Scottie Scheffler arrives at Caves Valley as the clear betting favorite for the 2025 BMW Championship, despite never having won this particular tournament throughout his dominant career. The World No. 1 enters the second playoff event with +240 odds, reflecting his consistent performance even when not lifting trophies.
Scheffler's best result in this tournament came in 2023 with a T2 finish, ending two strokes behind Viktor Hovland at Olympia Fields. When the BMW Championship last visited Caves Valley in 2021, he managed only a T22 finish.
"This course presents unique challenges," would likely be Scheffler's assessment, as he aims to improve upon his previous performance at this venue.
Meanwhile, Patrick Cantlay might represent better betting value at +2000, having won back-to-back BMW Championships in 2021 and 2022. His victory at Caves Valley in 2021 came after a playoff thriller against Bryson DeChambeau – exactly the kind of course knowledge that could prove invaluable this week.
Cantlay's recent form has been somewhat shaky, however. Before finishing T9 at TPC Southwind last weekend, he missed the cut at The Open Championship – one of three missed cuts in major championships this year.
Interestingly, Rory McIlroy returns to competition for the first time since his T7 finish at The Open. The Northern Irishman has posted three consecutive top-10 finishes and, apart from a T47 at the PGA Championship and a missed cut at the RBC Canadian Open, has enjoyed a stellar 2025 season.
Last year's champion, Keegan Bradley, comes in as something of a longshot at +55-to-1 odds. Bradley is actually a two-time winner of this event, making him an intriguing dark horse candidate.
The tournament opened Thursday and will run through Sunday at the Maryland course. Can Scheffler finally add a BMW Championship trophy to his impressive collection, or will Caves Valley once again crown Cantlay?
