PGA TOUR
BMW Championship
Cantlay Poised For Massive Payday After Clutch Win At The BMW Championship
Patrick Cantlay thrust himself to No. 1 on the FedExCup table after winning the BMW Championship in a playoff. The stoic 27-year-old improved his reputation to take down the game’s best players after he outlasted fellow American Bryson DeChambeau in a thrilling final round duel that featured six extra holes. Earlier this season, Cantlay overcame Jon Rahm and Justin Thomas in a playoff at the ZOZO Championship in October. And, in June, he won the Memorial Tournament by one shot over Collin Morikawa.
Cantlay and DeChambeau finished regulation play at 27-under. It was the first time in PGA Tour history that two players finished 27-under or better in the same 72 hole tournament. It is the lowest winning score to par in BMW Championship history—an event that dates back to 1889 when it was named the Western Open. All 69 players at Caves Valley Golf Club in Maryland finished under par for the first time at a PGA Tour event since the Northern Trust in 2011.
Cantlay and DeChambeau began the final round three shots clear of the field and stretched that advantage to six shots after 14 holes. Both players were hoping to become the first player to win after holding the 54-hole lead since Phil Mickelson at the PGA Championship in May. By the end of regulation play, they each signed for a superb final round 6-under 66 to move to the sudden-death format. It was the fourth consecutive playoff on the PGA Tour and 14th event to go to extra time this season.
Cantlay secured his fifth PGA Tour title after holing a series of clutch putts down the stretch and during the playoff. The 29-year-old Californian made a crucial par saving putt at the 16th hole from nine feet and a bogey putt from eight feet at the 17th green before pouring in a must-make birdie putt from 22 feet at the 72nd hole. He then holed par-saving putts from six and seven feet at the first two playoff holes before drilling an 18-foot birdie attempt at the sixth extra hole. DeChambeau missed his birdie try from nine feet to send the event into a seventh playoff hole.
Korea’s Sungjae Im was four shots back at 23-under and in outright third place. Rory McIlroy was one shot further back at 22-under and in outright fourth place. Erik van Rooyen moved up to solo fifth place after firing an impressive 7-under 65. The 31-year-old South African, who is playing his first year on the PGA Tour, jumped 18 places to No. 27 on the FedExCup table. He will now head to East Lake next week with the Top 30 players on the FedExCup standings competing at the PGA Tour season-ending TOUR Championship.
Sergio Garcia snuck in to join the elite group with the chance to take out the lucrative FedExCup after his T6 finish vaulted him from 44th to 28th place. This will be his first time at the TOUR Championship since 2017.
KH Lee (No. 31) and Alex Noren (No. 33) narrowly missed their chance at a massive payday after each player made a costly bogey at the final hole.
Cantlay is the top seed on the FedExCup standings heading into the TOUR Championship. Tony Finau, who won last week’s Northern Trust, moves to East Lake in second spot. DeChambeau, Rahm and Australia’s Cameron Smith are positioned in 3rd, 4th and 5th places respectively. Smith was the only Australia to reach East Lake with Cam Davis (37), Marc Leishman (42) and Matt Jones (47) ending their season in Maryland.
The PGA Tour heads to East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta Georgia for the TOUR Championship. The final event on the 2020/21 PGA Tour season features the Top 30 on the FedExCup standings. The winner of the TOUR Championship will earn an incredible US$15 million bonus for taking out the FedExCup. Dustin Johnson is the FedExCup defending champion.
Final Scores
BMW Championship
1. Patrick Cantlay -27
2. Bryson DeChambeau -27
3. Sungjae Im -23
4. Rory McIlroy -22
5. Erik van Rooyen -21
T6. Dustin Johnson -20
T6. Sergio Garcia -20
8. Sam Burns -19
T9. Abraham Ancer -18
T9. Alex Noren -18
T9. Jon Rahm -18
Australians
T29. Cam Davis -12
T34 Cameron Smith -11
T38 Matt Jones -10
51. Marc Leishman -6
Photo credit: Rob Carr/Getty Images
