By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk
ST. LOUIS - The BMW is the seventh event this year, and second consecutive, with five or more first-round co-leaders (PLAYERS Championship/5, PGA Championship/7, Charles Schwab Challenge/6, RBC Canadian Open/6, Genesis Scottish Open/5, FedEx St. Jude Championship/5, BMW Championship/5).
Four U.S. Open champions are among the top five players on the leaderboard (Woodland, Clark, McIlroy, Spaun).
Gary Woodland (T1/-6) hit 17 consecutive greens in regulation before missing No. 18 to card his lone bogey of the round. Woodland carded a first-round (64) for the ninth time, tying his low opening-round score on TOUR (most recent, 2026 3M Open/T10).
He holds a first-round lead/co-lead for the sixth time on TOUR (most recently: 2022 CJ CUP in South Carolina/T67); also held first-round lead solo-lead at 2018 PGA Championship at Bellerive (T6) and co-lead at the 2014 BMW Championship (T23). He’s 0-for-5 in converting to victory to date.
The 2019 U.S. Open champion seeks sixth PGA TOUR victory and second this season (Texas Children’s Houston Open).
Woodland began the week at No. 31 in the FedExCup standings; projected No. 14 after the opening round; attempting to advance to the TOUR Championship for the first time since 2019. His previous best finish in nine prior starts at the BMW Championship was a tie-12/2018.
The FedEx Cup Playoffs
Following this week’s BMW Championship, the Top 30 players will advance to next week’s TOUR Championship (East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, Georgia)
In 2025, one player (Harry Hall) moved into the Top 30 with his performance at the BMW Championship
This season, the players projected to move into the Top 30 (after 18 holes at BMW):
Gary Woodland (T1), from No. 31 to No. 14
Jake Knapp (T12), from No. 35 to No. 29
Players projected to fall out of the Top 30:
Kurt Kitayama (T44), from No. 28 to No. 31
Bud Cauley (T48), from No. 29 to No. 32
BMW Championship | Leaderboard After 18 Holes
T1 Gary Woodland 64 (-6)
T1 Wyndham Clark 64 (-6)
T1 Rory McIlroy 64 (-6)
T1 J.J. Spaun 64 (-6)
T1 Chris Gotterup 64 (-6)
T6 Ryo Hisatsune 65 (-5)
T6 Matt Fitzpatrick 65 (-5)
Full Leaderboard: (link)
BMW Championship | At a Glance
COURSE: Bellerive Country Club, St. Louis, Missouri
OVERVIEW: (link)
ARCHITECT: Robert Trent Jones, Sr.
YARDS/PAR: 7,448 yards/Par 70
PRIZE Money/First Place Winnings: $20,000,000/$3,600,000
DEFENDING CHAMPION: Scottie Scheffler
PAST RESULTS: (link)
FEDEx CUP Points to Winner: 750
SOCIAL MEDIA: #PGATour #FedExCup @BMWChamps
TITLE SPONSOR OFFICIAL SITE: (BMW Championship)
BMW | 📺 How to Watch
Friday, August 21, 2026 - (All Times Eastern)
9:15am - 6:00pm - ESPN+ Streaming
10:00am - 12 Noon - ESPN
1:00pm - 7:00pm - PGA Tour Radio on Sirius XM Radio and Online
3:00pm - 7:00pm - Golf Channel
How to Watch: (link)
BMW: Field, Update, Tee Times & Leaderboard
Field: (link) - No cut
Update:
Tee Times: (10:03am (9:03am local) to 2:55pm ET) (link)
Leaderboard: (link)
PGA Tour Brunch will publish by 9:00am on Saturday
What They’re Saying
Surprise Start at BMW (PGATourCom)
Playoff Scenarios (PGATourCom)
FedEx Cup Standings (PGATourCom)
On This Day in Golf History
August 21, 1914 - Walter Hagen won his first of 11 major championships defeating amateur Chuck Evans by a stroke to win the U.S. Open at the Midlothian Country Club in Midlothian, Illinois. Hagen, 21, birdied the 18th hole for the win. - Courtesy of Randy Walker, Author of On This Day in Golf History, available via Amazon.com and by clicking HERE
Parting Putt
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