The BMW Championship is back at Maryland’s Caves Valley Golf Club, and Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy and others are competing for the $3.6 million top prize in the second leg of the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup playoffs.

The field of 49 players will hope to round into form ahead of the season-ending Tour Championship. Only the top 30 players in FedEx Cup points accrued throughout the season advance to East Lake Golf Club, where a $40 million purse, with $10 million to the winner, is on the line. Beyond that, there will be $100 million in bonus money distributed.

Here’s what to know about the BMW Championship.

What’s at stake

Throughout the season, golfers earn points toward the FedEx Cup playoffs.

The top 70 golfers in points competed last week in the FedEx St. Jude Championship in Memphis, Tennessee, to begin the three-tournament playoff. The top 50 in points qualified to compete at Caves Valley, and only the top 30 after this week will move on to the last round of the playoffs, the Tour Championship.

Because the fields are so exclusive, there is no cut. A $20 million purse is on the line, with $3.6 million going to the winner and $68,000 to the player in last. Sepp Straka withdrew from the BMW Championship for a family matter, so the field in Owings Mills is down to 49.

Scheffler and McIlroy are the favorites going into this tournament. But Xander Schauffele, Justin Rose, Tommy Fleetwood and others could put up a solid fight.

Also at stake are positions in the Ryder Cup, the transatlantic showdown between the United States and Europe. Those matches will be next month at Bethpage Black in Farmingdale, New York.

American players who score well at Caves Valley are sure to draw the attention of team captain Keegan Bradley, who is playing this week. The six players with the most qualifying points will automatically make the team at the conclusion of the BMW Championship. Bradley then has six captain’s picks to round out the squad, and he can also select from players on the LIV Golf tour. He could compete as a player-captain. With a June win in the Travelers Championship and four other top-10 finishes, he sits 10th on the list.

“I’ve been saying all year you can’t expect to be on the team unless you’re in the top six,” Bradley said. “My goal is to go out there, whether I was Ryder Cup captain or not this week, and play well and play well next week at the Tour Championship as well.”

Changes to the course

Rory McIlroy hits a shot during the Pro-Am prior to the BMW Championship. (Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

The BMW Championship was in Owings Mills in 2021, and Patrick Cantlay and Bryson DeChambeau torched the course by posting 27 under after four rounds. Cantlay won after six playoff holes. Since then, the Tom Fazio-designed course has undergone major renovations.

Multiple holes were changed, including the first, second, fifth, 11th and 17th. But one of the most significant changes was the greens. In previous iterations, Maryland’s humid and seasonal weather resulted in soft terrain with little to no drainage.

All of the former green complexes were ripped up, and after some testing, Kyle Steidel, the course superintendent, chose a heat-resistant blend to help firm the grounds and dry out the greens, according to the PGA Tour’s website.

“So far this golf course seems really challenging,” said Scheffler, the world’s No. 1-ranked player who won two of the four major championships this year. “We’ll see how it plays over the course of four days, but it’s in fantastic shape. The greens are really good. Got a decent amount of rough, plenty of pitch on the greens. There’s definitely going to be some challenges out there. It’s a pretty strong test this week.”

McIlroy played in the 2021 tournament and remembers it being one of the first large events after the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It was really cool to play in that atmosphere,” he said. “I guess they’re anticipating really big crowds this week, and that will be cool to play in front of.”

Ticket info

If you’re looking to attend the BMW Championship, there are options for all types of spenders. For those looking just to access the grounds, tickets range from $30 to $115. Public restrooms and concessions are available throughout the grounds. However, seating is first-come, first-served.

For people who want a cooler experience, the air-conditioned Trophy Club sits at the par-3 17th hole and costs $55-$210.

Meanwhile, the Barn and the Harbor Club offer views of the 18th hole. The Barn, priced at $350, is positioned along the fairway and offers unlimited alcoholic and nonalcoholic drinks. The Harbor Club offers unlimited food and beverages, along with air conditioning and a parking pass for the hospitality lot per two tickets purchased.

For the most expensive tickets, the Bay Club is positioned along the 18th and 11th fairways for $1,250 (it also comes with a bar, dining from Atlas Restaurant Group, covered outdoor seating and a VIP valet parking pass for every two tickets purchased).

Children under 15 are given complimentary access to the event if their parent or caregiver has a ticket. Active duty, active reserve, veterans and military retirees are also granted complimentary access and should visit the BMW Championship website.

What to know if you go

Pack your sunscreen if you’re planning to attend the tournament. It’s forecast to be sunny and warm with temperatures in the high 80s through Saturday and the low 90s for the final round Sunday.

For those planning on using a rideshare app such as Uber or Lyft, the address to the designated drop-off/pick-up location is 2716 Caves Road, Owings Mills, MD 21117.

Park Heights Avenue will be closed between Walnut Avenue and Caves Road each day of the tournament from 5 a.m.-7 p.m.

There is no public parking right next to the course. Spectators can park at the Owings Mills Metro Centre and take a shuttle to the grounds.

If you plan on walking the grounds, you should plan the holes where you want to set up. Both golfers and the course are expecting a large turnout, so researching where you want to stand will help navigate the area.

Small bags (about the size of a compact purse) are permitted on the grounds. The dimensions allowed for clear bags are larger.

Phones must be on silent at all times. Texting is allowed across the course, but phone calls must be taken in designated areas. While you can capture videos, photos and audio recordings, camera flashes must be turned off. The PGA also prohibits livestreaming and play-by-play coverage.

For more event information, tee times and leaderboard scoring, the PGA TOUR app is available on IOS and Android systems.

Tee times

A tee marker at Caves Valley Golf Club. (Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

Round 1

9:21 a.m. J.T. Poston

9:32 a.m. Xander Schauffele and Michael Kim

9:43 a.m. Kurt Kitayama and Thomas Detry

9:54 a.m. Ryan Fox and Taylor Pendrith

10:05 a.m. Lucas Glover and Sam Stevens

10:16 a.m. Viktor Hovland and Akshay Bhatia

10:27 a.m. Nick Taylor and Shane Lowry

10:43 a.m. Brian Harman and Patrick Cantlay

10:54 a.m. Keegan Bradley and Maverick McNealy

11:05 a.m. Ben Griffin and Russell Henley

11:16 a.m. Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy

11:27 a.m. Andrew Novak and Harris English

11:38 a.m. Jhonattan Vegas and Rickie Fowler

11:54 a.m. Harry Hall and Jason Day

12:05 p.m. Matt Fitzpatrick and Si Woo Kim

12:16 p.m. Brian Campbell and Denny McCarthy

12:27 p.m. Ryan Gerard and Daniel Berger

12:38 p.m. Chris Gotterup and Jacob Bridgeman

12:49 p.m. Sam Burns and Sungjae Im

1:05 p.m. Hideki Matsuyama and Robert MacIntyre

1:16 p.m. Collin Morikawa and Corey Conners

1:27 p.m. Justin Thomas and Tommy Fleetwood

1:38 p.m. Justin Rose and J.J. Spaun

1:49 p.m. Cameron Young and Ludvig Åberg

2:00 p.m. Tom Hoge and Bud Cauley

Round 2

9:21 a.m. Harry Hall and Jason Day

9:32 a.m. Matt Fitzpatrick and Si Woo Kim

9:43 a.m. Brian Campbell and Denny McCarthy

9:54 a.m. Ryan Gerard and Daniel Berger

10:05 a.m. Chris Gotterup and Jacob Bridgeman

10:16 a.m. Sam Burns and Sungjae Im

10:27 a.m. Hideki Matsuyama and Robert MacIntyre

10:43 a.m. Collin Morikawa and Corey Conners

10:54 a.m. Justin Thomas and Tommy Fleetwood

11:05 a.m. Justin Rose and J.J. Spaun

11:16 a.m. Cameron Young and Ludvig Åberg

11:27 a.m. Tom Hoge and Bud Cauley

11:38 a.m. J.T. Poston

11:54 a.m. Xander Schauffele and Michael Kim

12:05 p.m. Kurt Kitayama and Thomas Detry

12:16 p.m. Ryan Fox and Taylor Pendrith

12:27 p.m. Lucas Glover and Sam Stevens

12:38 p.m. Viktor Hovland and Akshay Bhatia

12:49 p.m. Nick Taylor and Shane Lowry

1:05 p.m. Brian Harman and Patrick Cantlay

1:15 p.m. Keegan Bradley and Maverick McNealy

1:27 p.m. Ben Griffin and Russell Henley

1:38 p.m. Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy

1:49 p.m. Andrew Novak and Harris English

2 p.m. Jhonattan Vegas and Rickie Fowler