BMW Championship 2012: Tee Times, Date and TV Schedule

Fresh off his win at the Deutsche Bank Championship, Rory McIlroy will go for a second straight victory in the FedExCup playoffs at the BMW Championship.

And now that he's won two of golf's biggest stages in the last month or so, McIlroy—not Tiger Woods—is finally getting respect from the oddsmakers.

For once, Tiger isn't favored to win; instead, that honor goes to McIlroy, who took home first place at the Deutsche Bank Championship this week, just a couple of weeks removed from his victory at the PGA Championship.

Rory is obviously rolling right now—and Tiger, after finishing third at TPC Boston, is also on the upswing—but will either one of them emerge victorious at Crooked Stick? Or will we get another out-of-nowhere winner?

Here's everything you need to know about where and when to catch the action.

Where: Crooked Stick Golf Club in Carmel, Ind.

When: Thursday, September 6, to Sunday, September 9

Golfers to Watch

Rory McIlroy

It's funny. A month ago, we were all pondering the idea that maybe McIlroy's victory at the 2011 U.S. Open was a fluke. We thought it was crazy that anyone, at any point, had called him the next Tiger Woods—that's how much he struggled after that first major win.

And now, in the span of a month, McIlroy has redirected his entire storyline. He won the PGA Championship by a record eight strokes, and less than a month later, he followed it up with a win at the Deutsche Bank Championship, making up three shots in five holes in the final round to triumph over Louis Oosthuizen.

Now, he's been rewarded by the oddsmakers, who have deemed him the 13-2 favorite (via Bovada), just ahead of Tiger Woods—the only other guy who's won three PGA Tour events this year. Perhaps Rory will soon make it a fourth.

Dustin Johnson

Fresh off being named to the Ryder Cup team by Davis Love III, Johnson will be out to prove he is worthy of the distinction. Given his strong performances over the last few weeks—which are doubtlessly the reasons he made the team over guys like Rickie Fowler and Hunter Mahan—Johnson will be able to do just that this weekend.

Johnson's only win of the season came at the FedEx St. Jude Classic in June, but he's finished in the top 10 in three of his last five outings. At The Barclays in late August, he tied for third, and he followed that up with a tie for fourth at TPC Boston last week.

At least one expert believes Johnson has the chops to win this week: ESPN.com senior golf writer Farrell Evans thinks he has the momentum—and the confidence, after being named to the Ryder Cup team—to reel in his second win.

Tiger Woods

No matter how hard we try, we can never ignore Tiger, who has had a more up-and-down season than anyone (except maybe Nick Watney). Plenty of times, we've been certain he was on the verge of a win, but Tiger would choose those exact times to flop.

He and McIlroy may be the only two guys with three wins this year, but Tiger hasn't had one since the AT&T National in July. Since then, he's had his ups—three top-10 finishes, including third place at TPC Boston last week—but he's also had a couple of miscues at the PGA Championship and at The Barclays. 

Maybe seeing Rory win twice will give Tiger the extra boost of urgency he needs to get his fourth win.

Tee Times

Notable Groupings for Opening Two Rounds (All Times ET)

Round 1 Tee Time	Round 2 Tee Time	Golfer	Golfer	Golfer
12:37 a.m. ET	1:43 p.m. ET	Webb Simpson	Bo Van Pelt	Jim Furyk
1:54 p.m. ET	12:48 a.m. ET	Brandt Snedeker	Louis Oosthuizen	Dustin Johnson
12:48 p.m. ET	1:54 p.m. ET	Nick Watney	Rory McIlroy	Tiger Woods
1:54 p.m. ET	12:48 a.m. ET	Steve Stricker	Luke Donald	Ernie Els

For the full list of the first two rounds of tee times, click here.

Television Schedule

	Date	Time	TV
Round 1	Thursday, Sept. 6	1 - 6 p.m. ET	GOLF
Round 2	Friday, Sept. 7	3 - 6 p.m. ET	GOLF
Round 3	Saturday, Sept. 8	12-3:30 p.m. ET, 3:30-6 p.m. ET	NBC, GOLF
Round 4	Sunday, Sept. 9	11:30-1:30, 2-6 p.m. ET	GOLF, NBC

Prediction: Dustin Johnson Wins

It seems like he's been slowly creeping closer and closer to his second win of the season, and given the way he's played in his last two events, this could be the week for him. Plus, I buy into what Evans is selling: I think the boost of confidence he got from being selected for the Ryder Cup team will propel him this weekend.