Patrick Cantlay aims for BMW Championship hat-trick as FedEx Cup heats up

The last player to win the same event three years in succession was Steve Stricker at the John Deere Classic (2009-11), while Tiger Woods did it at five different events and won two of them four years in succession.

Cantlay's task is made harder by the fact that each win would be at a different course, with his 2021 victory coming at Caves Valley and his title defence taking place at Wilmington Country Club.

This year the tournament returns to Olympia Fields in the suburbs of Chicago, where Jon Rahm holed from 65 feet for birdie to beat Dustin Johnson on the first hole of a play-off in 2020.

Nine of the world's top 10 will contest the second FedEx Cup play-off event and Rahm, Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy are all ahead of Cantlay in the betting.

"I dealt with it last year okay," Cantlay said of the change of venue. "I like the golf course up here.

"I like all the bentgrass golf courses, very traditional back-to-front greens. I think this golf course this week is excellent.

"I don't worry too much about being the defending champion or anything like that, just go out and do my best, fortunately this week on a golf course I really enjoy.

"You have to basically be on top of every part of your game, drive the ball in the fairway. It's a difficult golf course if I remember right. Winning score was barely under par.

Cantlay is not the only player in the field seeking a third straight win, with Lucas Glover bidding to follow his victories in the Wyndham Championship and FedEx St Jude Championship - where he beat Cantlay in a play-off - with another in Chicago.

The last player to win on three consecutive weeks on the PGA Tour was Woods in 2006 (PGA Championship, WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, Deutsche Bank Championship) and Glover's form has catapulted him into consideration for a Ryder Cup wild card.

Asked if he would share his opinion on the six wild cards available to US captain Zach Johnson, Cantlay added: "Yeah, if Zach asks me I'll definitely give him my unfiltered opinion.

"This go-around seems like it's maybe tougher than years past. There's a lot of horses for a limited amount of slots. It's going to be a tough pick for him, or tough set of picks.

"I trust him. He's going to do a great job and I have full confidence that he'll pick the best team possible and we'll go over there (Rome) and do a good job."

READ MORE: Viktor Hovland joins Europe's Ryder Cup team