The BMW Championship is the third Fed-Ex Cup playoff venue and this is where things begin to get interesting. With seventy players in the field, only a meagre thirty get to qualify for the Tour Championship. Now is the time when those who are not currently in the top thirty Fed Ex Cup standings will show if they have the bottle to qualify for the final event. The course, Cog Hill is a 7,386 yard long par 71, which boasts large greens, 110 bunkers and water hazards on six holes. Experience in my view will stand players in good stead here.

Adam Scott each way @ 20/1
Unfortunately the odds are slight for the Australian but that won’t stop me from tipping him. Scott returned to winning ways this year by winning the Valero Texas Open, and disappointingly, for a man of his calibre, has only had three other top tens. The good news though, is that two of these have come in the last two weeks. In the Barclays he finished tied ninth while in the Deutsche Bank Championship he finished in a tie for fifth. In terms of past experience, Scott has reached this stage of the competition twice and his best finish here has been fourth place. So the last thing to talk about is the stats. Scott is long and accurate off the tee which should be beneficial. He also hits a lot of greens in regulation. Unfortunately there is one major drawback to his game, and that’s putting. It’s strange for me to say that about an Australian, but in Scott’s case it’s true. However, I feel confident that the Aussie could strike it hot with the putter this week. Miserly odds but all in all, Scott is still worth it.

Jason Day each way @ 30/1
I know that Day has no experience of this event but this week, he’s an exception to the rules. Last week he played well only for a disappointing final round and some brilliance by Charley Hoffman. In his last two events he has finished tied fifth and tied second so right now he is the man in form. He’s the second Aussie I’m picking this week, and he had to battle fellow Australian Geoff Ogilvy for my tip. Despite not having experience, he has the game to succeed. He is inaccurate but a lot of the time this is because he runs out of fairway a lot of the time because of the length he hits the ball. On top of this, he hits a lot of greens in regulation and has a good short game. He is a slightly better than average putter but as I pointed out with Scott already, putting runs in Australian blood so don’t be surprised if Day strikes hot with the putter this week. 30/1 is good odds for the in-form man at the moment.

Zach Johnson each way @ 33/1
Not in great form but he should have good memories of this course from last year when he finished in fifth place. Johnson failed to capitalise on a great opening round of 63 last week and I’m hoping that this week will be a different story. He should have a spring in his step after picking up a Ryder Cup wildcard pick from Corey Pavin. In terms of stats, he is nearly the complete opposite type of player to Scott and Day. Johnson is quite short and relies on precision and a good putting stroke to help him compete. Both of these have been in good nick this year and hopefully it will stay that way. Johnson has had only two top tens this year but one of these has been a win and the other a tied third place in the PGA Championship. I think that Johnson will be dangerous this week and at 33/1. I’m willing to take the risk on him this week.

Like Ian, my top man for this week is undoubtedly Adam Scott also. His game has really impressed me the past 6 months and for a man who possesses so much talent, his alarming slide down the world rankings was puzzling. Now, his confidence is back, his swing looks rock solid and another win could be around the corner. His putting remains a huge concern and he reminds me a little of Francesco Molinari in this regard. However, if he can roll in a few putts this week, there is no reason why Adam won’t be in contention come Sunday evening. One other person not mentioned by Ian deserves respect this week and that is Stewart Cink. His best results generally come on more challenging courses such as Cog Hill ann he also boasts some impressive finishes in the BMW over the years. Priced at 33/1, I think he is good value but for those who prefer a bit more of a cushion, 10/3 for a top 10 might tickle your fancy.

It is difficult to look beyond Tiger Woods as the overall Fed Ex Cup winner, such is the form he is in. However, two men very much still in contention for the top prize, Sean O’Hair and Padraig Harrington, sent Tiger an early statement of intent that they will not be giving in just yet. We all know the words “giving in” and “Padraig Harrington” are never associated with each other anyway, like chalk and cheese if you will, and it is his personal duel with Woods that the crowd want to see coming down the stretch on Sunday.

Sean O’Hair though is the deserving leader after his fine opening 66. Lurking a shot back is the trio of Woods, Harrington and Cink. It promises to be a great few days of golf and I’m keeping my fingers and toes crossed for an Irish win. After all, what better week for an Irishman to rise to the top, than the same week we celebrated the 250 year anniversary of Arthur GUINNESS.

I raised a few GUINNESS already in celebration but I would have no hesitation in doing the same Sunday evening  if Harrington does the business….just no more 8′s on the card please Harry….my eyes, heart and stomach just can’t take it anymore!!

A cracking field in this weeks Bridegestone Invitational at Firestone with all eyes and expectations resting with Tiger Woods. However, there are other contenders which the PGA Tour Video above outlines. This week also marks the return of Phil Mickelson. How great would it be to see him walk away with the top prize!

On a separate note, Irishman Shane Lowry, who won this years Irish Open, is competing. It is a huge step up when you consider Shane was taking part in a local competition this time last year and making €500 for his efforts. This week, with no cut in operation, he is guaranteed a minimum purse of €24,500. More than that however, the experience he gains from this week will be invaluable. I’m keeping toes, fingers, you name it, crossed for Shane and hope he has a respectable week. If any of you are attending the event, please check him out and give him a big round of applause. His rise to stardom is truly unforgettable and hopefully he can continue to progress in the game.

Finally, what a cracking name for a golf course…..FIRESTONE. The name alone is intimidating. In fairness, there are some great golf course names worldwide. Please leave a comment if you know of any worth a mention?