been many notable winners. The golfers who displayed exceptional skills on the course in the tournament were eventually crowned as the champions. 

The list of winners so far is as follows: 

Let us dive deeper into the winning moments of the BMW Champs:

1. Patrick Cantlay

Cantlay is the most recent BMW Championship winner with two consecutive wins in 2021 and 2022. In 2022, Cantlay was in a neck-to-neck position with Scott Stallings. Cantlay shot 68-69-65-69 and won by just a single stroke. His final score was 14-under 270, and Stallings finished with 13-under 271. For his win, the 31-year-old took $2.7 million home out of the $15 million purse. 

In 2021, the BMW Championship was held at Caves Valley Golf Club, Jersey City, New York. That year, Cantlay and Bryson DeChambeau engaged in close competition with each other. Both the golfers tied for a score of 27 under 261, and hence a playoff was forced. Cantlay won that playoff and won his first BMW Championship. He was rewarded with $1,710,000 as prize money. Cantlay’s 27-under that he set while winning that year is also a tournament record.

2. Jon Rahm

In 2020, the BMW Championship was organized on the North Course at Olympia Fields, the same venue as in 2023. Instead of 70 players, the field consisted of 69 players as Webb Simpson decided to sit out of it. Dustin Johnson and Jon Rahm were in closely contested rounds right from the start of the round. As a result, they both finished with an identical score of 4 under 276, and hence, a playoff was called. 

The 2023 Augusta Champion ended the playoff quite fast as he shot a birdie on the first hole. Ram brought home a total of $1,710,000 for his classy win. 

3. Justin Thomas 

2019 was Justin Thomas’ year in the championship. A lot of prominent changes were made that year to the format, with the most vital one being the reduction of one playoff tournament. JT’s game started by shooting 66 in the first round, and the third round was the one where he took the lead with his score of 61. 

The golfer won in the final round by 3 strokes with his final score of 25 under 263. Thomas got $1,665,000 for his stellar victory. 

4. Keegan Bradley

The 2018 BMW Championship helped Bradley end his 6-year-long winless streak on the PGA Tour at Newtown Square, Pennsylvania. In 2018, all four days of the tournament were very closely contended and no golfer held a specific lead. In the final round, Bradley and Justin Rose were tied for 20 under 260, and in a playoff between the two, Bradley emerged victorious. He won a whopping prize money of $1,620,000. 

Read More: Intriguing Facts to Know About PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup: History, Prominent Rule Changes, and Innovative Format

5. Marc Leishman

In 2017, Leishman had an amazing start in the first round as he shot 62. His first round put him in the lead and the golfer was consistent enough to maintain the lead in all four days of the game. He finished with a final score of 23-under 261 to win the tournament by 5 strokes and claim his third PGA Tour victory. At the time of the win, his score of 23 under was a record score, and he earned $1,575,000 as the winner’s share.

6. Dustin Johnson

DJ has won the BMW Championship twice. Initially, he won in 2010, and then his second victory came in 2016. In 2016, the penultimate event was organized at Crooked Stick Golf Club, Carmel, Indiana. The golfer was in great form that year, having won his first major championship. He started the competition with a score of 67 in his first round, and his score was a stunning 63 in the second round. He then won on the final day, and his cumulative score was 23 under 265. For his victory, DJ earned $1,530,000.

In 2010, Johnson’s BMW Championship win was the first playoff victory of his career. He ended the game with the final score of 9 under 275 and took home $1,350,000 for his win, 

7. Jason Day

2015 was a good year for Day. He won five times on the PGA Tour, which also includes his first major victory, the PGA Champinship. The field was set in Conway Farms Golf Club, Lake Forest, Illinois that year, and Day took the lead in the first round’s score of 61. The golfer then maintained this lead with a second-round score of 63. The golfer shot 69 in the third and fourth rounds, and his total score for the win was 22 under 262. It was a win by 6 strokes, and he earned $1,485,000 home with him. 

8. Billy Horschel

In 2014, the event was organized in Colorado at Cherry Hills Country Club. Horschel maintained his lead throughout the championship, and his third round was best round wherein he shot 63. At last, his winning score was 14 under 266. He won over Bubba Watson that year and left him behind on the leaderboard. His winner’s share came out to be $1,440,000 that year. 

9. Zach Johnson

In 2013, the stage for the BMW Championship was set in Illinois at Conway Farms Golf Club. Johnson shot a final score of 16 under 268 to claim his win against Nick Watney. His win by 2 strokes helped him take home a purse worth $1,440,000. 

10. Rory McIlroy

In 2012, the FedEx penultimate playoff was organized at Olympia Fields in Illinois. Rory McIlroy started his tournament by shooting 64 in his first round and then was successful in maintaining consistency in the remaining three rounds. The golfer shot a total of 20 under 268. 

11. Tiger Woods

The 15-time major champion has won the BMW Championship twice. It was in 2007 and 2009. In 2009, the golf legend shot an aggregated score of 19 under and won by eight strokes. He had left behind Marc Leishman and Jim Furyk. 

In 2007, it was for the first time that a playoff-style event was played in professional golf. Tiger Woods finished 22 under after four days of intense golf and defeated Aaron Baddeley to claim the title in the first-ever BMW Championship. 

12. Camilo Villegas 

In 2008, Villegas earned his career’s first victory at the BMW Championship. He won by two strokes over Dudley Hart. This win helped him establish himself as one of the booming pros on the PGA Tour. 

FedEx Cup indeed is an interesting event on the Tour with some mindboggling facts. It is surely a one-of-a-kind tournament. What are your thoughts about the past winners of the iconic BMW Championship? Who do you think will win this year in Illinois? Let us know your picks in the comments below! 

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