If there’s one thing PGA Tour golfers have commented on the most, aside from the FedEx Cup chase and the looming Ryder Cup, it’s how different Caves Valley Golf Club is from four years ago.

The last time the BMW Championship was played here, Patrick Cantlay and Bryson DeChambeau tied atop the leaderboard with a staggeringly low score of 27 under par. They needed six playoff holes on a sweltering Sunday for Cantlay to claim the title.

This time, the field of 50 players in the second leg of the FedEx Cup playoffs is expecting a much tougher test.

“I promise -27 is not going to be the winner’s score this year haha,” Michael Kim posted on X.

During the summer of 2023, the course underwent an extensive renovation under the guidance of original architect Tom Fazio.

In 2021, a common issue with the grass troubled golfers: It was too wet. More water on the course meant that balls could get embedded in the fairway or rough, and the ball rolled less on putts. Wet conditions also make it easier to hunt for the flag on approach shots.

As part of the renovation, every green complex was torn up and rebuilt, and a new, more heat-resistant strain of bentgrass was planted in the hopes it would better stand up to the sticky mid-Atlantic heat. A new drainage system was installed belowground, all in the hope of promoting firmer and faster conditions.

On top of that, a handful of holes were lengthened or altered, and two holes (Nos. 2 and 12) that played as par-5s in 2021 now play as lengthy par-4s.

All told, a course that was 7,542 yards and played as a par-72 four years ago now measures 7,601 yards and plays as a par-70.

“They definitely made it significantly harder, so should be a good challenge for us this week,” world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler said.

Rory McIlroy said he could tell the difference.

“The whole golf course is a little drier than it was last time. Definitely think it will provide a lot more of a challenge this time around,” he said. “Yeah, it’s good. It’s a good setup. The greens have got a bit of firmness to them. You’ve got to put the ball in play.”

The changes are noticeable right at the start. Hole No. 1, which previously played as a 365-yard par-4, has been stretched out to 481 yards.

As a result, the tee box on No. 2 was shifted and the hole was shortened 70 yards. But now it’s a brutish 525-yard par-4. The fifth, 11th and 17th holes were also altered to bring hazards into play.

Although the layout of the course changed, there’s one element the players expect will not: the crowds.

McIlroy remembers the 2021 edition as one of the first events with a big crowd after the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It was really cool to play in that atmosphere,” he said. “I guess they’re anticipating really big crowds this week, and that will be cool to play in front of.”