On September 4, the world’s 70 best golfers will assemble at Cherry Hills Country Club in Englewood, Colorado for the 2014 BMW Championship, the third leg in this year’s FedEx Cup playoffs. Rory McIlroy enters the tournament as the favorite but a host of other golfers are determined to prove that they can also pull off a tournament victory of their own.
With only 30 spots available for next week’s season-ending Tour Championship, the results are especially important at this week’s event. Read on for our picks of three players in the field we think can put on a solid performance come Sunday afternoon and offer great value as sleeper picks. For more on the favorites and the event overall, check out our complete preview and predictions.
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Three 2014 BMW Championship High-Value Sleeper Picks
Phil Mickelson
[sc:Golf240banner ]Phil Mickelson may have struggled in his first two events in the FedEx Cup playoffs but you can never discount Lefty from making a charge. Prior to his struggles at the Barclays and the Deutsche Bank Championship, Mickelson captured the imagination of fans when he produced a stunning final-round 66 in the PGA Championship to finish just a shot behind champion Rory McIlroy.
Also, Mickelson is the only player in the 70-man field to have won a tournament at Cherry Hills, the site of this year’s event. He won the U.S. Amateur here in Colorado back in 1990 and his experience in playing in these confines will make him a definite threat to win the crown this weekend and is pegged at +2,500 to do so.
Rickie Fowler
Even though Rickie Fowler has not won on the PGA Tour this season, he has definitely been one of the most consistent players on the golf circuit this year. He’s the only golfer to finish in the top 5 of all four majors this season with Fowler falling agonizingly short in the final round of the PGA Championship last month.
In addition to that, he has a total of eight top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour this year, including runner-up finishes at both the U.S. Open and Open Championship. He is one golfer who is definitely due for a breakthrough victory at Cherry Hills and is listed at +1,800 to win this weekend.
Zach Johnson
Zach Johnson returns as the defending champion in this event following last year’s epic comeback where he shot a final round six-under 65 to grab a two-shot victory over Nick Watney. He has continued his good form this year, registering five top-10 finishes including a win at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions last January.
His driving accuracy this season has definitely helped his cause, as he sits currently ninth in that department with a 70% clip. His exploits this season on Tour has propelled him to the 12th spot in the FedEx Cup rankings and will be one of the players to watch in this tournament. He is priced at +3,500 to win the event.
