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BMW Championship 2026: Friday Tee Times and Strategy to Conquer Bellerive

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Alright, let’s talk about the BMW Championship. It’s Friday, Round 2 at Bellerive Country Club in St. Louis. The big boys are out, and the pressure’s on. If you’re trying to follow along, you need the tee times. And if you’re a golfer yourself, you might pick up a thing or two about how these guys are attacking this course. Because let’s be honest, Bellerive isn’t exactly a walk in the park. It’s a proper test.Collin Morikawa is having a decent year. Not his absolute best, maybe, but solid. He’s 9th in the FedEx Cup standings, which is nothing to sneeze at. Dude’s got seven Tour wins already. He snagged one at Pebble Beach this season, plus a bunch of other top finishes. Masters T7? Yeah, that’s good. But for a guy like Morikawa, “good” probably feels like “could do better.” He’s got a shot here at the BMW to really finish strong before the Tour Championship. He started Round 1 okay, got a couple under early. Now, he’s gotta keep that momentum rolling into Friday.On Friday, Morikawa is set to tee off at 1:31 p.m. ET. He’ll be paired with Ludvig Aberg. That’s a pairing to watch. Two guys who can absolutely mash it.If you’re looking to catch the action, here’s the lowdown on TV and streaming: ESPN is covering it from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. ET. Then, it’s over to Golf Channel from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. ET. And for all the early birds or those who just want more golf, PGA Tour Live on ESPN+ has you covered starting at 10 a.m. ET. They’ll also have featured groups and holes. So, plenty of ways to watch these guys battle it out.Now, let’s get to the nitty-gritty. The tee times. Because if you don’t know when your favorite player is going off, you’re missing half the fun.

Friday's Round 2 Tee Times at Bellerive C.C.

Here are the full groupings and times for Friday’s second round of the 2026 BMW Championship. Remember, these are Eastern Times (ET).

Tee No. 1

  • 10:03 a.m. – Patrick Cantlay, Ryo Hisatsune
  • 10:14 a.m. – Michael Thorbjornsen, Nico Echavarria
  • 10:25 a.m. – Jake Knapp, Alex Noren
  • 10:36 a.m. – Robert MacIntyre, Rickie Fowler
  • 10:47 a.m. – Rory McIlroy, Xander Schauffele
  • 11:05 a.m. – Bud Cauley, Nicolai Højgaard
  • 11:16 a.m. – Viktor Hovland, J.J. Spaun
  • 11:27 a.m. – J.T. Poston, Kurt Kitayama
  • 11:38 a.m. – Ryan Gerard, Min Woo Lee
  • 11:49 a.m. – Chris Gotterup, Tommy Fleetwood
  • 12:07 p.m. – Scottie Scheffler, Matt Fitzpatrick
  • 12:18 p.m. – Russell Henley, Jacob Bridgeman
  • 12:29 p.m. – Maverick McNealy, Matt McCarty
  • 12:40 p.m. – Justin Thomas, Sahith Theegala
  • 12:51 p.m. – Sepp Straka, Sungjae Im
  • 1:09 p.m. – Aaron Rai, Ben Griffin
  • 1:20 p.m. – Gary Woodland, Adam Scott
  • 1:31 p.m. – Collin Morikawa, Ludvig Åberg
  • 1:42 p.m. – Ryan Fox, Tom Kim
  • 1:53 p.m. – Justin Rose, Alex Smalley
  • 2:11 p.m. – Kristoffer Reitan, Alex Fitzpatrick
  • 2:22 p.m. – Akshay Bhatia, Hideki Matsuyama
  • 2:33 p.m. – Wyndham Clark, Sam Burns
  • 2:44 p.m. – Cameron Young, Si Woo Kim
  • 2:55 p.m. – Michael Brennan, Eric Cole

Navigating Bellerive: More Than Just Hitting It Far

So, you’ve got the times. Now, what about the golf? Bellerive C.C. is a beast. It’s known for its length, its mature trees, and its demanding greens. It’s not a course where you can just bash away and hope for the best. You need strategy. You need precision. You need to be smart.Look at Collin Morikawa. He’s not the longest hitter out there, but his iron play is usually lights out. He’s going to be focused on hitting fairways and greens. He’s not going to try and overpower the course. He’ll be looking for angles, setting himself up for approaches, and relying on his putting. That’s how you succeed on a course like this. It’s about scoring well on the holes you can, and making par on the ones that are designed to eat you alive.Then you’ve got guys like Rory McIlroy. Now, Rory’s got the power. He can absolutely bomb it. But he’s also learned to be more strategic over the years. He’s not just going to hit driver everywhere. He’ll pick his spots. He knows when to take on a hazard and when to play safe. You see that pairing with Xander Schauffele – that’s a heavyweight bout right there. Both guys are smart, both can get hot, and both know how to win. Their early tee time on Friday, 10:47 a.m. ET, means they’ll be out there when the course is perhaps a little softer, but the pressure will be building as the day goes on.

The Importance of the Drive

On a course like Bellerive, the drive is crucial. If you’re spraying it around, you’re dead. You’ll be punching out from behind trees, hitting awkward second shots, and making bogeys. The fairways are generally generous enough, but they’re guarded by those big, old trees. You have to respect them. Missing the fairway often means a penalty, or at least a very difficult recovery.For the average golfer watching this, it’s a reminder. Driving accuracy is just as important, if not more so, than raw distance. You see these pros hitting it 320 yards, but they’re hitting it 320 yards in the short grass. That’s the key. A shorter, straighter drive is almost always better than a long, wild one on a course that demands accuracy.

Approach Shots and Green Reading

Once you’re in play, the approach shots are where the birdies are made, or where the damage is done. The greens at Bellerive are known to be challenging. They can be undulating, with subtle breaks that are tough to read. You need to be precise with your iron shots, giving yourself chances for birdies but also avoiding the dreaded three-putt.This is where course management really comes into play. Knowing which pins to attack and which to avoid is vital. Some pins might be tucked behind a bunker, or right on the edge of a slope. Trying to be too aggressive there can lead to a quick double bogey. It’s about playing the percentages.

The Mental Game: Staying Composed

Let’s not forget the mental side of things. This is the BMW Championship. It’s a huge event. The pressure is immense. You see guys get tight, make silly mistakes, and let the tournament slip away. It’s not just about hitting good shots; it’s about handling the pressure cooker.We’ve seen it time and time again. A player gets into contention, feels the weight of expectation, and suddenly, their swing looks different. Their decision-making gets shaky. That’s why the experience of players like Scottie Scheffler and Matt Fitzpatrick, who are grouped together at 12:07 p.m. ET, is so valuable. They’ve been in these situations before. They know how to manage their emotions.

Player Spotlights: Who to Watch

Beyond Morikawa and McIlroy, there are plenty of other players to keep an eye on. Scottie Scheffler is always a threat. He’s got the game to win any tournament he enters. His pairing with Matt Fitzpatrick should be a fantastic watch – two major champions with different styles but a similar drive to win.Viktor Hovland and J.J. Spaun teeing off at 11:16 a.m. ET. Hovland has been on a tear recently, and if he can keep that form going, he’ll be right in the mix. He’s got the firepower and the touch around the greens.And you can’t talk about contenders without mentioning Justin Thomas and Sahith Theegala. They go off at 12:40 p.m. ET. Thomas is a proven major winner and knows how to perform under pressure. Theegala is younger, more of a feel player, and has shown he can compete with the best. Their group is going to be a really interesting dynamic.

The Stakes: FedEx Cup Glory

Remember, this isn’t just another tournament. This is the BMW Championship, the second leg of the FedEx Cup Playoffs. The stakes are incredibly high. Players are fighting for every point, every dollar, and ultimately, that coveted FedEx Cup trophy. The rankings are tight, and a strong performance here can catapult a player up the standings, securing their spot in the Tour Championship and giving them a shot at the ultimate prize.For some players, this might be their last chance to make a significant move. For others, it’s about solidifying their position and heading into the final playoff event with momentum. That adds another layer of intensity to an already high-pressure situation.

Final Thoughts on Bellerive

Bellerive is a classic golf course. It rewards good shots and punishes bad ones. It’s a fair test, but it demands respect. The players who can combine strategic thinking with solid execution, and who can keep their nerves in check, will be the ones contending on Sunday. It’s going to be a fascinating couple of days of golf. Make sure you tune in and see who can conquer Bellerive and move one step closer to FedEx Cup glory. For more information on professional golf events and schedules, you can always check out resources like PGA Tour.com.It’s going to be a wild ride. Let’s see who’s got the game.