The 2025 PGA Tour BMW Championship, the crucial penultimate event in the FedExCup Playoffs, is set to begin on August 14th at Caves Valley Golf Club in Owings Mills, Maryland. Featuring the top 50 players from the FedExCup standings, this tournament offers a $20 million purse and a vital opportunity for competitors aiming to secure their places in the season finale.
Following the conclusion of the FedEx St. Jude Championship on August 10th, players on the cusp of qualifying for the BMW Championship will be pushing hard to earn their spot. Those who excel at Caves Valley will move closer to the Tour Championship, scheduled at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, Georgia, from August 20th to 24th.
Pressure Mounts for Players on the Cut Line
Qualifying for the BMW Championship carries consequences beyond the remainder of 2025. Participants gain automatic entry into the Players Championship and all eight of the PGA Tour’s signature events for the 2026 season, emphasizing the stakes for players during the FedEx St. Jude Championship weekend.
Golfers such as Jordan Spieth, Min Woo Lee, Wyndham Clark, and J.T. Poston find themselves under intense scrutiny, as every leaderboard movement influences their chances of advancing. Xander Schauffele appears more secure but still must avoid finishing at the very bottom to guarantee his participation in the BMW Championship.
A Storied Tournament with a Legacy of Excellence
The BMW Championship, once known as the Western Open, traces its origins back to 1899, making it the oldest non-major tournament on the PGA Tour calendar. It is not only revered for its longstanding history but also recognized for delivering an exceptional fan experience and supporting charitable causes.
In 2024, the BMW Championship earned the PGA Tour’s “Tournament of the Year” award for the second consecutive year and the sixth time overall. Tyler Dennis, Chief Competitions Officer of the PGA Tour, acknowledged this achievement, stating,
“On behalf of the PGA TOUR, congratulations to the Western Golf Association and BMW on the BMW Championship being named 2024 PGA TOUR Tournament of the Year,”
said Dennis.
“The WGA and BMW have perfected the recipe for success, and partnering this year with Castle Pines Golf Club and an engaged Denver community took the event to new heights in delivering both a premium fan experience and record-setting charitable contributions for the Evans Scholars Foundation.”
The Western Golf Association organizes the event and co-founded the Evans Scholars Foundation in 1930 alongside Charles “Chick” Evans Jr. Since becoming the penultimate playoff event in 2007, the BMW Championship has donated over $60 million to the foundation, which provides scholarships to financially disadvantaged caddies, including housing and tuition support.
In 2024 alone, the championship set a new fundraising record with a $10 million contribution to the foundation.
Anticipation Builds for the Return to Caves Valley
For 2025, the BMW Championship returns to Caves Valley Golf Club, reviving memories from the 2021 tournament that featured a dramatic six-hole playoff between Bryson DeChambeau and Patrick Cantlay. Cantlay ultimately claimed victory, much to the excitement of fans who witnessed the intense sudden-death finish.
This year’s event will again showcase the elite top 50 players from the FedExCup standings as they compete from August 14th through 17th. The conclusion of the BMW Championship will set the stage for the season’s final showdown at the Tour Championship in Atlanta.