With the PGA Championship in the rear view mirror, attention has now turned to the 2024 Charles Schwab Challenge. One of the longest running tournaments on the PGA Tour, the tournament was first played in 1946 and has been won by the likes of Phil Mickelson, Tom Watson, Sergio Garcia and Jordan Spieth.
With the season’s third major the US Open just under a month away, this is the busiest time of the year and a top class field is set to be in attendance which is headlined by world number 1 Scottie Scheffler.
In this preview we will tell you everything you need to know about this famous tournament, breaking down information on the course and who stands to have a special week.
Let’s get into it.
The Course
The Charles Schwab Challenge has had a permanent home at the Colonial Country Club since the tournament’s inception in 1946. Still regarded as one of the best courses in America, over the last few years the course is starting to show signs of age and is one that is at the mercy of the longer hitters.
In an effort to minimize the low scoring, the 132 man field will encounter just two par 5’s but across the course there are several holes that offer up opportunities for birdies.
A traditional parkland course, if a player veers off course there is always a chance that they will be punished. However, if they can keep their ball on the short stuff, the birdie opportunities should be plentiful.
The Favourites
With a stacked field due to head down to Texas this week there are several of the best players on the PGA Tour who will be hoping to end the week in glory. Here are the players who have been dominating the pre-tournament betting.
Scottie Scheffler
With four wins in his last six starts it is Scottie Scheffler who is the overwhelming favorite for even more glory.
Unable to win the season’s second major of the season, Scheffler had a week to forget at the PGA Championship but was still able to finish inside the top ten.
After a promising first round which saw him in contention, Scheffler found himself arrested early on Friday morning as he was trying to make his way onto the course. Whisked away to the nearest police station, Scheffler had his fingerprints and mugshot taken and even had to complete his warmup inside the confines of a jail cell.
When making his way back to the course he shot a superb -5 round of 65 to maintain in touch with the leaders. Eventually Friday’s exploits would catch up with him and he would lose ground on Saturday before making a late charge on Sunday.
Although not victorious, the fact that he finished inside the top ten is something of a miracle itself and with that episode behind him, a big week can be expected as he goes searching for a fifth win of the season.
Collin Morikawa
For the second successive major, Collin Morikawa found himself teetering off in the final group for the final round but was unable to claim a third major title.
With conditions ideal for slow scoring, Morikawa couldn’t get anything going with the putter and quickly found himself out of the running.
Despite finishing fourth, Morikawa is now back inside the world’s top ten and it was his third top ten finish in his last four starts.
Seemingly having rediscovered his accuracy off both the tee and with his irons, Morikawa looks back to his best and should give himself plenty of birdie opportunities this week. Looking to win his first title of 2024, few in the field are striking the ball as well as the young American and he has to be viewed as a major contender this week.
Max Homa
Max Homa rounds out the top three in the betting and he will be hoping to bounce back from a relatively poor showing at the PGA Championship where he was only able to finish in a tie for 35th.
It’s been a bit of a frustrating season for the American so far, a multiple winner of tournaments on the PGA Tour in each of the last two seasons, Homa is without a win in 2024 and has had a mixed bag of results.
Having finished inside the top ten in each of his last two starts, Homa does arrive carrying some decent form, but at the moment he is unable to play four consistent rounds and it is a concern that his putter has gone cold.
Able to finish ninth in this event last year, Homa has some decent form around Colonial and will hope that this is the week he can land his first tournament of the year.
Value Bets
As is always the case with tournaments like this, there is plenty of value that can be found. Here are some of our best looking value bets of the week.
Justin Rose
Now a true PGA veteran and one of the oldest players on Tour, Justin Rose showed that age is just a number as he produced some superb golf to finish in a tie for 6th at the PGA Championship.
Still able to drive the ball far, Rose was magnificent with his irons last week and if he can keep the formula the same here, he should give himself plenty of opportunities to shoot low.
His 6th place finish was his best effort of the season and he arrives at Colonial clearly thriving and with his game in a good place. The winner of this event back in 2018, he could be one of the best bets of the tournament.
Tony Finau
Through the first few rounds of the PGA Championship it looked like Tony Finau would launch a serious challenge to land his first major.
Up with the leaders through the first two rounds, an inconsistent weekend saw the big hitting American finish in a tie for 18th.
Inconsistent play has been the theme of Finau’s year and the man from Utah simply hasn’t been able to string enough good rounds together to consistently challenge.
However with his ball striking being amongst the best on Tour, Finau has enjoyed success at Colonial in the past and could have the course at his mercy this week.
Whilst we don’t know what version of Tony Finau will turn up this week, if he is on his A Game his current odds could look hugely overpriced.
Long shots
The 2024 PGA Tour season has seen plenty of shock winners this year at huge odds and there is every possibility that this could happen again. Here are two names to keep an eye on this week.
Adam Schenk
Adam Schenk will have fond memories of this tournament having finished last year’s tournament tied at the top before going onto lose to Emiliano Grillo in a playoff.
Ranked just inside the world’s top 50, Schenk is a player who is yet to win on Tour but has had several near misses. A talented ball striker, when he gets on a roll he has proven that he can mix it with the best players in the world and he will be confident of a big showing around a course he clearly enjoys.
Cam Davis
One man looking to find some form this week is Cam Davis. A winner of one PGA tournament back in 2021, Davis is a hugely talented player and massive driver of the golf ball, but of late he has struggled.
Without a single top ten finish all season, he has slid down the world rankings and ahead of the Presidents Cup later this summer, he is in desperate need to find his game.
If on song, Davis should have plenty of looks at birdie this week and Colonial could offer the perfect opportunity for the man from Down Under to get back into a groove.
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.
