Out of the Rough: Charles Schwab Challenge (2025)

The PGA Tour returns to the Lonestar State for this week’s Charles Schwab Challenge.

A rather impressive field will compete for the coveted plaid tartan jacket and for the chance of their name being etched on the Wall of Championships that is adjacent to the first tee.

Colonial Country Club is the longest-running host course on the PGA TOUR schedule with The Masters at Augusta National being the only course that has been on the Tour’s schedule longer.

From the Fort Worth Invitational, to the Deal & Deluca, the Crowne Plaza, the Bank of America, the MasterCard, the Southwestern Bell and now the Charles Schwab, we’ve seen Colonial Country Club in each of the last 78 years, dating back to 1946.

Notably, this event and venue was the host of the ‘return of golf’ in 2020 following the pandemic shutdown of the Tour.

Although not one of the Tour’s Signature Events, the long-standing venue and event is one of the more notable and prestigious events the tour has to offer.

Colonial Country Club is also often referred to as ‘Hogan’s Alley’ as Ben Hogan won this event five-times.

The Field

With the PGA Championship behind us and the U.S. Open just three weeks away, the stars of the Tour will continue to turn out and that includes this week.

As it stands, World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler is expected to lead the charge this week, returning to his home state of Texas for the first time since completely dominating THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson three weeks back.

He’ll be joined by Hideki Matsuyama (7th,) Maverick McNealy (12th,) Tommy Fleetwood (13th,) Robert MacIntyre (22nd,) Brian Harman (23rd) and Daniel Berger (25th) as golfers ranked within the top 25 of the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR.)

In all, 20 golfers ranked within the top 50 of the OWGR will be in attendance this week.

Davis Riley comes in as the defending champion. He dominated the event a season ago as he won by five strokes over Scheffler and Keegan Bradley. He’ll be back this season to defend his title.

Other former winners of this event teeing it up this week include Emiliano Grillo (2023,) Berger (2020,) Kevin Kisner (2017,) Jordan Spieth (2016,) Chris Kirk (2015) and Zach Johnson (2012 & 2010.)

The Course

Colonial Country Club is best described as a quintessential tree-lined positional course that does not require distance off-the-tee to be competitive.

It plays as a par-70 at just over 7,200 yards and offers some of the deepest history of any PGA Tour track.

Immediately following the 2023 playing of the Charles Schwab Challenge, Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner began work on an extensive renovation project with the goal of restoring Colonial Country Club back to its roots.

The goal was to return the course to that of the 1941 playing of the U.S. Open. In doing so, the duo of Hanse and Wagner developed a more sustainable agronomy to withstand North Texas’ harsh climate changes.

The entire course was ripped up in order to route new irrigation systems throughout the property. The course was then re-sodded using the same bentgrass base. 

Through all of this, the layout of the course was largely unchanged with the exception of holes No. 13 and 18 which saw brand new greens constructed. The changes also saw the introduction of new barranca and riveted bunkers - two classic staples of Hanse’s design. 

In all, the renovation was largely put into place to introduce a new irrigation system and the play of the course should not change drastically. 

Colonial Country Club was designed by Perry Maxwell and John Bredemus. It borders the nearby Trinity River and features 12 doglegs and smaller Bentgrass greens.

In years past, the event has offered a diverse cast of winners due to its design but historically speaking, those with strong iron play and a hot putter will be competitive.

We’ve seen the likes of Sam Burns and Jason Kokrak use an aggressive, driver-heavy approach en route to a victory, which is far from the normal here.

There of course will be an added premium on mid-iron play and accuracy off-the-tee. Being a designed positional course, ball placement off-the-tee will be key in an effort to work around the course and create the best angles to generate scoring opportunities.

Scoring is often held in check here at Colonial Country Club. The winning score has pushed beyond -15 only twice since 2011.

As previously mentioned, hitting the fairways and setting up a good approach shot is the preferred way to attack this course.

Driving accuracy is lower than the Tour average at just 57-percent of hit fairways. Along with the difficulty of hitting a fairway, average distance off-the-tee is below the Tour average at just 277 yards.

The lack of distance can be attributed to oftentimes players taking irons off-the-tees to mitigate any potential miss shots.

Strong approach play too is key this week, specifically from distances of 125-200 and mainly 150-175 yards, which makes up 25-percent of all approach shots.

In a continued line of defenses this course has to offer, Colonial also offers smaller greens on Tour which in turn, offers a below average greens-in-regulation-percentage of 65-percent. Golfers will have to rely heavily on around-the-green work and scrambling to often get up-and-down for par due to this.

These greens too run at around a 12 on the Stimpmeter.

Water is in play on six of the holes and the course is littered with strategically placed fairway bunkers

Of course the infamous Texas winds will also be in play this week, adding another line of defense to an already challenging track.

Most of this track’s yardage is made up from the 635 yard par-five 11th hole and a 247 yard par-three fourth.

Golfers will begin their rounds on the par-five first which annually plays as the easiest hole on the entire course. From there, the second hole, 390 yard par-four, plays as the second easiest hole on the course. That, however, is where the ease ends.

If we’re looking for a trend of holes to focus on this week, it is par-fours measuring 400-450 yards which makes up 40-percent of all of the holes played this week.

Colonial’s ‘Horrible Horseshoe’ features holes three, four and five that are played at half-a-stroke over -par annually.

In all, this is a rather challenging course that favors those who can hit clean and accurate shots off-the-tee and with their irons.

Colonial Country Club is also one of the courses on Tour that requires course history for success. Of the last ten Charles Schwab Challenge winners, seven posted a T10 or better finish within three years prior.

Justin Rose is the only player within the past decade to have won in his debut. 

The Weather

As of the time of writing this, there is at most a 25-percent chance of precipitation this week. Currently, Thursday and Friday call for a 20-percent chance of precipitation, Saturday just a ten-percent chance and Sunday a 25-percent chance. Winds will begin at 11 miles-per-hour on Thursday and increase to 14 miles-per-hour on Friday. Winds will be at the highest on Saturday at 16 miles-per-hour before returning to 14 miles-per-hour on Sunday. Temperatures will be at the lowest on Thursday at 84-degrees and will increase to 91-degrees across Saturday and Sunday. 

Key Stats

• Strokes Gained: Putting on Bentgrass (SG: PUTT Bentgrass)

• Strokes Gained: Approach (SG: APP)

• Strokes Gained: Tee to Green (SG: TTG)

• Driving Accuracy Percentage

• Proximity to the Hole From 125-200 / Proximity to the Hole from 150-175

• Greens in Regulation Percentage (GIR%)

• Par Four Scoring Average

• Scrambling

• Strokes Gained: Around the Green (SG: ATG)

DFS Suggestions

$9,000-$10,000

With Scottie Scheffler dominating the market at $13,700 and there only being one other golfer in the $10,000-plus price range, I’m going to lump the top two price ranges together. I guess at this point you’re assuming I’m leading with Tommy Fleetwood ($10,000) if I made the effort to lump the two price ranges together. Either way, Fleetwood is currently tenth on Tour in SG: TTG, 12th in SG: APP, 18th in par-four performance, 20th in proximity to the hole from 150-175 yards, 22nd in SG: ATG, 35th in driving accuracy, 45th in SG: PUTT Bentgrass, 52nd in proximity to the hole from 125-200 yards, 69th in scrambling and 114th in GIR%. Of golfers with at least ten starts this season, only Scottie Scheffler has a better average finishing placement than Fleetwood (McIlroy has nine starts.) Fleetwood placed 41st last week at the PGA Championship, fourth at the Truist Championship, seventh at the RBC Heritage and 21st at the Masters Tournament as of late. He’s played this event just twice over the last five seasons, missing the cut in 2023 and placing 35th in 2022. Also consider Aaron Rai ($9,100.) Rai is currently first on Tour in driving accuracy, eighth in par-four performance, 16th in GIR%, 20th in SG: APP, 21st in SG: TTG, 89th in both proximity to the hole from 150-175 yards and proximity to the hole from 125-200 yards, 107th in SG: ATG, 110th in SG: PUTT Bentgrass and 131st in scrambling. Rai placed 19th last week at the PGA Championship. He also placed 23rd at the Truist Championship, 18th at the Zurich Classic, 38th at the RBC Heritage, 27th at the Masters Tournament, 14th at THE PLAYERS Championship, 11th at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and fourth at the Mexico Open at VidantaWorld on the season. In terms of average finishing placement, Rai ranks 15th among golfers with at least ten starts. He’s also made the cut at this event each of the last three seasons, placing 32nd last year, 12th in 2023 and 68th in 2022. Rai is also on my betting card at +4500.

$8,000-$8,900

First up in this price range is Michael Kim ($8,300.) As previously mentioned, seven-of-the-last-ten winners of this event had a top ten finish within three years of winning. M. Kim fits that bill, placing sixth in 2023. He did miss the cut a season ago here but is having one of the best seasons of his career this year. He hasn’t been as good as of late but has reportedly been dealing with a back injury. He placed 55th last week at the PGA Championship and 54th in his start prior at the RBC Heritage. Earlier this season is where he was really in form. He placed second at the WM Phoenix Open, 13th at the Mexico Open at VidantaWorld, sixth at the Cognizant Classic and fourth at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. M. Kim is currently tenth on Tour in SG: ATG, 19th in both SG: TTG and scrambling, 22nd in par-four performance, 50th in SG: APP, 66th in SG: PUTT Bentgrass, 74th in proximity to the hole from 125-200 yards, 76th in proximity to the hole from 150-175 yards, 105th in GIR% and 110th in driving accuracy. Kim is also on my betting card at +6000. Also consider Si Woo Kim ($8,900.) S.W. Kim has made the cut at this event each of the past two seasons, placing 56th last year and 29th in 2023. He too is in great form, placing eighth last week at the PGA Championship, 17th at the Truist Championship, 15th at THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson and eighth at the RBC Heritage as of late. He is currently 11th on Tour in par-four performance, 14th in both SG: TTG and SG: ATG, 30th in driving accuracy, 45th in SG: APP, 58th in scrambling, 59th in proximity to the hole from 125-200 yards, 61st in GIR%, 100th in proximity to the hole from 150-175 yards and 153rd in SG: PUTT Bentgrass. 

$7,000-$7,900

First up in this price range is Rico Hoey ($7,100.) Hoey is currently third on Tour in GIR%, 11th in SG: TTG, 16th in driving accuracy, 17th in proximity to the hole from 150-175 yards, 23rd in proximity to the hole from 125-200 yards, 42nd in SG: APP, 54th in par-four performance, 65th in SG: PUTT Bentgrass, 89th in SG: ATG and 137th in scrambling. Hoey missed the cut last week at the PGA Championship but prior to that placed seventh at the ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic, 52nd at THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson, 12th at the Corales Puntacana Championship and 11th at the Texas Children’s Houston Open. He did miss the cut at the Valero Texas Open in that stretch of events as well. He’ll be making his tournament debut this week. Also consider Mark Hubbard ($7,000.) Hubbard is currently 58th on Tour in driving accuracy, 88th in SG: APP, 95th in proximity to the hole from 125-200 yards, 102nd in SG: PUTT Bentgrass, 103rd in scrambling, 109th in par-four performance, 110th in GIR%, 118th in proximity to the hole from 150-175 yards, 126th in SG: TTG and 148th in SG: ATG. Hubbard has made the cut here in each of the last five seasons, also placing ninth in 2023, again, a top ten within three years of this season. He also placed 65th in 2024, 52nd in 2022, 69th in 2021 and 43rd in 2020. Hubbard placed seventh in his last outing at the ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic and fifth at THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson over his last two starts. He also placed 12th recently at the Corales Puntacana Championship and earlier this season placed 12th at The American Express and 21st at the Sony Open in Hawaii. Hubbard is also on my betting card at +17000.

$6,900-

One of my overall favorite values this week is Andrew Putnam ($6,700.) Putnam has a mixed-bag of results here. He missed the cut a season ago but placed 29th in 2023 and 15th in 2022. He also missed the cut in both 2021 and 2020 at this event. He last played at the ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic where he placed 61st. Prior to that he placed 15th at THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson and 26th at the Corales Puntacana Championship. Putnam is currently seventh on Tour in both driving accuracy and GIR%, tenth in SG: PUTT Bentgrass, 12th in scrambling, 17th in SG: ATG, 18th in par-four performance, 29th in proximity to the hole from 150-175 yards, 31st in proximity to the hole from 125-200 yards, 33rd in SG: APP and 85th in SG: TTG. Also consider Adam Schenk ($6,500.) Schenk was the runner-up here in 2023 and also made the cut in both 2021 and 2020. He most recently missed the cut at the ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic but did place fifth in his start prior at THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson. Earlier this season he placed 25th at the WM Phoenix Open, 25th at the Farmers Insurance Open and sixth at the Sony Open in Hawaii. He is currently 36th on Tour in SG: PUTT Bentgrass, 37th in proximity to the hole from 150-175 yards, 66th in scrambling, 79th in SG: TTG, 90th in SG: APP, 120th in proximity to the hole from 125-200 yards, 123rd in par-four performance, 129th in SG: ATG, 162nd in GIR% and 166th in driving accuracy. Schenk is also on my betting card at +25000. 

Betting Card

• J.T. Poston (+4000)

• Aaron Rai (+4500)

• Michael Kim (+6000)

• Harry Hall (+7500)

• Cam Davis (+11000)

• Mark Hubbard (+17000)

• Adam Schenk (+25000)

J.T. Poston (+4000)

Poston is fresh off a fifth place finish at last week’s PGA Championship, marking his best finish at a major championship in his career. He’s been playing great golf this entire season as well. He recently placed 23rd at the Truist Championship, 18th at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, 11th at the RBC Heritage, 42nd at the Masters Tournament, 26th at the Valero Texas Open, 28th at the Valspar Championship and 33rd at THE PLAYERS Championship. Of golfers with at least ten starts so far this season, Poston has the 16th best average finishing placement. He’s also had some quality performances at this event over the last five years. Yes, he missed the cut between 2021 and 2023 but he did place 12th here a season ago and tenth in 2020. Poston is currently 15th on Tour in SG: PUTT Bentgrass, 26th in driving accuracy, 43rd in SG: ATG, 45th in SG: TTG, 58th in SG: APP, 60th in par-four performance, 70th in proximity to the hole from 150-175 yards, 73rd in scrambling, 101st in GIR% and 119th in proximity to the hole from 125-200 yards. 

Harry Hall (+7500)

Hall is currently fourth on Tour in par-four performance, 13th in SG: ATG, 19th in SG: PUTT Bentgrass, 27th in scrambling, 82nd in SG: TTG, 102nd in proximity to the hole from 150-175 yards, 104th in GIR%, 115th in SG: APP, 120th in driving accuracy and 163rd in proximity to the hole from 125-200 yards. Hall placed third here in 2023, fitting the trend of a winner having a top ten finish within three years. He did miss the cut here a season ago. Hall placed 19th last week at the PGA Championship, 20th in at the ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic, 33rd at THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson, 49th at the Corales Puntacana Championship, 26th at the Valero Texas Open and 18th at the Texas Children’s Houston Open as of late. 

Cam Davis (+11000)

You’ll see a trend here. Davis placed seventh here in 2022. That’s a top ten finish within three seasons of this year. He also placed 56th here a season ago and 45th in 2021. He did miss the cut in both 2023 and 2020 however. Davis also placed 19th last week at the PGA Championship, 54th at the Truist Championship, 60th at THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson, 32nd at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans and 13th at the RBC Heritage as of late. Davis is currently 29th on Tour in SG: ATG, 55th in proximity to the hole from 150-175 yards, 57th in proximity to the hole from 125-200 yards, 93rd in SG: APP, 106th in SG: TTG, 114th in GIR%, 144th in SG: PUTT Bentgrass, 160th in scrambling, 161st in par-four performance and 162nd in driving accuracy.