Although it doesn’t often get the headlines it deserves, the PGA Tour Champions is steadily growing in stature each and every year and with a slew of fantastic former champions such as Ernie Els, Padraig Harrington, Bernhard Langer and Steve Stricker regularly competing, the standard of the Champions Tour has rapidly been on the rise.
Just like on the other major tours around the world such as the PGA and DP World Tour, the PGA Tour Champions accrue points throughout the year in the hope that they will do enough to qualify for the season ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship.
The season finale, the Charles Schwab welcomes the 35 players who have accumulated the most points throughout the season to battle it out for the honour of being named the PGA Tour Champion Winner.
Not only is there a $500,000 first place prize to play for, but a player's legacy can be defined even further with a victory this week.
With plenty on the line and many interesting storylines, here is what you need to know.
The Course
The action this week will take place at the Phoenix Country Club. A regular to playing host to some of the best players in the world, this will be the 50th time in the course’s history that it will host a professional tournament. It was formerly the home of the Phoenix Open.
Set to play as a par 71 for the week, the course certainly isn’t the longest and some of the bigger hitters in the field could find the 6,764 yard track right up their street.
Unlike some other desert courses that we have seen in Arizona, the Phoenix Country Club has the feel of a traditional course with lush fairways and trees lining either side of the course.
Water and bunkers are a common feature and in order to succeed this week a player will need to ensure they are accurate off both the tee and fairway.
Who is in contention to end the year on top?
The top 3
Heading into this season’s finale it is Ernie Els who is the man that everyone else needs to catch.
Despite his advancing years, Els’s classic swing has seen him take this year’s PGA Champions Tour by storm and the four time major winner has already lifted three Champions Tour titles this season.
In total there are mathematically ten players who can lift the Charles Schwab Challenge trophy this week, but Els is the man who has it in his hands. An outright victory will ensure that the title is his, but a top five finish is also likely to be enough depending on who finishes in top spot.
Els has been the Champion Tour’s most consistent player this season and he will hope to finish a brilliant year in style with a strong performance this week.
Starting the week in second place in the overall standings is Steven Alker. Arguably one of the most unheralded players in the Charles Schwab field, Alker has been a consistent force when it comes to the Champions Tour and he will be keen to end the year on top spot, just as he did two years ago.
When it comes to form around the Phoenix Country Club he could be the man to back, the winner of this tournament last year, it wasn’t enough to overhaul Steve Stricker at the top of the money list and he will hope to complete the double this time around.
If Ernie Els finishes ahead of him, there is nothing Alker can do to change his fortunes, however if the South African fails to fire, a first, second or third place finish could be enough for him to land a second overall money list victory.
Completing the top three in the overall standings is Stephen Ames.
Since joining the PGA Tour Champions Ames has been hugely consistent and he has enjoyed another profitable year, winning a further three titles. Whilst he knows that if either Els or Alker puts in a strong display this week his chances of victory are likely to be slim, a win could well be enough and you can be assured that it is what the Aussie will be trying to achieve this week.
The other contenders
Padraig Harrington has quickly become one of the most loved golfers on the planet thanks to his desire to pass on his knowledge of the game onto amateur players through his social media work.
Having engaged the public with his videos, Harrington returns to Phoenix knowing that a win could be enough for him to land his first overall PGA Champions Tour title.
The winner of this tournament two seasons ago, Harrington holds the scoring record at the course and should be a major force this week.
Realistically the title will come down to those four players but there are scenarios where YE Yang, Ricardo Gonzalez, Paul Broadhurst and Jerry Kelly can all take home the title. To have any chance of winning they will need to win the tournament outright and hope that those currently occupying the top spots have a bad few days.
Other names to keep an eye out for
Although they can’t win this week, there are several other names to keep an eye out for.
Bernhard Langer is a ten time PGA Tour Champion money list winner and although the German won’t be able to win it this time around, he will be hopeful of defying both his age and critics with another strong performance.
Another man who could be a danger is Stewart Cink. The former Open Champion is one of the younger men in the field and still regularly competes on the main PGA Tour. He should have the class and game to handle the course with little problems and as long as his flat stick is working he could be one of the best value picks of the entire week.
Charles Schwab Cup Championship Betting odds
If you fancy placing a bet ahead of the action teeing off, here is how the odds currently look.
Padraig Harrington - 7/2
Stewart Cink - 11/2
Steven Alker - 13/2
Ernie Els - 12/1
Jerry Kelly - 18/1
Bernhard Langer - 18/1
Richard Green - 22/1
Alex Cejka - 25/1
Miguel Angel Jimenez - 25/1
Stephen Ames - 25/1
Jack Hartman
A keen golfer and huge fan of the game, Jack has been covering golf for the last five years. Bringing you all the latest coverage and news from the PGA, LIV, LPGA and DP World Tours, never before has golf been so popular and Jack can’t wait to bring all the excitement to his readers.
