BMW Championship First-Round Leader Odds, Predictions & Best Bets

• The BMW Championship in Wilmington, Delaware tees off Thursday, August 18th
• Rory McIlroy is the +1800 favorite to be atop the leaderboard after day one over four players
• See the best bets and BMW Championship first-round leader odds in the article below

The second leg of the three-part FedEx Cup Playoffs heads to the BMW Championship in Wilmington, Delaware for the first time. Rory McIlroy is the +1000 favorite in the BMW Championship odds over eight golfers to capture the tournament despite missing the cut last week.

There aren’t as many BMW longshot picks to choose from with just the top-70 players on the FedEx Cup points list teeing it up. The top-30 move on to the Tour Championship finale.

2022 BMW Championship First-Round Leader Odds

Odds as of August 16th at DraftKings Sportsbook. See available DraftKings Sportsbook promo code.

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The forecast calls for it to be mainly sunny all day. Temperatures will be mid 70’s for those teeing it up first, hitting mid 80’s for those playing in the afternoon. The wind will be more docile in the morning, with gusts between six and nine miles per hour, with that reaching 14 miles per hour for those teeing it up later.

A benefit for those teeing it up in the morning is the exact same as it is every week – less bumpy greens with fewer players chewing them up.

Patrick Cantlay a Fast Starter

Before last week’s uninspiring result, Patrick Cantlay (11:25am tee time) had been brilliant, racking up six consecutive top-15 finishes, including three top-5’s. In particular, his tee-to-green game was strong over that time frame, before a T-57th in Memphis.

He’s no stranger to success on Thursday’s either, ranking sixth of those competing this week in first round scoring average.

2021-22 PGA Tour First Round Scoring Average Leaders

World #2 Cameron Smith withdrew from this tournament with a hip injury.

Cantlay is fourth in birdie average and sixth in scoring average, making him a prime candidate for the first round lead.

Pick: Patrick Cantlay (+2000)

Tom Kim Riding High

20-year-old Joohyung Kim (he prefers to go by Tom) tees off at 10:55am and he’s been outstanding, already rising to 19th in the world. His last three events he was seventh in Detroit, won the Wyndham Championship, then had a top-15 in the playoffs opener.

Subsequently, he sports some impressive statistics of late.

Joohyung Kim’s Strokes Gained Ranks Last Twelve Rounds

Kim has a score in the 60’s in five of his last six Thursday’s. He’s also posted sub-70 scores in ten of his last twelve rounds, making him a very viable candidate to jump ahead in the early going.

Pick: Joohyung Kim (+3500)

Cam Davis Quietly Playing Well

Cam Davis (12:40pm) has put together a very consistent stretch of golf of late, recording five straight finishes with nothing worse than a tie for 16th.

He’s also been in the 60’s in seven of his last ten opening rounds, ranking him highly in plenty of categories.

Cam Davis’ Strokes Gained Ranks In Last Eight Opening Rounds

His tee-to-green game has been excellent, as he’s gained strokes in that category in eight of his last ten tournaments.

For a player that has been close to popping of late, these odds in a smaller field are quite intriguing, despite him having to deal with the slightly more difficult wind conditions.

Pick: Cameron Davis (+5000)