Stenson looks to go back to back at BMW Championship

Henrik Stenson is looking to emulate Rory McIlroy from last season by winning two FedEx Cup playoff events, and if he outscores his opponents in the BMW Championship he will be in a strong position to become the first European to win the FedEx Cup and 10 million dollar bonus.

Jim Furyk won that huge prize in 2010 and could figure again on the host course at Conway Farms in Illinois that is be suited to his game. Steve Stricker has an ideal skill’s profile for this week’s challenge and can still be competitive on a course that puts a premium on accuracy over distance.

The BMW sponsored event is the third of four tournaments that make up the post season FedEx Cup series. Only the top 70 players in the standings are eligible to play. There is no halfway cut so every player receives a cheque but the main objective will be to qualify for the Tour Championship. Only the top 30 points scorers can play next week and chase the 10 million dollar bonus that has been won in the last three years by the winner of the Tour Championship.

The FedEx Cup scoring system is weighted heavily in favour of the winner of the limited field finale. Sponsors and broadcasters don’t want the series decided before the season ending tournament but it seems unfair that you can win two qualifying events and then be overhauled in the final week. That happened to McIlory last year when Brandt Snedeker overtook him in the race for the huge prize fund by winning the Tour Championship.

Stenson has contended in two majors and a World Golf Championship event this summer so would be forgiven for suffering from mental letdown. However, he holed many crucial putts two weeks ago and finally won a big prize that his form deserved. There has been a break in the schedule of a week so the Swede will be rested for a tournament to be played on a course that is suited to his game.

Furyk became unreliable at the business end of several high profile events last season. He wasted winning opportunities in the US Open and Bridgestone Invitational and lost his singles match from a winning position against Sergio Garcia in the Ryder Cup. However, he looked as composed and efficient as ever when contending in the PGA Championship last month.

Stricker plays a limited schedule now as he prefers to spend more time working on his Foundation and being with his family. However, he still plays decent golf for this level after returning from lengthy breaks. He was second to Stenson in the Deutsche Bank Championship two weeks ago and is another player with a decent skill’s profile in the context of this week’s host course.

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