Rory McIlroy and in-form Lucas Glover paired for BMW opener

Rory McIlroy and Lucas Glover are paired in the first round of the penultimate event of the FedEx Cup play-offs, the BMW Championship, this week at the North Course of Olympia Fields Country Club outside of Chicago.

The scramble for positioning at East Lake Country Club, site of the PGA Tour Championship, began last week with Glover claiming the victory for the second consecutive week, one shot better than McIlroy.

Patrick Cantlay, edged out by Glover at the St Jude Championship in a play-off last Sunday in Memphis, will tee off one group ahead of McIlroy and Glover with Max Homa, who are scheduled to take the opening tee box at 3:54pm Irish time on Thursday.

Seamus Power will tee off with Lee Hodges at 5.05pm Irish time on Thursday.

Cantlay is the defending champion of the BMW Championship and currently stands fifth in the Cup standings with Homa at number six.

Only the top 50 in the FedEx Cup standings are still alive for the tour title.

Glover, 43, was number 112 in the play-off standings before wins at the Wyndham Championship and St Jude Championship lifted him all the way to number four, while McIlroy is third.

They tee off at 4.10pm, followed by Open Championship winner Brian Harman and Tommy Fleetwood.

Number one Jon Rahm and second-ranked Scottie Scheffler tee off together at 6:38pm, a group ahead of Rickie Fowler and Keegan Bradley (6:49pm).

The winner of the no-cut event takes home $3.6 million of an elevated $20million purse and 2,000 FedExCup points.

The top 30 in the FedEx Cup standings at the end of the final round Sunday advance to the Tour Championship.