Alex Noren, Taylor Pendrith thriving at BMW Championship as lesser-known players

CASTLE PINES — Alex Noren and Taylor Pendrith don’t have the name recognition of Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele or Rory McIlroy, but they are playing like stars at the BMW Championship.

Noren, from Sweden, enters the weekend 8-under par and in fourth place. Pendrith, of Canada, is in fifth at 7-under.

A 42-year-old from Stockholm, Noren has been a professional since 2005. He has played in 182 PGA Tour events, twice finishing runner-up.

Noren has never won on the PGA Tour, but he has won 10 times on the European Tour and once on the Challenge Tour. Noren has played in 19 PGA Tour events during the 2023-24 season, finishing in the top 10 three times.

Noren shot 68 (4-under par) on both Thursday and Friday. He logged seven birdies and three bogeys Friday.

“I hit the ball better today,” Noren said. “I hit a lot more fairways, hit the iron shots better, wedges better. Got some more chances. I'm happy.”

Noren entered the week No. 45 in the FedEx Cup standings and is now projected to be No. 23. The top 30 in the standings qualify for the Tour Championship, held next week at East Lake Golf Course in Atlanta.

“It's kind of a nice feeling. We don't usually have this in golf, and it can be a little bit more aggressive, and you've got only upside, sort of,” Noren said.

Pendrith, 33, has played professionally since 2014. He won twice on the PGA Tour Canada before earning his first PGA Tour win — at The Byron Nelson — in May.

Pendrith earned full-time status on the PGA Tour in the 2021-22 season and has played in 82 events since then. He entered the week No. 27 in the FedEx Cup standings.

After a very up-and-down round Thursday — five birdies, three bogeys and a double bogey — Pendrith shot 65 (7-under par) Friday. He made eight birdies and only one bogey in Round 2.

“(I) played really solid,” Pendrith said. “Drove it really good today, which is key out here. It's tough, especially a couple holes on the back nine. If you're in the rough it's tough to get at the pins. I played the back 9 really well.

“But I saw some putts go in today, which was nice and didn't really put myself in many awkward positions. Very pleased with the day.”

Pendrith is now projected at No. 20 in the FedEx Cup standings. With a good weekend, he should be safely in the field at the Tour Championship.

“It would be great,” Pendrith said. “It's the final tournament of the year with the 30 best players, so it would be a huge accomplishment for me, and it was a goal of mine kind of mid-year after I won and was in a really good spot.

“To be here obviously is great for next year, sets me up nicely, but I'm looking to have a good weekend and to go to Atlanta.”