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TourPicks ranks his top-10 Players to watch for at the 2025 BMW Championship at Caves Valley. His insights on the top-10 golfers for the week and reasons why they are primed to win.
Welcome to the BMW Championship, the second leg of the 2025 FedEx Cup Playoffs, where the top 50 players in the standings battle for a spot in the season-ending Tour Championship. Caves Valley will set the stage, demanding precision, power, and poise from every contender.
In this article, I’ll break down my Top 10 Power Rankings, using recent form and data-backed player profiles to identify those best suited for Caves Valleys’ challenges. By analyzing trends from past events and key performance metrics, we’ll zero in on the skill sets that I believe can thrive here, and spotlight the players most likely to contend for the trophy.
Let’s get right into my Top 10 Power Rankings for the 2025 BMW Championship:
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No. 10 - Viktor Hovland
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Struggled to get going in Memphis with errant tee shots that were highly penalized. He'll have much more room to work with at Caves Valley.
- 3rd best in the field in Strokes Gained: Approach over the last 24 rounds.
- Ball-striking is all there; he needs to find a hot putter to capitalize on his precision with the irons.
No. 9 - Patrick Cantlay
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He's been working hard on improving his putting and was seen working with legendary putting coach Phil Kenyon in Memphis. He finally gained with the flat stick.
- 5th best in Approach play at TPC Southwind. He's gearing up into form right in time for Bethpage in a few weeks! Patty Ice will be there.
- Won the only PGA TOUR tournament ever played at Caves Valley with one of the best putting performances of all-time.
Patrick Cantlay vs. Bryson DeChambeau. 2021 BMW Championship. Caves Valley.
6 playoff holes. Incredible golf. pic.twitter.com/XTDKBW5rQC
— Jeff Eisenband (@JeffEisenband) June 14, 2024
No. 8 - Xander Schauffele
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Rallied on the weekend to secure his spot in the BMW Championship with a T22. He gave himself another chance to make a move in a disappointing season.
- Once again lost strokes due to a lack of accuracy OTT in Memphis, but he should be able to leverage his power and swing freely this week.
- He's simply too good a player to go an entire year without a Top 5. I suspect he makes a run at that number at the BMW.
No. 7 - Tommy Fleetwood
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I don't even know what to say anymore. He collapsed again in Memphis, and while he's an excellent course fit, it will take some mental fortitude to bounce back and play well again.
- He's finished inside the Top 3 in two of his last four starts. Form is clearly there if you still believe in Tommy-lad.
- Excellent around the greens and has been putting really well. He just needs to make one when it matters the most.
"Keep pushing forward and try and put myself in that position again."
Tommy Fleetwood's full post-round interview following another close call to his first PGA Tour victory. 👇 pic.twitter.com/y60KJbdGWf
— Golf Digest (@GolfDigest) August 10, 2025
No. 6 - Justin Thomas
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Finished strong on Sunday at TPC Southwind with his best performance of the week with a -5-under 65.
- Impressed by how in control he looked OTT. He just couldn't make any putts through the first three days, but the ball-striking is inspiring confidence.
- Open layout at Caves Valley invites birdie-makers, and Thomas has the ability to string together incredibly low rounds when he's hot.
No. 5 - Russell Henley
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Not the best course fit, but it's hard to find too many players that have been more solid from tee to green than Russell Henley.
- Under-appreciated mid-iron player which Henley pairs with excellent play around the greens. He plays mistake-free golf often.
- Finishes of T17-or-better in his last five starts. Henley is Mr. Consistent right now.
No. 4 - Cameron Young
- Stormed up the leaderboard on Sunday at TPC Southwind. Young shot the low round of the day with a 64 to finish solo 5th.
- Appropriately led the field OTT last week. He's a monster with the Driver and Caves Valley is right up his alley.
- In-form player with a lot to play for yet again. Keep the gas pedal down and feel confident backing Cameron Young this week yet again.
11 years after leading the U.S. to victory at the Junior Ryder Cup, Cameron Young is making a push for his Ryder Cup debut at Bethpage Black. 🏆🇺🇸#GoUSA pic.twitter.com/PQsQkuzOPB
— Ryder Cup USA (@RyderCupUSA) August 6, 2025
No. 3 - Ludwig Aberg
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Another good ball-striking week for Ludwig, who continues to run back into the form we got so used to. He's ready to strike again.
- Aberg has posted Top-10 finishes in two of his last three starts. He can continue to send it down the fairways at Caves Valley.
- Gainer on Approach & OTT in each of his last five starts. The signs are there, Aberg should contend deep into the weekend.
No. 2 - Rory McIlroy
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Elected to skip the first leg of the playoffs and avoided the sweltering heat in Memphis. Will it pay off or backfire for McIlroy?
- After a bit of a post-Masters hangover, McIlroy has finished T6, T2, and T7 in his last three starts.
- Solo 4th in 2021 when Caves Valley last played host. McIlroy unspringly dominated OTT that week, and I expect the same this year.
No. 1 - Scottie Scheffler
- He came close yet again in Memphis, but the putter cooled off on Sunday. You can't win them all, right?
- Scheffler will once again be a deserving, heavy favorite. Any result outside of the Top-5 would be a shocker.
- Elite of the elite Ball-striker. The only concern is maybe that this tournament turns into a putting contest. That said, news alert, he's turned into a great putter as well. The man has no weaknesses and is a lock to be in the mix on Sunday. He can accomplish a lot with another victory.
A win today would be the 5th this season for Scottie Scheffler. He would be the first to win 5+ tournaments in back-to-back seasons since Tiger Woods.
Over the last 40 years, Woods is the only player to do this:
1999-2000
2000-2001
2001-2002
2002-2003
2005-2006
2006-2007— Justin Ray (@JustinRayGolf) August 10, 2025
Enjoy the BMW Championship, and thanks for reading! Good luck, RotoBaller family!
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