2024 Charles Schwab Challenge Preview & Picks

Last week, Xander Schauffele clinched his first Major Championship at the PGA Championship, finally achieving victory after coming close in other events this season, including the Wells Fargo Championship and THE PLAYERS Championship. This triumph marks his eighth PGA Tour win.

Before we’ve even teed off, the storylines have already started…

Scottie Scheffler certainly has an interesting week in Lousiville. On Friday he was arrested which forced him to show up to his tee time just an hour before where he went out and shot a 66. On Saturday, he struggled posting a 73 which took him out of contention heading into the final round. he would make a charge on Sunday and end up finishing T8. This will be his fifth appearance at Colonial Country Club where he’s played well in the past few seasons. In 2022, he lost in a playoff to Sam Burns and last year he finished T3.

Collin Morikawa came up short in his quest for a third Major championship. He was tied with Xander at -15 going into Sunday but struggled with his putting, recording only one birdie in his final round. This will be his fifth time participating in this event, with his best finish in 2022, where he lost in a playoff to Daniel Berger.

Emiliano Grillo aims to defend his title at Colonial Country Club. Last year, he claimed his second PGA Tour victory after defeating Adam Schenk in a playoff. The two traded pars on the first playoff hole before Grillo secured the win with a birdie on the second extra hole, marking his first victory in seven years.

Jordan Spieth, who won this event in 2016 and has seven other top-10 finishes at Colonial Country Club, seeks to bounce back after finishing T43 at the PGA Championship last week. Although Spieth had a strong start to the season, he has missed the cut in two of his last five starts.

Tournament Information:

• Dates: May 23rd, 2024 – May 26th, 2024
• Location: Fort Worth, Texas, United States
• Course: Colonial Country Club
• Course Type: Classical
• Par: 70 (4x 3’s / 12x 4’s / 2x 5’s)
• Length: 7,289 yards (Average)
• Format: 72-hole stroke play
• Greens: 007XL bentgrass .100”
• Fairways: TifTuf 419 bermudagrass .425”
• Rough: TifTuf bermudagrass 2.5”
• Bunkers: 64
• Water Hazard(s): 4 (In-Play on 6 Holes)
• Average Green Size: 5,000 sq. ft. (Small)
• Stimpmeter: 12-13 ft. (Fast)
• Purse/ Winner: $9,100,000 / $1,638,000
• FedEx Cup Points: 500
• Field: 132 Players
• Cut: Top 65 and Ties – 36 Holes
• Playoff Format: Sudden Death (18, 16, 17, 18)
• Historic Cut Line:
  • 2023: +1
  • 2022: +1
  • 2021: -2
• Scoring Average:
  • 2023: 70.73 (+0.73), Rank 9 of 49
  • 2022: 70.72 (+0.72), Rank 11 of 50
  • 2021: 70.21 (+0.21), Rank 18 of 51

Course Architect:

• Course Architect: John Bredemus/Perry Maxwell (1936)
• Recent Renovations:
  • 1940: Perry Maxwell
  • 2008: Keith Foster
  • 2023: Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner

To learn more about the recent renovation completed, you can click the following link.

Comparable Courses & Greens:

• Comparable Courses:
  • Sedgefield Country Club – Wyndham Championship – RESULTS
  • Memorial Park Golf Course – Texas Children’s Houston Open – RESULTS
  • Harbour Town Golf Links – RBC Heritage – RESULTS
  • Innisbrook Resort (Copperhead Course) – Valspar Championship – RESULTS

• Designer Link (John Bredemus/Perry Maxwell (1936)):
  • Memorial Park Golf Course – John Bredemus (1936) – Texas Children’s Houston Open
  • Augusta National Golf Club – Perry Maxwell (1937 – Renovation) – Masters Tournament
  • Southern Hills Country Club – Perry Maxwell (1936) – PGA Championship 2022

• Comparable Location (Fort Worth, Texas):
  • TPC San Antonio (Oaks Course) – San Antonio, Texas – Valero Texas Open
  • TPC Craig Ranch – McKinney, Texas – THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson
  • Memorial Park Golf Course – Houston, Texas – Texas Children’s Houston Open

• Comparable Yardage (7,289 Yards):
  • TPC Scottsdale (Stadium) – 7,261 Yards – WM Phoenix Open
  • TPC Sawgrass (Stadium) – 7,275 Yards – THE PLAYERS Championship
  • TPC Deere Run – 7,289 Yards – John Deere Classic
  • The Renaissance Club – 7,293 Yards – Genesis Scottish Open
  • The Riviera Country Club – 7,322 Yards – The Genesis Invitational

• Comparable Greens (007XL bentgrass .100”):
  • Torrey Pines Golf Course (North Course) – Bentgrass .100” – Farmers Insurance Open
  • Augusta National Golf Club – Bentgrass .125” – Masters Tournament
  • TPC Craig Ranch – Bentgrass .100” – THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson
  • Colonial Country Club – A-4 bentgrass .100” – Charles Schwab Challenge
  • Muirfield Village Golf Club – Bentgrass .090” – the Memorial Tournament
  • TPC Deere Run – L-93 bentgrass .100” – John Deere Classic
  • Keene Trace Golf Club (Champions Course) – Bentgrass – Kentucky Championship
  • TPC Twin Cities – Bentgrass .110” – 3M Open
  • TPC Summerlin – Dominator bentgrass .125″ – Shriners Children’s Open
  • Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club – Bentgrass – ZOZO Championship

• Comparable Average Green Size (5,000 sq. ft.):
  • PGA WEST (Pete Dye Stadium Course) – 5,000 sq. ft. – The American Express
  • Torrey Pines Golf Course (South Course) – 5,000 sq. ft. – Farmers Insurance Open
  • Spyglass Hill Golf Course – 5,000 sq. ft. – AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am
  • Muirfield Village Golf Club – 5,000 sq. ft. – the Memorial Tournament
  • TPC River Highlands – 5,000 sq. ft. – Travelers Championship

TV Information (all times ET):

• Round 1: Thursday, May 23rd, 2024
  • ESPN+ – 8:15 AM – 4:00 PM
  • Golf Channel – 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM
• Round 2: Friday, May 24th, 2024
  • ESPN+ – 8:15 AM – 4:00 PM
  • Golf Channel – 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM
• Round 3: Saturday, May 25th, 2024
  • ESPN+ – 8:00 AM – 1:00 PM
  • Golf Channel – 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
  • CBS – 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM
• Round 4: Sunday, May 26th, 2024
  • ESPN+ – 8:00 AM – 1:00 PM
  • Golf Channel – 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM
  • CBS – 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM

Weather:

• Thursday: Thunderstorms 81 F, 14 mp/h SSE, 78% Humidity, 66% Chance of Rain
• Friday: Partly Cloudy 92 F, 15 mp/h S, 68% Humidity, 21% Chance of Rain
• Saturday: Partly Cloudy 92 F, 14 mp/h SSE, 68% Humidity, 24% Chance of Rain
• Sunday: Mostly Sunny 94 F, 14 mp/h S, 62% Humidity, 21% Chance of Rain

Course/ Tournament History:

Colonial Country Club, established in 1936, has a rich history in golf. It has hosted significant tournaments such as the U.S. Open in 1941, the U.S. Women’s Open in 1991, and the second edition of THE PLAYERS Championship in 1975. The club is closely associated with legendary golfer Ben Hogan, a Fort Worth resident who won the Colonial tournament five times, the most of any player, and considered it his home course.

The Colonial tournament, now known as the Charles Schwab Challenge, was founded in 1946, making it the longest-running non-major on the PGA Tour to be contested at the same course. The Charles Schwab Corporation has been the event’s title sponsor since 2019, with their current deal set to expire after this year’s event. Previous sponsors include Dean & Deluca (2016–2017), Crowne Plaza (2007–2015), Bank of America (2003–2006), MasterCard (1996–2002), and Southwestern Bell (1989–1994). The tournament had no title sponsor in 1995 and 2018.

Winners of the Charles Schwab Challenge receive a tartan plaid jacket, a tradition that started in 1952 to honor the club’s Scottish heritage. Another enduring tradition is the Wall of Champions on the first tee, which features the names and scores of each champion since 1946, along with winners of the 1975 Tournament Players Championship, 1941 U.S. Open, and 1991 U.S. Women’s Open.

The Charles Schwab Challenge is one of five PGA Tour tournaments granted “invitational” status, reducing the field to 120-132 players and offering a larger purse. The tournament also includes a unique tradition called the Champion’s Choice, where former champions select two deserving young players, otherwise ineligible, to compete. This year, Max Greyserman and Parker Coody are the Champion’s Choices. Parker’s brother, Pierceson Coody, was a Champion’s Choice last year and earned a sponsor invite for this year’s event. Five Champion’s Choices have gone on to win the Colonial, with Dave Stockton being the only one to do so in the year he was selected (1967).

Following last year’s tournament, Colonial Country Club underwent a comprehensive $20 million renovation, overseen by Gil Hanse. Originally scheduled for 2022, the project was delayed due to supply chain issues and began after the 2023 event. Hanse, who previously renovated Perry Maxwell’s Southern Hills and the Los Angeles Country Club for the 2022 U.S. Open, updated every aspect of the course infrastructure, including new irrigation systems, bunkers, tees, turf, and green complexes.

• Most Tournament Wins:
  • 5, Ben Hogan (1946, 1947, 1952, 1953, 1959)
• 72-Hole Record:
  • 259, Zach Johnson (2010)
• 18-Hole Record:
  • 61, Keith Clearwater (Round 2, 1993), Lee Janzen (Round 4, 1993), Greg Kraft (Round 3, 1999), Kenny Perry (Round 3, 2003), Justin Leonard (Round 4, 2003), Chad Campbell (Round 3, 2004), Kevin Na (Round 4, 2018)

Course Guide/ Scorecard:

Originally crafted by John Bredemus & Perry Maxwell in 1936, Colonial Country Club features a Par 70 layout, comprising four Par 3s, twelve Par 4s, and two Par 5s.

In terms of length, Colonial Country Club is one of the shorter courses on the Tour measuring 7,289 yards. It ranks 12th out of 44 courses in length. The fairways are on the narrower side, ranking 4th of 44, with the average fairway width being 27.5 yards. The average green size is roughly 5,000 square feet which is on the smaller side when compared to the other courses on the PGA Tour. Bunkers aren’t a factor here as there are only 64 which ranks as the 15th fewest of 44 courses.

The four Par 3’s range between 194 yards and 248 yards. In terms of stats, three of the Par 3’s range between 175-200 yards. In the last edition of this event, all of the Par 3’s had a scoring average over par.

No. 4, 247 Yards, Par 3: This is the longest of the par 3s. The elevated green is difficult to hold. This is the only par 3 that has not yielded a hole-in-one during the 62-year history of the tournament. Last year, this was the toughest par 3 with only 24 birdies compared to 87 bogeys.

There are twelve Par 4’s at Colonial Country Club with the majority (ten) of those holes ranging between 400 and 500 yards. No. 2 is the shortest Par 4 listed at 385 yards with the longest being No. 7, playing 480 yards. In terms of scoring average, the toughest Par 4 on the course last year was No. 5 (+0.25).

No. 3, 475 Yards, Par 4: This is the beginning of Colonial’s “Horrible Horseshoe” — the three most difficult holes on the golf course. The long dogleg left requires a perfectly placed tee shot around a large tree and bunkers. A long approach shot makes birdies rare.

No. 5, 476 Yards, Par 4: This is the hardest hole, and the most famous, at Colonial and the last of the “Horrible Horseshoe.” The tee shot must be precise — there’s a ditch to the left and a river on the right. Even a good tee shot leaves a long, narrow approach. Last year, this was the toughest hole on the course with a scoring average of 0.25 strokes over par.

There are only two Par 5’s at Colonial Country Club, No. 1 & No. 11. They both played under par in 2023, despite being some of the longer par 5’s on Tour. The easiest hole on the course last year was No. 1 with a scoring average of 4.625.

No. 1, 565 Yards, Par 5: Off the tee, players will try to aim up the right side of the hole to avoid the fairway bunkers along the left. If they’re able to do so, they’ll have a wedge in allowing them a chance at birdie. Last year, this was the easiest hole on the course with a scoring average of -0.375 under par.

No. 11, 635 Yards, Par 5: This is a narrow hole requiring a precise tee shot off the tee. Most players will not be able to reach the green in two. Instead, they’ll lay up around 125 leaving them a short shot in while avoiding the several fairway bunkers.

Featured/ Signature Hole(s): 3-5 “Horrible Horseshoe”

Key Statistics:

• Strokes Gained: Off the Tee
  • Success this week will hinge on players’ ability to position themselves effectively off the tee. While the course’s considerable length underscores the significance of distance, precision holds equal importance.
  • Leaders in this category in the last 24 Rounds:
    • Scottie Scheffler (+24.60 Total, +1.03 Per Round)
    • Keith Mitchell (+22.01 Total, +0.92 Per Round)
    • Alejandro Tosti (+19.76 Total, +0.82 Per Round)
    • Kevin Yu (+19.05 Total, +0.79 Per Round)
    • Jordan Spieth (+14.90 Total, +0.62 Per Round)
    • Maverick McNealy (+14.18 Total, +0.59 Per Round)
    • Collin Morikawa (+12.76 Total, +0.53 Per Round)
    • Min Woo Lee (+12.46 Total, +0.52 Per Round)
    • Austin Eckroat (+12.16 Total, +0.51 Per Round)
    • Jimmy Stanger (+11.42 Total, +0.48 Per Round)

• Strokes Gained: Approach
  • Each of the past six winners ranked 12th or better in SG: Approach amongst the field. Having a strong iron game will be important this week if players want to succeed.
  • Leaders in this category in the last 24 Rounds:
    • Scottie Scheffler (+29.88 Total, +1.24 Per Round)
    • Akshay Bhatia (+24.49 Total, +1.02 Per Round)
    • Ryan Moore (+22.20 Total, +0.93 Per Round)
    • Adam Svensson (+19.00 Total, +0.79 Per Round)
    • Tom Hoge (+18.22 Total, +0.76 Per Round)
    • Aaron Rai (+18.21 Total, +0.76 Per Round)
    • Si Woo Kim (+17.14 Total, +0.71 Per Round)
    • Tony Finau (+17.12 Total, +0.71 Per Round)
    • Keith Mitchell (+16.31 Total, +0.68 Per Round)
    • Lucas Glover (+16.31 Total, +0.68 Per Round)

• Strokes Gained: Putting (Bentgrass)
  • The green complexes at Colonial Country Club are 007XL bentgrass .100”. Each of the past five winners ranked 8th or better in SG: Putting amongst the field.
  • Leaders in this category in the last 24 Rounds:
    • Denny McCarthy (+25.77 Total, +1.07 Per Round)
    • J.T. Poston (+22.62 Total, +0.94 Per Round)
    • Maverick McNealy (+19.97 Total, +0.83 Per Round)
    • Harris English (+19.32 Total, +0.80 Per Round)
    • Dylan Wu (+19.13 Total, +0.80 Per Round)
    • Justin Rose (+18.74 Total, +0.78 Per Round)
    • Beau Hossler (+17.17 Total, +0.72 Per Round)
    • Max Homa (+16.93 Total, +0.71 Per Round)
    • Keegan Bradley (+16.74 Total, +0.70 Per Round)
    • Harry Hall (+14.73 Total, +0.61 Per Round)

• Driving Accuracy
  • Accuracy off the tee is crucial this week at Colonial Country Club. Four of the past six winners ranked 20th or better in Driving Accuracy amongst the field.
  • Leaders in this category this season:
    • Collin Morikawa (78.74%)
    • Sepp Straka (78.02%)
    • Si Woo Kim (75.87%)
    • Lucas Glover (74.92%)
    • J.T. Poston (74.18%)
    • Scottie Scheffler (74.08%)
    • Russell Henley (74.05%)
    • Aaron Rai (72.32%)
    • Grayson Murray (71.65%)
    • Daniel Berger (71.24%)

• Par 3 Scoring: 175-200 Yards (x3)
  • Three of the four Par 3’s at Colonial Country Club range between 175-200 Yards.
  • Leaders in this category in the last 24 Rounds:
    • Tyson Alexander (+13.94 Total, +0.58 Per Round)
    • Denny McCarthy (+8.89 Total, +0.37 Per Round)
    • J.T. Poston (+6.64 Total, +0.28 Per Round)
    • Akshay Bhatia (+6.42 Total, +0.27 Per Round)
    • Gary Woodland (+5.84 Total, +0.24 Per Round)
    • Greyson Sigg (+5.46 Total, +0.23 Per Round)
    • Parker Coody (+5.19 Total, +0.22 Per Round)
    • Billy Horschel (+5.16 Total, +0.22 Per Round)
    • Peter Malnati (+5.13 Total, +0.21 Per Round)
    • Patrick Rodgers (+4.78 Total, +0.20 Per Round)

• Par 4 Scoring: 400-450 Yards (x5) / 450-500 Yards (x5)
  • Five of the twelve Par 4’s at Colonial Country Club range between 400-450 Yards & 450-500 Yards.
  • Leaders in Par 4 Scoring 400-450 Yards in the last 24 Rounds:
    • Brian Harman (+13.00 Total, +0.54 Per Round)
    • Akshay Bhatia (+12.76 Total, +0.53 Per Round)
    • Matt Kuchar (+12.44 Total, +0.52 Per Round)
    • Grayson Murray (+12.05 Total, +0.50 Per Round)
    • Scottie Scheffler (+11.29 Total, +0.47 Per Round)
    • Andrew Putnam (+10.08 Total, +0.42 Per Round)
    • Lucas Glover (+10.02 Total, +0.42 Per Round)
    • J.T. Poston (+9.90 Total, +0.41 Per Round)
    • Ryo Hisatsune (+9.31 Total, +0.39 Per Round)
    • Matti Schmid (+9.17 Total, +0.38 Per Round)

• Leaders in Par 4 Scoring 450-500 Yards in the last 24 Rounds:
  • Scottie Scheffler (+19.87 Total, +0.83 Per Round)
  • Tom Hoge (+13.94 Total, +0.58 Per Round)
  • Webb Simpson (+13.46 Total, +0.56 Per Round)
  • Ben Kohles (+13.33 Total, +0.56 Per Round)
  • Billy Horschel (+12.46 Total, +0.52 Per Round)
  • Mark Hubbard (+12.44 Total, +0.52 Per Round)
  • Lucas Glover (+11.51 Total, +0.48 Per Round)
  • Sepp Straka (+10.40 Total, +0.43 Per Round)
  • Chris Kirk (+10.36 Total, +0.43 Per Round)
  • Collin Morikawa (+10.23 Total, +0.43 Per Round)

• Proximity Gained: 125-150 & 125-175 Yards
  • Below is the approach shot distribution chart from last year’s event (via DataGolf). Most approach shots come from the 125-150 & 125-175 yard range at a volume much higher than the PGA Tour average.

• Leaders in Proximity Gained: 125-150 Yards in the last 24 Rounds:
  • Tom Hoge (+274.12 Total, +11.42 Per Round)
  • Pierceson Coody (+268.03 Total, +11.17 Per Round)
  • Chan Kim (+222.05 Total, +9.25 Per Round)
  • Eric Cole (+208.82 Total, +8.70 Per Round)
  • Lucas Glover (+197.10 Total, +8.21 Per Round)
  • J.T. Poston (+194.55 Total, +8.11 Per Round)
  • Ryan Moore (+175.80 Total, +7.33 Per Round)
  • Garrick Higgo (+173.39 Total, +7.22 Per Round)
  • Troy Merritt (+162.15 Total, +6.76 Per Round)
  • Scottie Scheffler (+154.55 Total, +6.44 Per Round)

• Leaders in Proximity Gained: 150-175 Yards in the last 24 Rounds:
  • Scottie Scheffler (+391.94 Total, +16.33 Per Round)
  • Daniel Berger (+326.08 Total, +13.59 Per Round)
  • Keith Mitchell (+316.07 Total, +13.17 Per Round)
  • Adam Schenk (+308.77 Total, +12.87 Per Round)
  • Sepp Straka (+290.93 Total, +12.12 Per Round)
  • Keegan Bradley (+272.82 Total, +11.37 Per Round)
  • David Skinns (+246.95 Total, +10.29 Per Round)
  • Justin Lower (+232.58 Total, +9.69 Per Round)
  • Tom Whitney (+220.02 Total, +9.17 Per Round)
  • Rickie Fowler (+213.35 Total, +8.89 Per Round)

• Bogey Avoidance Gained
  • Valhalla Golf Club ranks among the most challenging courses on the PGA Tour. Patience will be key this week as players navigate the layout and capitalize on limited scoring chances. Throughout the event, players must strive to minimize any black numbers scores on their cards.
  • Leaders in this category in the last 24 Rounds:
    • Scottie Scheffler (+29.92 Total, +1.25 Per Round)
    • Denny McCarthy (+22.70 Total, +0.95 Per Round)
    • Christiaan Bezuidenhout (+17.26 Total, +0.72 Per Round)
    • Aaron Rai (+15.78 Total, +0.66 Per Round)
    • Greyson Sigg (+14.57 Total, +0.61 Per Round)
    • Kevin Tway (+14.20 Total, +0.59 Per Round)
    • Martin Laird (+13.99 Total, +0.58 Per Round)
    • Billy Horschel (+13.13 Total, +0.55 Per Round)
    • Sepp Straka (+12.96 Total, +0.54 Per Round)
    • Keith Mitchell (+12.18 Total, +0.51 Per Round)

• Comparable Courses and Event History
  • Looking at the Data Golf Course History Tool, prior experience at the Colonial Country Club has proven to be advantageous.

• Leaders in this category in the last (Multiple Events Played):
  • Jordan Spieth (11 Events – 67.95 Scoring Average per Round)
  • Justin Rose (10 Events – 68.71 Scoring Average per Round)
  • Matt Kuchar (13 Events – 68.83 Scoring Average per Round)
  • Tony Finau (8 Events – 68.87 Scoring Average per Round)
  • Collin Morikawa (4 Events – 68.88 Scoring Average per Round)
  • Harris English (8 Events – 69.00 Scoring Average per Round)
  • Scottie Scheffler (4 Events – 69.00 Scoring Average per Round)
  • Zach Johnson (18 Events – 69.06 Scoring Average per Round)
  • Daniel Berger (5 Events – 69.22 Scoring Average per Round)
  • Ben Silverman (2 Events – 69.25 Scoring Average per Round)

The Field:

This year’s Charles Schwab Challenge will feature a total of 132 competitors.

Here is the current basis of qualification for each entrant this week:

• Colonial winners prior to 2000 and in the last five years
• Colonial Winners in top 150 of prior year FedEx Cup points list
• The Players Championship and major championship winners in the last five years
• The Tour Championship and World Golf Championships winners in the past three years
• Arnold Palmer Invitational and Memorial winners in the past three years
• PGA Tour tournament winners since the last Colonial tournament
• Playing members on the last named U.S. Ryder Cup team
• Current PGA Tour members who were playing members on the last named European Ryder Cup team, U.S. Presidents Cup team, and International President’s Cup team
• Two players to be selected by the current and former champions of the Colonial tournament (Champions Choices)
• Top 15 finishers and ties from previous year’s Colonial Tournament
• 12 sponsors exemptions — 2 from among graduates of Web.com Tour finals, 6 members not otherwise exempt, and 4 unrestricted
• Top 50 Official World Golf Ranking through the Masters
• Top 80 from prior year’s FedEx Cup points list
• Members in the top 125 non-member category whose non-WGC points for the previous season equal or exceed the points earned by the player finishing in 80th position on the prior year FedEx Cup points list
• Top 80 from current year’s FedEx Cup points list through the tournament two weeks prior
• Any remaining positions are filled from current year’s FedEx Cup points list

• Previous Winners in the Field (Event):
  • Emiliano Grillo (’23), Daniel Berger (’20), Justin Rose (’18), Kevin Kisner (’17), Jordan Spieth (’16), Chris Kirk (’15), Adam Scott (’14), Zach Johnson (’12, ’10), Rory Sabbatini (’07)

• Debutants in the Field (Event):
  • Alejandro Tosti, Carl Yuan, Chan Kim, Chandler Phillips, Christopher Gotterup, David Skinns, Davis Thompson, Erik Barnes, Hayden Springer, Jacob Bridgeman, Jimmy Stanger, Joe Highsmith, Jorge Campillo, Kevin Yu, Mac Meissner, Matthias Schmid, Max Greyserman, Nicolai Hojgaard, Nicolas Echavarria, Parker Coody, Patrick Fishburn, Rafael Campos, Robert MacIntyre, Ryan McCormick, Ryo Hisatsune, Sami Valimaki, Thorbjorn Olesen, Tom Kim, Tom Whitney

• Players with Texas ties in the Field:
  • Birthplace:
    • Taylor Moore – San Angelo, Texas
    • Pierceson Coody – Plano, Texas
    • Parker Coody – Plano, Texas
    • Jordan Spieth – Dallas, Texas
    • Ryan Palmer – Amarillo, Texas
    • Ben Kohles – Dallas, Texas
    • Chandler Phillips – Huntsville, Texas
  • College:
    • Beau Hossler – Texas
    • Pierceson Coody – Texas
    • Parker Coody – Texas
    • Jimmy Walker – Baylor
    • Mac Meissner – SMU
    • Hayden Springer – Texas Tech
    • Doug Ghim – Texas
    • Jordan Spieth – Texas
    • Scottie Scheffler – Texas
    • Tom Hoge – TCU
    • Ryan Palmer – Texas A&M
    • Erik Barnes – Austin Peay
    • Chandler Phillips – Texas A&M
    • Austin Smotherman – SMU

• Notable Withdraws/ Changes:
  • WD: Nick Dunlap -> IN: Ryan Fox
  • WD: Stephan Jaeger -> IN: Jorge Campillo
  • WD: Olin Browne (field size reduced to 132)
  • WD: Viktor Hovland -> IN: Wesley Bryan

To see the full field for this event and how they qualified, you can click the following link.

The Odds:

Here are the current favorites in this week’s event and a summary of their recent form and course history.

Scottie Scheffler (+275) finished T8 at the PGA Championship last week. Prior to that, he had won four of his last five starts, including his second Major Championship at Augusta National. This week marks his fifth appearance at Colonial Country Club. In his last two visits, he lost in a playoff to Sam Burns in 2022 and finished T3 in 2023.

Collin Morikawa (+1200) has been on an impressive run, finishing inside the top 20 in four of his last five starts. Last week at Valhalla Golf Club, he finished T4 after being tied for the lead after 54 holes. This will be his fifth appearance at Colonial Country Club. His best finish here was in his debut, where he lost in a playoff to Daniel Berger. He subsequently finished T14 in 2021, T40 in 2022, and T29 in 2023.

Jordan Spieth (+2000) has struggled this season, with only three top-10 finishes in thirteen starts. He has missed the cut in two of his last five starts and is coming off a T43 finish at the PGA Championship last week. Despite his recent form, Spieth has a strong history at Colonial Country Club, winning the event in 2016 and finishing inside the top 10 in eight of his eleven prior visits. However, he missed the cut at this tournament last year.

Max Homa (+2200) will make his sixth appearance at Colonial Country Club this week. After struggling in his first few starts and missing the cut in two of his first three trips, he has performed much better recently, finishing T23 in 2022 and T9 in 2023. While he has not won an event this season, Homa has played well, with six top-20 finishes in his eleven starts. Last week at the PGA Championship, he finished T35.

Tony Finau (+2800) will make his ninth appearance at Colonial Country Club this week. His best finish here was in 2019 when he was the runner-up. Besides 2019, he has finished inside the top 25 four other times at this venue.

To see the most up-to-date odds, you can click the following link.

Projected Final Score:

• 72 Hole Winning Score: 267.5 / -12.5 (Over -110 / Under -110)

The winning score of the last two Charles Schwab Challenges has been above 267.5. However, before that, the winning score was below 267.5 from 2021-2018 (4 Editions).

To place a bet at Superbook on the Projected Final Score of the Winner, you can click the following link.

Playoff Props:

• Will There Be A Playoff? (Yes +350 / No -500)

Three of the last four editions of the Charles Schwab Challenge have ended in a playoff. In 2023, Emiliano Grillo defeated Adam Schenk and in the year prior, Sam Burns defeated Scottie Scheffler. In 2020, Daniel Berger defeated Collin Morikawa.

To place a bet at DraftKings on the Playoff Prop, you can click the following link.

Hole-in-One:

• Will There Be A Hole-in-One? (Yes +110/ No -150)

Last year, there were two holes-in-one, both on No. 8.

To place a bet at DraftKings on the Hole-in-One Prop, you can click the following link.

Recent Horses for Courses:

Recent Donkeys for Courses:

Previous Winners Scores, Prices, and Strokes Gained (Rank at Tournament):

• 2023: Emiliano Grillo (-8)
  • Price: 80-1

• 2022: Sam Burns (-9)
  • Price: 30-1

• 2021: Jason Kokrak (-14)
  • Price: 60-1

• 2020: Daniel Berger (-15)
  • Price: 70-1

• 2019: Kevin Na (-13)
  • Price: 70-1

Previous Winners Incoming Form (Last 5 Starts):

• 2023: Emiliano Grillo
  • MC – PGA Championship (MAJ)
  • T23 – Wells Fargo Championship (PGA)
  • T5 – Mexico Open (PGA)
  • T7 – RBC Heritage (PGA)
  • T53 – Valero Texas Open

• 2022: Sam Burns
  • T20 – PGA Championship (MAJ)
  • MC – AT&T Byron Nelson (PGA)
  • 2 – Zurich Classic (PGA)
  • MC – The Masters (MAJ)
  • WON – Valspar Championship (PGA)

• 2021: Jason Kokrak
  • T49 – PGA Championship (MAJ)
  • T13 – Valspar Championship (PGA)
  • T21 – Zurich Classic of New Orleans (PGA)
  • 49 – The Masters (MAJ)
  • T42 – WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play (PGA)

• 2020: Daniel Berger
  • T4 – The Honda Classic (PGA)
  • T5 – AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am (PGA)
  • T9 – Waste Management Phoenix Open (PGA)
  • T29 – The American Express (PGA)
  • T38 – Sony Open in Hawaii (PGA)

• 2019: Kevin Na
  • MC – PGA Championship (MAJ)
  • T35 – AT&T Byron Nelson (PGA)
  • T10 – RBC Heritage (PGA)
  • T46 – The Masters (MAJ)
  • T5 – WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play (PGA)

Previous Winners Finishes at Event:

2023: Emiliano Grillo

2022: Sam Burns

2021: Jason Kokrak

2020: Daniel Berger

2019: Kevin Na

Picks (Outrights):

• Christiaan Bezuidenhout (+5000) – BetMGM
  • Risk 0.16 to win 8.00 Units

• Keegan Bradley (+5500) – BetMGM
• Risk 0.15 to win 8.25 Units

• Austin Eckroat (+5500) – BetMGM
  • Risk 0.15 to win 8.25 Units

• Thomas Detry (+5500) – BetMGM
  • Risk 0.15 to win 8.25 Units

• Lucas Glover (+6600) – BetMGM
  • Risk 0.13 to win 8.58 Units

• Justin Rose (+6600) – BetMGM
  • Risk 0.13 to win 8.58 Units

• Maverick McNealy (+6600) – BetMGM
  • Risk 0.13 to win 8.58 Units

• Aaron Rai (+7000) – FanDuel
  • Risk 0.12 to win 8.40 Units

Total Risk on Outrights: 1.11 Units

Picks (Top 20):

• Harris English (+140) – BetMGM
  • Risk 1.00 to win 1.40 Units

• Sepp Straka (+175) – BetMGM
  • Risk 1.00 to win 1.75 Units

Total Risk on Top 20s: 2.00 Units

Picks (Top 40):

• Lee Hodges (+120) – BetMGM
  • Risk 1.00 to win 1.20 Units

• Peter Malnati (+250) – BetMGM
  • Risk 1.00 to win 2.50 Units

Total Risk on Top 40s: 2.00 Units

As always, all of my placement bets are through BetMGM as they’re one of the only books without dead-heat rules. If you’d like to bet these placements at BetMGM, you can get up to $1500 in Bonus Bets if you don’t win if you’re a first-time user. Must Be 21+. Gambling Problem? Call or Text 1-800-GAMBLER.

Here’s my link to sign up at BetMGM!

Total Risk on the Charles Schwab Challenge: 5.11 Units 

Best of luck, and as always you can find me on Twitter @GatorBetting and Instagram @Gator_Sports_Betting. Any feedback whether positive or negative is always en