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Bellerive Country Club
St. Louis, Missouri
Par 70, 7,448 yards
Long course by modern PGA TOUR standards
Designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr.
Renovated by Rees Jones
Returns to the PGA TOUR for the first time since the 2008 BMW Championship
Also hosted the 2018 PGA Championship
Those two events give us the primary historical data points for the course
No cut
Greens
Bentgrass
Historically large relative to many TOUR venues
2018 PGA Championship setup averaged roughly 7,600 sq. ft. per green
Fairways
Roughly 25-28 yards wide
Intermediate rough followed by heavier fescue rough
Missing the fairway can create a significant disadvantage, particularly when attacking long approaches
Rough
Tall fescue
The 2018 setup used roughly 3-inch primary rough
Getting the ball back onto the fairway is important because the rough can make it difficult to control longer approaches
Water
Water hazards are in play on numerous holes
Strategic risk increases on several of the longer holes
Length + approach difficulty
Bellerive can stretch well beyond 7,400 yards
Long approaches will be a major part of the test
The 2018 PGA setup produced a particularly strong emphasis on long-iron play
Driving
Distance matters, but this isn’t simply a bomb-and-gouge course
The narrow fairways and penal rough create a premium on distance + accuracy
The architects specifically described Bellerive as a course that requires shot-making rather than favoring one particular player type
Approach
175+ yard approach play should be heavily weighted
Long-iron and mid-iron proximity should matter more than usual
GIR becomes especially important because missing from long range can leave difficult recovery shots
Par 5s
Important scoring opportunities on a long course
Ability to generate birdies/eagles with length can separate the field
Par 4s
Several long par 4s should put pressure on both driving and long-iron play
Par-4 scoring and bogey avoidance should be key differentiators
Around the green
More important than the relatively large greens might initially suggest
Misses can leave difficult recovery shots from the rough/fescue
Players who consistently find greens should have a meaningful advantage
Putting
Bentgrass putting
Less likely to be the primary separator than tee-to-green play
I’d put significantly more emphasis on ball striking than raw putting form
Recent BMW Championship Results
2025: Scottie Scheffler -15 (66-65-67-67); 2 Stroke Victory over Robert MacIntyre
2024: Keegan Bradley -12 (66-68-70-72); 1 Stroke Victory over Aberg, Burns & Scott
2023: Viktor Hovland -17 (69-68-65-61); 2 Stroke Victory over M Fitzpatrick & Scheffler
2022: Patrick Cantlay -14 (68-68-65-69); 1 Stroke Victory over Scott Stallings
2021: Patrick Cantlay -27 (66-63-66-66); Playoff Victory over Bryson DeChambeau
Notable Bellerive Country Club Tournament Results
2018 PGA Champ: Brooks Koepka -16 (69-63-66-66); 2 Stroke Victory over Tiger Woods
2008 BMW Champ: Camilo Villegas -15 (65-66-66-68); 2 Stroke Victory over Hart
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Clubhouse Member’s Unlock: Key Stats, Comp Courses, Tournament Trends and Full Models
Key Stats
Tier 1
Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green
Strokes Gained: Approach
Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee
Total Driving
Tier 2
Approaches from 175+
Approach Proximity
Birdie-or-Better Percentage
Bogey Avoidance
Tier 3
Scrambling
Par 4 Scoring
Par 5 Scoring
Strokes Gained: Putting (Bentgrass)
Course Comps
Valhalla Golf Club
Detroit Golf Club
Olympia Fields Country Club (North Course)
Last 7 BMW Championships Trends
Odds
0-25: 2025, 2023, 2022, 2020, 2019
26-50: 2021
51-100: 2024
Winner’s Strokes Behind Leader By Round
R1: 4/7 (57%) trailed by at least 4 shots (2/7 led)
R2: 4/7 (57%) within 3 shots (4/7 led)
R3: 6/7 (86%) within 3 shots (4/7 led)
Winner’s Lead-In Form
7/7 (100%) with at least 1 Top 25 finish in their last 2 starts
6/7 (86%) with at least 2 Top 20 finishes in their last 4 starts
5/7 (71%) with a Top 20 finish in their last start
3/7 (43%) with at least 1 Top 5 finish in their last 4 starts
2/7 (29%) with a WIN in their last 4 starts
Winner’s BMW Championship Tournament History
7/7 (100%) Top 35 in their last appearance
7/7 (100%) at least 3 prior appearances
6/7 (86%) at least 2 Top 20 in prior appearances
5/7 (71%) at least 5 prior appearances
5/7 (71%) at least 1 Top 5
4/7 (57%) WIN or 2nd
4/7 (57%) at least 2 Top 10 in prior appearances
4/7 (57%) Top 5 within 2 appearances of their WIN
First Round Leader Splits
Groups 1-12: 71% (2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2019)
Groups 13-25: 57% (2025, 2021, 2020, 2019)
*results can include instances where FRL from both Groups and both get credited with a win.
Early Models
Early Top 10
Scottie Scheffler
Cameron Young
Matt Fitzpatrick
Si Woo Kim
Tommy Fleetwood
Wyndham Clark
Patrick Cantlay
Rory McIlroy
Chris Gotterup
Viktor Hovland
