Charles Schwab Challenge Preview and Picks

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🏆 Charles Schwab Challenge Field

The Charles Schwab Challenge brings together an impressive lineup featuring 51 of the top 100 and 20 of the top 50 players in the latest Official World Rankings. Leading the charge is world #1 Scottie Scheffler, joined by #7 Hideki Matsuyama as the only other top-10 player in the field.

Notable contenders include Maverick McNealy (#11), Tommy Fleetwood (#14), Harris English (#17), and Robert MacIntyre (#23). The field strength shows a slight dip compared to last year, which featured 23 top-50 players versus this year's 20.

When looking at the 2025 FedEx point standings, the tournament boasts 12 of the top 25 players, including points leader Scottie Scheffler. Other FedEx standouts include Andrew Novak (#5), Harris English (#10), and Maverick McNealy (#12).

Six past champions return to Colonial Country Club this week: defending champion Davis Riley (2024), Emiliano Grillo (2023), Daniel Berger (2020), Kevin Kisner (2017), Jordan Spieth (2016), and Chris Kirk (2015). Spieth, a Texas native and crowd favorite, will be looking to recapture the magic that earned him the iconic plaid jacket in 2016.

📊 Data-Driven Insights for Fantasy & Betting

If you’re serious about making the best picks this week, our GolfStats tools have you covered.

• Our Performance Chart ranks players by their average finish of all players in the Charles Schwab, helping you identify those who consistently contend.

• Our GolfStats Custom Formula highlights the best performers at this event over the last five years, factoring in course history and key stats.

• Our Sortable 8-Year Glance lets you track trends, breakout performances, and potential sleepers at the Charles Schwab.

These tools are invaluable whether you’re betting, setting a DFS lineup, or simply looking for an edge in your fantasy league. Check out the full blog post for DK fantasy advice.

⛳ PGA Championship Recap

The PGA Championship delivered several compelling storylines, from Scottie Scheffler's resilient victory to Rory McIlroy's surprising struggles at a course where he's historically excelled. However, the most significant talking point emerged off the fairways.

Quail Hollow, despite its reputation as one of the world's premier courses, failed to generate the expected championship atmosphere. Much of this can be attributed to the Charlotte area receiving five feet of rain in the days leading up to the tournament, dramatically altering playing conditions. This situation highlighted a growing concern about the PGA Championship's move from August to May in 2019.

The change in scheduling has created a pattern where courses now play lush and wet rather than firm and fast – conditions traditionally associated with major championships. The PGA of America's decision not to allow preferred lies despite the muddy conditions sparked controversy among players. This stance on maintaining the game's integrity by not permitting lift, clean, and place (except once in the 2016 PGA at Baltusrol) became particularly problematic at Quail Hollow, where players contended with mud-caked balls throughout the week.

LIV Golf Ready for Major Tournament Play?

Questions are also now emerging about whether LIV Golf is adequately preparing its players for major championship conditions. With LIV courses generally playing easier and set up less demandingly than major venues, players like Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm showed signs of struggle at crucial moments. DeChambeau faltered over the weekend at both the Masters and PGA Championship, while Rahm stumbled in the closing holes to lose his chance at victory. Even Brooks Koepka, a PGA Championship winner two years ago, has struggled since joining LIV.

Rory McIlroy

Rory McIlroy's performance proved particularly disappointing. Despite his stellar record at Quail Hollow and strong form entering the tournament, McIlroy managed just two birdies in his opening round en route to a 74. His driving accuracy was abysmal, hitting only 4 of 14 fairways in the first round and just 26 of 56 for the week (ranking 68th out of 74 players). His approach play wasn't much better, hitting only 37 of 72 greens (T-60th).

Adding to the intrigue, reports emerged that the USGA had deemed McIlroy's driver non-conforming earlier in the week, forcing him to scramble for a replacement. While this might explain some of his struggles, Scottie Scheffler faced the same issue yet still captured the trophy.

Scottie Scheffler

Speaking of Scheffler, his victory further cemented his position atop the Official World Golf Rankings. After Rory's wins at Pebble Beach and The Players had narrowed the gap, Scheffler's triumphs at the Byron Nelson and PGA Championship have now created significant separation. While McIlroy remains in the Player of the Year conversation thanks to his early-season victories, Scheffler appears poised to overtake him as the season progresses.

Comparisons to Tiger Woods are becoming increasingly valid as Scheffler continues his remarkable run. Unlike Tiger, who made golf his singular focus, Scheffler maintains a healthier balance between his professional ambitions and personal life. His consistency from the first hole to the last stands in contrast to Tiger's flair for dramatic moments. This was evident in the final round at Quail Hollow when Scheffler, after squandering a five-shot lead on the front nine, calmly played the next six holes in three-under to rebuild his advantage and cruise to victory.

Things You Need to Know About The Charles Schwab Challenge and Colonial

The Charles Schwab Challenge celebrates its 78th year in 2025, making it one of the PGA Tour's most storied events. While not the oldest tournament in terms of longevity, Colonial Country Club holds the distinction of being the second-longest continuously used venue for a PGA Tour event, behind only Augusta National. It also stands as the only American course to have hosted the U.S. Open (1941), The Players Championship (1975), and the U.S. Women's Open (1991).

The tournament's origins trace back to 1946 when John Marvin Leonard, a Fort Worth businessman who built Colonial, wanted to showcase his course to the world's best golfers after the USGA declined to make it a regular U.S. Open venue. The event gained immediate prestige when Ben Hogan won its first two iterations, beginning a special relationship between the legendary golfer and the course that would eventually earn it the nickname "Hogan's Alley."

Hogan's connection to Colonial ran deeper than his five tournament victories there. In the early 1930s, Leonard provided financial backing to a struggling young Hogan as he attempted to establish himself on tour. Years later, Hogan returned the favor by offering Leonard a 50% stake in his golf equipment company, which proved highly profitable when sold to AMF in 1960.

Colonial itself was born from Leonard's passion for golf course conditions. Frustrated by the bumpy Bermuda grass greens common in Texas, Leonard attempted to convince his club, Rivercrest, to switch to bentgrass. When challenged to "build his own course" if he felt so strongly, Leonard did exactly that, acquiring 157 acres in Southwest Fort Worth in 1934. The course opened in 1936 and quickly gained recognition as one of America's finest layouts.

The tournament's champion roster reads like a who's who of golf history. Of the 62 different winners in 76 years, 30 have claimed major championships, and 16 are World Golf Hall of Fame members. Nearly every great shotmaker of the past eight decades has conquered Colonial, including Jack Nicklaus, Sam Snead, Arnold Palmer, Lee Trevino, Tom Watson, Phil Mickelson, and Jordan Spieth – with Tiger Woods being a notable exception.

The event faced uncertainty when title sponsor Dean & Deluca withdrew prematurely, but Charles Schwab stepped in for 2018 and has committed through 2026, securing the tournament's future.

Colonial Country Club plays as a 7,289-yard par 70 (35-35) with a course rating of 75.1 and slope of 138. The layout features Bermuda grass tees, fairways and rough, with bentgrass greens. Originally designed by John Bredemus with later refinements by Perry Maxwell, the course underwent significant renovations in 2000, including rebuilding all greens with A-4 bentgrass and redesigning all 84 bunkers.

Most recently, immediately following Emiliano Grillo's victory in 2023, Gil Hansen completely renovated the course – rebuilding and reseeding all fairways and greens in a remarkably compressed timeframe. This year's tournament will showcase these changes for the first time.

One of Colonial's defining characteristics is its collection of dogleg holes that force players to strategically position tee shots rather than simply bombing drivers. However, the course's inability to expand due to geographical constraints (bordered by the Trinity River and residential areas) has made it increasingly vulnerable to modern technology. Pre-1996, winning scores typically ranged from 7-10 under par, but since 1997, double-digit under-par totals have become the norm, with only two exceptions (1999 and 2014).

Key Stats for Success at Colonial

Colonial Country Club presents a unique challenge on the PGA Tour as a course that can't be overpowered. With its collection of dogleg holes, strategic bunkering, and recent Gil Hanse renovation, Colonial rewards precision over power. The course's scoring difficulty varies dramatically with weather conditions – when dry and windy, it plays as one of the tour's toughest tests, but softer conditions with calm winds can yield birdie opportunities.

Driving Accuracy is paramount at Colonial, where finding fairways matters more than distance. The course ranked 13th in driving accuracy last year, with narrow corridors and strategically placed bunkers punishing wayward tee shots. While recent winners like Davis Riley (T-38th in accuracy) and Sam Burns (T-38th) weren't necessarily the straightest drivers, they positioned themselves well on Colonial's demanding doglegs. The course's design forces players to throttle back, often taking driver out of their hands and equalizing the field by having both long and short hitters playing from similar positions.

Greens in Regulation has proven to be perhaps the most critical stat at Colonial. Over the past eight years, every winner has finished in the top eight in GIR, with five winners in the past 27 years leading the field in this category. Last year, Colonial ranked 6th out of 50 courses in difficulty for hitting greens, with the field averaging just 56.75% GIR. Davis Riley hit 49 of 72 greens (68.06%) to rank T-3rd in the field. The 2023 winner Emiliano Grillo hit 47 of 72 greens (70.83%) to finish T-8th, while 2019 winner Kevin Na led the field by hitting 77.78% of greens. Colonial's small, firm greens and strategic bunkering make approach play precision essential.

Par Breakers separate contenders from the field at Colonial, despite its reputation as a challenging venue. Last year, the course ranked 3rd in birdie average and tied for 2nd in eagles. Davis Riley led the field with 21 birdies and topped the Par Breakers category with 29.17% of holes played under par. This pattern is consistent across recent winners – Sam Burns (2022), Jason Kokrak (2021), and Daniel Berger (2020) all ranked either first or second in Par Breakers during their victories. The ability to capitalize on scoring opportunities, particularly on Colonial's par 5s and shorter par 4s, is crucial for success.

Strokes Gained Putting rounds out the essential skills needed at Colonial, where the bentgrass greens demand touch and precision. Last year's winner Davis Riley ranked 4th in Strokes Gained Putting, gaining 1.479 strokes on the field. He was particularly exceptional inside ten feet, making 66 of 67 putts in that range. The 2023 champion Emiliano Grillo ranked 2nd in Strokes Gained Putting with an impressive 7.439 strokes gained. Colonial's greens, recently renovated to reflect their original 1930s design, feature subtle breaks and firm conditions that reward players with exceptional touch on the greens.

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