The Charles Schwab Challenge will mark the return of the PGA Tour play, as Colonial Country Club, in Fort Worth, Texas, prepares to host next week’s event. The tournament dates back to 1946, when it was called the Colonial National Invitation. Winners do not receive a green jacket, like they do at the Masters, but instead they receive a Scottish tartan jacket to honor the origins of the sport. By the first tee there is a Wall of Champions, with each winner’s name and score. Former PGA great Ben Hogan won the tournament five times, which is why it has the nickname “Hogan’s Alley.” Check out the PGA betting odds for the contenders (+10000 odds or better) as well as some facts about the course and the tournament.
PGA: Charles Schwab Challenge Preview
Charles Schwab Challenge Contender Odds
- Rory McIlroy +750
- Jon Rahm +1000
- Justin Thomas +1400
- Bryson DeChambeau, Webb Simpson +2000
- Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson +2500
- Patrick Reed, Rickie Fowler, Sungjae Im, Xander Schauffele +2800
- Scottie Scheffler +3000
- Collin Morikawa, Gary Woodland, Jordan Spieth, Justin Rose, Marc Leishman, Tony Finau +4000
- Byeong Hun An, Kevin Na, Matthew Fitzpatrick, Shane Lowry, Viktor Hovland +5000
- Abraham Ancer, Brandt Snedeker, Daniel Berger, Jason Day, Joel Dahmen, Louis Oosthuizen, Ryan Palmer +6600
- Billy Horschel, Christian Bezuidenhout, Harris English, Joaquin Niemann, Kevin Kisner, Maverick McNealy, Max Homa, Sebastian Munoz +8000
- Adam Hadwin, Bubba Watson, Cameron Smith, Ian Poulter, Phil Mickelson, Rory Sabbatini, Russell Knox, Ryan Moore, Tom Hoge +10000
The field at the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial is about 120 players due to its invitational format. Invitees include the Champion’s Choice, in which former champions select two deserving players who would not otherwise be able to play. Some pros who got their first crack at a PGA Tour event through the Champion’s Choice include Davis Love III, Craig Stadler, Curtis Strange and Mark O’Meara. In 2003, Annika Sorenstam was a Champion’s Choice and posted a 71 and a 74 to miss the cut.
The course runs over 7,200 yards and plays at a par 70. The “Horrible Horseshoe” consists of the third, fourth and fifth holes, which form a horseshoe and are the most difficult part of the course.
Kevin Na returns as the defending champion, after posting a -13 (267) here in 2019. That gave him three PGA Tour victories, as he finished with a -4 66 to beat Tony Finau. His second round, a 62, was the most impressive, and it featured no bogeys. The key to winning at Colonial is accuracy, both coming off the tee and then through the fairway. The layout is tight, with the fairways lined with trees. Water comes into play on six holes, and many of the holes have doglegs. Fairway bunkers are common, and the greens are small. So your big hitters who need a bit of leeway will suffer here.
Justin Rose won the 2018 edition of this tournament, beating Brooks Koepka by three strokes. His final round -6 (64) gave him a -20 (260) for the week, and this was his ninth PGA Tour victory. He led the field in Strokes Gained Tee-to-Green (15.820), primarily thanks to his approach play. He gained 10.242 strokes through Approach-The-Green. He tied for sixth in driving accuracy and 17th in driving distance. He led the tournament in Greens in Regulation and came in 21st in Strokes Gained Putting.
Kevin Kisner won here in 2017, posting a -4 (66) in his last round to finish at -10 (270). This left him one stroke ahead of Jordan Spieth, Jon Rahm and Sean O’Hair. Kisner has also finished as the runner-up here six times, including four playoff losses. His short game and putting helped him get the win. He was second in the field in Strokes Gained Around-The-Green and third in Strokes Gained Putting, with a 9.818 combined. He tied for first in driving accuracy and came in second in Greens in Regulation.
