2025 BMW Championship leaderboard: Robert MacIntyre catches fire late with Scottie Scheffler firmly in pursuit

MacIntyre surged into the lead as the marquee pairing of Scheffler and Rory McIlroy went in different directions

OWINGS MILLS, Md. -- Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy were unquestionably the feature attraction on Thursday during the first round of the 2025 BMW Championship as droves of fans followed the two best players in the world around Caves Valley Golf Club. However, as they walked off the 18th green late in the afternoon, Scheffler was (temporarily) atop of the leaderboard with a 4-under 66 -- bookending his round with runs of three birdies in four holes -- while McIlroy clawed his way to an even-par 70 after a rough start.

Scheffler was eventually passed in the evening Robert MacIntyre, who birdied his final six holes of the day to post an 8-under 62, holding a three-shot lead on the field at the start of the second FedEx Cup Playoffs event. Tommy Fleetwood, who suffered immense heartbreak just last week at the St. Jude Championship, sits between MacIntyre and Scheffler after posting a 65.

The world's best player has made a career out of steadily walking down leads, and Thursday was yet another rock-solid round of golf that put Scheffler in contention maintaining firm hold of his tournament-favorite status. The Texan birdied Nos. 1, 2 and 4 to start his day, surging early in the first round and ensuring the rest of field was aware he was present and competing.

Scheffler hit a brief rough patch at the turn, bogeying Nos. 9 and 10 with what he called "mental mistakes" before settling in with four straight pars before the horn blew to stop play as a storm rolled through the Baltimore area. After the delay, Scheffler took advantage of a much softer course, again going on a hot streak with birdies on Nos. 15, 16 and 18.

He noted after the round how he was able to benefit from the changing conditions: "If you look at the pin on 16, the par-5, with how firm it was earlier, it can be a tough pin to get to. As well as the pin on 15 -- there's a lot of slope there, and I hit a cut and it landed right of the pin and it stays on the green. Whereas, if I played that hole before the rain delay, it may have landed there and kicked off into the first cut, maybe even the rough. Golf course definitely got a bit easier but did a good job of taking advantage of the holes I had left."

Perhaps as crucial as those birdies was his up-and-down on the long par-3 17th after pulling his shot into the grandstands. Scheffler's ball hit the structure and embedded in the wet ground, which allowed him to get a drop; eventually, he placed his ball and created a terrific lie for his chip back down the hill towards the water. With that break, he was able to get up-and-down and keep his round on track on the difficult closing stretch at Caves Valley. While he escaped with a par, Scheffler clearly isn't a huge fan of the 238-yard 17th. 

"Yeah, I hit a shot into the grandstands. It's a pretty tough hole -- 240 [yards] into the wind with water. I still don't fully understand that sometimes," he said. "But played to the smart side, just pulled it a little bit and was able to get a drop there by the grandstand, and it was a nice up-and-down." 

A long birdie putt on the 18th put an exclamation point on his round and moved him into the clubhouse lead at 4 under. There is nothing for Scheffler to play for this week -- other than the win and prize that comes with it -- as he's secure in his position at the top of the FedEx Cup standings going into the Tour Championship. He nevertheless appears poised to be stationed the top of the leaderboard all weekend. 

Conversely, McIlroy got off to a dreadful start with three bogeys in his first six holes to fall to 2 over early. He scratched out a pair of birdies in the middle of his round on Nos. 9 and 10 but closed with eight straight pars, unable to take advantage of the softer course after the delay in the same manner as Scheffler. 

When asked to characterize his first round, McIlroy offered a blunt response. 

"Awful," he said. "Yeah, I got off to a bad start. Sort of pieced it together a little bit in the middle of the round and clawed it back to even par but drove the ball terribly. Then, when you're sort of hitting out of the rough from the fairway bunkers here -- when I hit the fairways, I give myself chances. I need to hit more fairways the next three days." 

While "awful" might be a bit harsh for an even-par round on a course that played over par on average for the top 50 players on the PGA Tour, McIlroy had to watch as Scheffler tore his way to the top of the leaderboard and now has to play catch up. 

McIlroy felt he was trying to hit too many neutral drives, noting he did better today when playing a specific shot shape and that he would try to make that adjustment going forward. Even when he did give himself looks on the greens, he struggled to capitalize. Before the rain, the greens were extremely firm and fast, but he didn't quite adjust to how they slowed down as well as Scheffler and others did after the delay.

"They're tricky. There's a lot of slope to them. They're quite fast, and when it's like that, matching line and speed is pretty tricky," McIlroy said. "I think with the greens being a little slower and softer here, you'll probably see guys hole a few more putts just because the rain sort of takes the nuance out of the greens a little bit. I'd expect the scoring to be pretty good here for the next couple hours." 

That comment from McIlroy proved prescient, as MacIntyre tore it up on the greens after the rain delay, pouring in long birdie putt after long birdie putt all the way to the clubhouse. 

The leader

1. Robert MacIntyre (-8): MacIntyre was plotting along solidly when he stepped on the 13th green facing a 66-footer for birdie, but as soon as he poured that in, he unlocked an unbelievable level with the putter. MacIntyre rolled in just over 195 feet of putts in his first round with the majority of that distance coming on the final six holes. There were some shorties in there -- most notably the 18th that he stuck to 5 feet -- but for the most part, he did his damage with the flat stick. The putter tends to be the hardest club to keep hot in the bag, so we'll see whether MacIntyre fares as well the rest of the weekend, but his close on Thursday evening gave him a healthy cushion on the field going into Friday. 

Contenders

2. Tommy Fleetwood (-5)
3. Scottie Scheffler (-4)
T4. Viktor Hovland, Ben Griffin, Rickie Fowler (-3)
T7. Jason Day, Sam Burns, Ludvig Åberg, Harry Hall, Michael Kim (-2)

Fleetwood didn't show any signs of lingering disappointment after his latest close call at the St. Jude last week as he's right back in the thick of it at the BMW Chamionship. He had another great ball-striking day, leading the field in strokes gained around the green. He looks poised to give himself (and his fans) another weekend filled with hope. Perhaps, this time, it won't end in heartbreak. 

Scheffler slogged through the middle of his round before the rain delay, but his ability to close rounds strong was on full display after they came back. He is in position for what figures to be a ridiculous 13th consecutive top 10 on the PGA Tour this season. 

Hovland says he found a swing thought on Tuesday that is working for him, and he rode that to a 67 that was at the top of the leaderboard for a long time as he was the best of the morning wave that didn't get to enjoy the softer conditions after the rain. Fowler is looking to make the rare double-jump in the FedEx Cup Playoffs; he was among those that moved from outside the top 50 to the field this week and now eyes doing the same to make the Tour Championship. 

Day was tied with Scheffler at 4 under thru 16 holes on Thursday, but consecutive bogeys on the 17th and 18th (including a wild miss on his approach at the last) dropped him back to 2 under. Like Fowler, HE is looking to climb into the top 30 and would be just inside that bubble number if he can maintain a T7 position all weekend. 

2025 BMW Championship update odds, picks

• Scottie Scheffler (7/5)
• Robert MacIntyre (4-1)
• Tommy Fleetwood (6-1)
• Rory McIlroy (18-1)
• Ludvig Åberg (20-1)
• Viktor Hovland (20-1)
• Ben Griffin (22-1)
• Rickie Fowler (25-1)

The oddsmakers have separated the top three from the rest of the pack, which makes some sense at a course that seems like it'll be difficult to go really low on. It'd be shocking if MacIntyre's 62 doesn't hold up all week (by some margin) as the best round we see at Caves Valley, so it'll be hard for anyone too far back to really make a big move. That said, this is a course that could absolutely bring MacIntyre back to the field if his putter cools off, and there are some guys that could take advantage. 

Scheffler is chief among them, which is why he's the favorite by quite some margin, but it's hard for me to jump at 7/5 on Thursday for a guy not even in the lead yet. Griffin at 22-1 is the most interesting of the longer shots to me, as he was steady all day and seems to be very confident with his game at this course. 

[Aug 14, 2025 at 7:55 pm ET · Robby Kalland]

The Scotsman caught fire to close out his first round, as MacIntyre couldn't miss on the greens on his final six holes, birdieing Nos. 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18 on his way to a 62 that lapped the field on Thursday. MacIntyre is now three shots ahead of Tommy Fleetwood in second and four clear of Scottie Scheffler in third going into Friday. In total, MacIntyre birdied seven of his last eight holes (with one bogey) and turned a solid round into a spectacular one to take control of the BMW Championship early. 

[Aug 14, 2025 at 6:45 pm ET · Robby Kalland]

MacIntyre has birdied three straight and four of his last five (with a bogey in between) to leap Scottie Scheffler for the lead alone at 5 under. All three came on putts from long range as he's suddenly got the feel for the greens at Caves Valley -- which have lost a little of their fire after the rain. Now he'll get another good birdie chance on the par-5 16th before facing the challenging finish of 17 and 18. 

[Aug 14, 2025 at 6:25 pm ET · Robby Kalland]

Jason Day was tied with Scottie Scheffler on top of the leaderboard after birdies on the 14th and 15th holes, but he couldn't close out his round strongly, managing just a par on the par-5 16th and then finishing bogey-bogey to slide back into T7 currently. Day's approach on the 18th missed wildly right, as he found the bushes of flowers right of the water hazard, but was able to get up-and-down after a drop to salvage his 5. 

Day needs at least a top 10 this week to jump into the top 30, and is currently projected 29th in his current position. Those two dropped shots at the end of his round could loom large as the week progresses. 

[Aug 14, 2025 at 5:50 pm ET · Robby Kalland]

Scheffler took advantage of a softer golf course after the 2+ hour rain delay and got hot on his final four holes to join Jason Day in a tie for the lead at 4 under. Scheffler rolled in birdies on the 15th, 16th and 18th as he was able to be a bit more aggressive on the greens after the rain. 

The key in that late run might've been his break on the 17th, as he hooked a long iron into the grandstand and had his ball embed in the rough. He got two drops (after dropping on a drainage box the first time) to set himself up with a great lie that allowed him to get up-and-down. Had his ball simply nestled in the rough and not embedded after the rain, he would've been chipping down the hill towards the water with no chance to get any check on the ball. 

We'll see if his 66 holds up the rest of the way, as he's not alone in taking advantage of softer conditions and light winds post-storm. 

[Aug 14, 2025 at 4:50 pm ET · Bryan DeArdo]

At 4:49 p.m., Scottie Scheffler hit his tee shot on 14 after a two-plus hour delay. Scheffler pared 14 before carding a birdie on 15 to get to within one shot off the lead. His birdie on 15 was the first since play resumed. 

[Aug 14, 2025 at 4:06 pm ET · Robby Kalland]

The weather has cleared and they've reopened the practice facility here at Caves Valley, with play scheduled to resume at 4:45 p.m. 

[Aug 14, 2025 at 3:46 pm ET · Robby Kalland]

The rain has stopped, but there are still some rumbles of thunder here at Caves Valley. Some low areas on the course might have some standing water, but play will hopefully resume in the not too distant future and most, if not all, of the first round can be completed today. 

[Aug 14, 2025 at 3:32 pm ET · Bryan DeArdo]

It appears that the rain is starting to subside as it's been about an hour since play was suspended due to weather. But even with the rain stops, it may take a little time to resume play as the course may require some tidying up. 

[Aug 14, 2025 at 2:16 pm ET · Bryan DeArdo]

Rickie Fowler (-3) is currently tied with Hovland atop the leaderboard after carding a birdie on four of his last five holes. Fowler started his round with two bogeys on his first three holes but has since found his footing. He is coming off of his T6 finish at St. Jude that allowed him to qualify for the BMW Championship. 

Hovland finishes his round with a 67 and a share of the lead with Fowler, who is currently on 12. 

[Aug 14, 2025 at 1:41 pm ET · Bryan DeArdo]

After a slow start, McIlroy has birdied the last two holes to pull to even par. Conversely, Scheffler had carded a bogey the last two holes and is no longer atop the leaderboard. Scheffler, who has been dramatically better this season in terms of his putting, missed his par putt on 10, thus leading to his second straight bogey. 

A notable recent highlight from the rest of the field was Viktor Hovland's impressive chip that found its way to the back of the cup. Hovland is currently T3 at -1. 

[Aug 14, 2025 at 1:18 pm ET · Robby Kalland]

The 9th hole saw a little two-shot swing in the marquee pairing, as McIlroy finally got something going with a good drive and stuffed a wedge to a few feet to set up his second birdie of the day to build some positivity going to the back nine. 

Scheffler, meanwhile, made his only real mistake of the front nine with a wedge that landed a little short and left of his target, spinning back off the green. He jammed his chip by outside McIlroy's mark, and slid the putt by on the lip to drop his first shot of the day and make it a 6-way tie for the lead at -2. 

While Scheffler's hiccup on the 0th will leave him a bit frustrated going to the back, it's been a terrific start for him once again. McIlroy, meanwhile, will hope that he has shaken off the rust from a few weeks off and can build on his birdie as he moves to the back nine. 

[Aug 14, 2025 at 1:01 pm ET · Robby Kalland]

The U.S. Ryder Cup captain is trying to leave no doubt about his worthiness for a selection onto the team over the next two weeks, and his front nine at the BMW is going much better than last week at Memphis. However, three short missed birdie opportunities at Nos. 5, 7 and 9 (and longer chances sliding by on 6 and 8) have him stewing a bit as he makes the turn. 

He did have a pair of terrific up-and-downs from the short-side rough on Nos. 2 and 3 to keep his round on track until the irons started to warm up, and he's driving the ball beautifully, peeling baby draws into the fairways. However, the putter needs to wake up if he's going to inch closer to Scottie Scheffler and Ben Griffin. 

If he gets the putter working on the back, perhaps it'll be the dap he got from Michael Phelps as he made the long walk between No. 9 and 10 at Caves Valley that makes the difference. 

[Aug 14, 2025 at 11:30 am ET · Bryan DeArdo]

The field's top-two players, Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy, started their rounds with a birdie and a par on 1, respectively. Scheffler then drained a long, 20-foot birdie putt on 2, while McIlroy carded a bogey for the hole. On the par-3 third hole, Scheffler just missed his third straight birdie when his 16-foot putt was barely off the mark. McIlroy made his birdie putt that was nearly 11 feet from the cup. 

Rory got into some trouble on 4, hitting his third shot out of the sand and into the rough past the green. He carded a bogey for the hole after getting on in four and two-putting for a six on the par-5. Scheffler tallied his third birdie in four holes after his downhill chip off the green stopped just a few feet from the hole. He is now tied atop the leaderboard with Kim at -3. 

The two players have won a combined nine majors and four FedEx Cup titles. McIlroy has won a record three FedEx Cups (2016, 2019 and 2022). Scheffler won his first FedEx Cup last year that was part of an historic season that also saw him win the Masters and an Olympic gold medal. 

[Aug 14, 2025 at 11:00 am ET · Robby Kalland]

As expected, the scoring early on is not nearly as low as it was the last time the BMW was here at Caves Valley. The changes to the greens (which are firm and very fast) and turning two par 5s into long par 4s to make it a par 70 at over 7600 yards is having the intended effect on creating a tougher challenge for the top 50. 

There are birdies to be made if you can find the fairways, as J.T. Poston just went out in 2-under 33 playing by himself, but Xander Schauffele shows how fine the margins are with four bogeys in the first six holes. We're 15 minutes away from the marquee pairing of Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy teeing off, as we'll see how the top 2 in the world handle the increased difficulty of Caves Valley. 

[Aug 14, 2025 at 10:41 am ET · Bryan DeArdo]

Schauffele unsuccessfully tried to get relief for ground under repair on 5 after his second shot landed in the rough where sod was present. He ultimately had to chip out of that mess and was able to get on the green for a chance at a par. 

Unfortunately for Schauffele, he left his long par putt short and carded a bogey to sit at +2 through five holes. He then carded yet another bogey on 6 after leaving his long par putt short. At +3 and currently 43rd in the FedEx Cup standings, Schauffele has his work cut out for him if he is going to play in next week's TOUR Championship. 

Speaking of Kim, he was able to salvage a par on 5 after getting out of the sand on his third shot. He then hit his short par putt. He did card a bogey on 6 to drop to -2 and into a four-way tie atop the leaderboard. 

[Aug 14, 2025 at 9:46 am ET · Bryan DeArdo]

Michael Kim started his round off with a birdie after reaching the green in two and making his short putt. Conversely, playing partner Xander Schauffele carded a bogey for the hole after his par putt lipped out. Xander had a nice putt off the green that put him in position to salvage par, but was unable to capitalize. 

Kim had another birdie chance on 2, but he left his long putt a little short and settled for par. Schauffele's first putt came off the fringe and set him up for a manageable par putt, which he sank. On the par-3 third hole, Kim made his second birdie after sinking a long putt. Schauffele carded his second bogey of the round after missing his par putt. 

A big reason for Schauffele's early struggles has been his inability to reach greens in regulation. On 3, for example, Schauffele had to hit his second shot from the fringe after his tee shot missed its mark in terms of finding the green. 

[Aug 14, 2025 at 9:00 am ET · Bryan DeArdo]

Welcome to our live coverage of the 2025 BMW Championship, the second of three tournaments in the FedExCup Playoffs. 

We're in for a treat if the BMV Championship has a similar finish to what we just saw at the FedEx St. Jude Championship, which was won by veteran Justin Rose (over reigning U.S. Open champion J.J. Spaun) on the third playoff hole. 

The 49 player field is comprised of some of the biggest names in golf, including two-time Xander Schauffele, who will tee off with Michael Kim today at 9:32 am (ET). The day's biggest pairing is four-time major winner Scottie Scheffler teeing off with five-time major champion Rory McIlroy at 11:16. Between them, Scheffler and McIlroy are currently holding three of golf's four major titles. 

Keegan Bradley, the tournament's defending champion and 2025 U.S. Ryder Cup captain, will tee off today at 10:54 a.m. Rose and Spaun, after dueling it out last week at St. Jude, will tee off this afternoon at 1:38. 

Make sure to follow along with us as we'll be providing updates throughout the day!