Jordan Spieth has one win and three runner-ups at Colonial Country Club during his PGA Tour career.
The first PGA Tour event after the year’s second major is setting up to be a dandy, as the circuit heads to Fort Worth, Texas, and Hogan’s Alley for the Charles Schwab Challenge.
Played at the historic par-70, 7,209-yard Colonial Country Club, this week’s tournament features a stacked field, including the world’s No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler, who is coming off at tie for second at the PGA Championship last week at Oak Hill.
Scheffler is the favorite at Colonial by a large margin, and it makes sense, as the former University of Texas standout finished second last year in this tournament to Sam Burns in a playoff. Scheffler already has two wins this year – the WM Phoenix Open and The Players Championship – to go along with his second-place finish at the PGA Championship.
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Scheffler reclaimed his top spot in the Official World Golf Rankings with that finish, leapfrogging Jon Rahm.
But don’t give Scheffler the Royal Tartan Plaid jacket or the vintage 1973 Ford Bronco – prizes for winning the Charles Schwab Challenge – just yet. Burns, who won three times last year and has four top-10 finishes this season, will be looking to become just the second player to win this tournament in consecutive years. Ben Hogan is the only one to do it. And he did it twice.
Burns, however, has gone back-to-back in his career, winning the Valspar Championship in 2021 and 2022. Burns is currently +3000 to win this weekend, according to FanDuel.
Golf’s darling, PGA professional Michael Block, who stole the show at the PGA Championship last weekend with his T15 finish, which included a hole-in-one on Sunday, will be teeing it up this week in Fort Worth, earning a sponsor’s exemption to the event.
Block is a super long shot to win, sitting at +50000, but after last week at Oak Hill, who isn’t rooting for this guy?
FrontPageBets takes a look at golfers to watch during the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial.
(All odds courtesy of FanDuel and are subject to change)
Pick to win: Tommy Fleetwood (+3000)
Sure, with Scheffler in any event, it’s hard to not take the favorite. However, Tommy Fleetwood has been solid this season and is just waiting to break through.
The 32-year-old Englishman has never won on the PGA Tour, but has the game to do so anytime.
In 12 starts this season, Fleetwood has made 11 cuts and scored six top-25 and three top-10 finishes, including T3 at the Valspar Championship in March and T5 at the Wells Fargo Championship earlier this month.
He’s currently in ninth on Tour in total strokes gained (1.759) and in strokes gained tee-to-green (1.427).
Fleetwood finished in a tie for 18th in the PGA Championship.
Top-5 finish: Jordan Spieth (+320)
Jordan Spieth has struggled this season, but returning to his native Texas at a course he’s played extremely well during his career could be what he needs to get back on track.
Spieth won the Charles Schwab Challenge in 2016 and has finished second three times. In 10 starts at Colonial, he’s made every cut and finished in the top-10 eight times. His worst finish at the course is 32nd, which was in 2018 when it was the Fort Worth Invitational.
In 14 starts this season, Spieth has five top-5 finishes, including second at the RBC Heritage and T3 at the Valspar.
Top-10 pick: Justin Rose (+320)
Justin Rose already has one win this season, taking home the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am title in early February. The 42-year-old Englishman also has two top-20 finishes in both majors, coming in at T16 at the Masters and T9 at the PGA Championship.
In 13 events this season, Rose has seven top-25s, including four top-10s. He’s 14th on Tour in total strokes gained (1.305).
Rose has played PGA Tour events at Colonial Country Club nine times in his career, winning the Fort Worth Invitational there in 2018. He also finished solo third in 2020.
Odds-on favorites to win the Charles Schwab Challenge
Scottie Scheffler +400
Jordan Spieth +1400
Viktor Hovland +1400
Tony Finau +1400
Collin Morikawa +1600
Sungjae Im +2000
Justin Rose +2500
Max Homa +2500
Tommy Fleetwood +3000
Rickie Fowler +3000
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Mike Szvetitz is the General Manager and Content Director for FrontPageBets.com. Szvetitz is a 23-year veteran reporter and editor, including serving 17 years as a sports editor in Florida, Alabama and Virginia, covering everything from preps to pros. His "View From The Lazy Boy" column won multiple state and national awards. He can be reached at mszvetitz@timesdispatch.com.
