CARMEL, Ind. — After missing the cut in two of his last three PGA Tour events, William McGirt enters the BMW Championship with work to do if he hopes to advance to the season-ending Tour Championship for the first time in his career.

The Fairmont native dropped eight spots in the FedEx Cup standings to 26th after a missed cut last week at the Deutsche Bank Championship, putting him in a precarious position just inside the top 30 players.

Crooked Stick Golf Club in Indiana plays host to the third leg of the playoffs this season, with the top 30 in the standings at the event’s end securing a spot at East Lake in two weeks and all four majors in 2017.

McGirt needs a finish inside the top 47 to ensure a spot in the last event of the season. He finished in a tie for 49th last season in the BMW Championship, placed 65th in 2014 and 68th in 2012.

McGirt, grouped with Bubba Watson and Matt Kuchar, tees off at 1:09 p.m. from the opening hole on Thursday. The trio will start at 10:47 a.m. on Friday. Crooked Stick will play as a 7,516-yard, par-72 course this week, with no cut after 36 holes.

Jason Day is the defending champion of the event. Rory McIlroy, winner of last week’s Deutsche Bank Championship, won the BMW Championship the last time it was played at Crooked Stick in 2012.

U.S. Ryder Cup hopefuls also have another opportunity to impress captain Davis Love III, who names three of his four captain picks after the tournament. He’ll round out the 12-man lineup with one more pick in Atlanta.

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By Rodd Baxley

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Rodd Baxley can be reached at 910-416-5182. Follow him on Twitter @RoddBaxley.