2024 BMW Championship: Top 10 power rankings at Castle Pines GC
John Elway and Nikola Jokic became Denver sports legends by delivering championships to the Mile High City. This week, the last 50 players standing will be championship hunting as the PGA Tour heads to Castle Pines Golf Club in Denver, Colorado, for the BMW Championship.
Last week's FedEx St. Jude Championship was an instant classic -- with Hideki Matsuyama demonstrating remarkable resilience to outlast stars Xander Schauffele and Viktor Hovland by two strokes.
The BMW Championship is the penultimate leg of the FedEx Cup Playoffs, with 30 of the 50 players advancing to next week's Tour Championship at East Lake. Jordan Spieth, Tom Kim, and Min Woo Lee are among the notables who were eliminated from the playoff race at TPC Southwind in Memphis.
Located just South of Denver, Castle Pines Golf Club returns to the PGA Tour for the first time since 2006.
Designed in 1981 by the great Jack Nicklaus, Castle Pines GC has undergone a series of changes that have seen 600 yards and 77 bunkers added as well as ten holes renovated.
The course is known for its rolling terrain, thick Nicklaus-style rough, fast bentgrass greens, and scenic Mountain-West views. It has a Pine Valley-esque feel, as none of the holes run parallel to each other. At 8,130 yards and as a par 72, the course is (from a raw yardage standpoint) the longest in the history of the PGA Tour. However, after accounting for elevation changes, the course will play closer to 7,300 yards.
At 6,500 feet above sea level, the ball travels nearly 10% farther. For reference, a 300-yard drive will go 333 yards and a stock mid-iron will travel roughly 20 yards farther. Caddies will be sure to have their work cut out for them in Denver.
Nicklaus and club founder Jack Vickers designed the course with the vision of it being the "Augusta of the Rockies," and from an aesthetic standpoint, that imagination succeeded. With flower gardens and ponds dotting the track in picturesque fashion, Nicklaus's dream came to fruition.
Because the course plays at an elevation rarely seen on tour, it can be difficult to find similar course comparisons. Setting aside the elevation, there are similarities with other Nicklaus tracks, namely Muirfield Village and Valhalla Golf Club. Neither comparison is linear, but they all have the dense rough and tricky greens that punish players, which are staples of Nicklaus' designs.
Due to its length, many will expect the 'bombers' to prevail this week, as they have the benefit of being able to club down. While distance off the tee will be paramount, approach play into these small, undulating greens may be even more significant.
The most significant criteria this week are strokes gained on approach shots, off-the-tee, and bentgrass putting surfaces. Golfers who are accustomed to the high elevation and who have played well at Nicklaus tracks in the past should have an advantage.
All in all, this week sets up to be one of the more intriguing PGA Tour events in recent memory. Let's see who holds the upper hand this week in the Rockies.