The First Look: BMW Championship

• COURSE: Conway Farms Golf Club, 7,208 yards, par 71. Opened in 1991, the Tom Fazio design will serve as the penultimate FedExCup Playoff stop for the third time in a five-year span. Carved from farmland in Chicago’s North Shore outskirts, Conway Farms first gained prominence on the amateur stage, starting with the 1997 NCAA Division I championship and 1998 U.S. Junior Amateur. Later came the 2009 Western Amateur and 2010 U.S. Mid-Amateur before the PGA TOUR arrived in 2013. Jim Furyk’s 59 highlighted that event, though Zach Johnson won, and Jason Day claimed his second FedExCup Playoff victory two years ago. Conway Farms membership includes former world No. 1 Luke Donald, who played a key role in bringing the club and TOUR together.  • FEDEXCUP: Winner receives 2,000 points. • CHARITY: The Evans Scholars Foundation, an arm of the Western Golf Association which awards college scholarships to caddies across the country with limited financial means. The foundation currently supports more than 800 caddies attending college. • FIELD WATCH: Justin Thomas, who made the Dell Technologies Championship his fifth win of 2016-17, joins FedExCup leader Jordan Spieth to headline a full 70-man lineup set to begin the FedExCup Playoffs’ second half. … Six rookies remain alive in the FedExCup postseason, with Mackenzie Hughes and Xander Schauffele just outside the cutline to reach the finale at East Lake. … All 12 members of the U.S. Presidents Cup team are entered, but only 10 from the International squad. Adam Scott and Branden Grace were eliminated in Boston. • 72-HOLE RECORD: 262, Tiger Woods (2007 at Cog Hill G&CC), Jason Day (2015 at Conway Farms GC). • 18-HOLE RECORD: 59, Jim Furyk (2nd round, 2013 at Conway Farms). • LAST YEAR: Dustin Johnson set a Crooked Stick course record with a second-round 63, then held back Paul Casey’s gallant challenge to notch his third significant victory of the summer. Johnson and Casey never shot anything worse than a 68 all week, but Johnson’s success with a new putter proved valuable. He needed just 23 putts in an opening 67, then eagled twice on the way to his second-round 63. Casey tried to put a little heat on Johnson with an eagle at the par-5 15th, but Johnson matched it to restore the cushion as both parred their way in. Johnson’s FedExCup Playoffs victory came after his first major win (U.S. Open) and first in a World Golf Championships event (Bridgestone Invitational). Casey’s runner-up finish was his second in consecutive weeks, having finished behind Rory McIlroy at TPC Boston. Charl Schwartzel claimed the final spot of 30 advancing to the TOUR Championship, nosing out Rickie Fowler by 0.57 of a point.  • STORYLINES: While Spieth, Thomas and Johnson are locks for top-5 positions at East Lake, putting their FedExCup hopes into their own hands, the chase remains to learn who joins them. Hideki Matsuyama and Jon Rahm have inside track. … The spotlight also falls on No. 30, where Bill Haas is on the bubble to advance. In each of the past two years, four men have played their way into the finale after starting the BMW outside the top 30. … Phil Mickelson, who tied for sixth at TPC Boston, will become the all-time leader in FedExCup Playoff starts when he tees it up for his 41st postseason event. That breaks a tie with Bubba Watson, who didn’t advance from Boston. • SHORT CHIPS: The BMW Championship has its roots in the old Western Open, which dates back to 1899. That makes it the third-longest running event in professional golf, behind only The Open Championship (1860) and U.S. Open (1885). … Not only does the TOUR Championship await the top 30 in FedExCup points after Sunday, but automatic entry to all four majors in 2018. … Next year takes the event to Aronimink GC outside Philadelphia, part of an ongoing plan to alternate the event between Chicago and other top venues. Aronimink previously staged two editions of what’s now the Quicken Loans National. • TELEVISION: Thursday-Friday, 3-7 p.m. ET (Golf Channel). Saturday, 1-3 p.m. (GC), 3-6 p.m. (NBC). Sunday, noon-2 p.m. (GC), 2-6 p.m. (NBC). • PGA TOUR LIVE: Thursday-Friday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. (featured groups), 3-7 p.m. (featured holes). Saturday-Sunday, 8:30 a.m.-5:45 p.m. (featured holes). • RADIO: Thursday-Friday, 1-7 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, 1-6 p.m. (PGA TOUR Radio on SiriusXM and PGATOUR.com).

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