The PGA Tour will resume play this week when Colonial Country Club plays host to some of the world’s best golfers for the 78th edition of the Charles Schwab Challenge.
Headlining the annual stop in Fort Worth, Texas will be local favorites Jordan Spieth and world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler.
Scheffler and Spieth will be joined by the likes of Collin Morikawa, Justin Rose, Viktor Hovland, Billy Horschel, and Adam Scott, among others.
Known as a shotmaker’s golf course dating back to its opening in 1936, Colonial – the former home to Ben Hogan – more often than not, serves up a winner who is able to creatively craft shots as opposed to long bombers – hence the nickname “Hogan’s Alley.”
Here are some more details to get ready for this week’s PGA Tour stop in Texas.
PGA Tour At-a-Glance
Name: Charles Schwab Challenge
Dates: May 23-26, 2024
Where: Fort Worth, Texas
Course: Colonial Country Club
Distance: Par 70, 7289 yards
Architect: John Bredemus/Perry Maxwell (1936)
Format: 72-holes, stroke play, 36-hole cut
Purse: $9,100,000
Winning Share: $1,683,000
Defending Champion: Emiliano Grillo
How to Follow the Charles Schwab Challenge
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The Charles Schwab Challenge History
Colonial Country Club is permanently tied to this event, but interestingly enough, the course got its professional start as the 1941 U.S. Open venue. The course showed its teeth right away, as the U.S. Open field was outright beat down. The winner of the tournament, Craig Wood, finished at +4. The tournament was so difficult that those at +15 finished in a tie for 10th.
At just over 7,200 yards, Colonial was considered lengthy at the time. Today, it plays as one of the shorter tracks on tour.
In the 1946 inaugural event, known initially by the name of the Colonial National Invitation, Ben Hogan stepped right up and claimed the first title, and then repeated again the next year. He scored five victories overall in this event, including the only back-to-back victories (1952-53). As a result of that success, Colonial is often referred to as “Hogan’s Alley.”
In addition to Hogan, tournament winners have included legends such as Sam Snead, Arnold Palmer, Billy Casper, Lee Trevino, Ben Crenshaw, Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson, Phil Mickelson, and Jordan Spieth.
Nobody has won more than twice, with the exception of Hogan’s five. Ten players own a pair of titles, with Zach Johnson (2010, 2012) accomplishing it most recently.
As an “invitational,” the Fort Worth event has a more exclusive field than most tournaments (120 golfers this year), and is given more freedom with its invites. The tournament famously has a “Champion’s Choice” invitation, where the previous year’s champion gets to grant two spots to players of their choice who otherwise did not qualify.
A Champion’s Choice has won on just a single occasion, when Dave Stockton took the 1967 title, finishing as the only man in the field under par (-2).
The Charles Schwab Corporation, whose corporate headquarters relocated to a Fort Worth suburb in 2021, became the title sponsor of the event in 2019. Previous sponsors were Dean & Deluca (2016–2017), Crowne Plaza (2007–2015), Bank of America (2003–2006), MasterCard (1996–2002), and Southwestern Bell (1989–1994). There was no title sponsor in 1995 or 2018.
History: Title Sponsors
- Charles Schwab Challenge (2019-Pres)
- Fort Worth Invitational (2018)
- Dean & DeLuca Invitational (2016-17)
- Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial (2007-15)
- Bank of America Colonial (2003-06)
- MasterCard Colonial (1996-02)
- Colonial National Invitation (1995)
- Southwestern Bell Colonial (1989-94)
- Colonial National Invitation (1946-88)
History: Recent Winners
2023: Emiliano Grillo (-8)
2022: Sam Burns (-9)
2021: Jason Kokrak (-14)
2020: Daniel Berger (-15)
2019: Kevin Na (-13)
2018: Justin Rose (-20)
2017: Kevin Kisner (-10)
2016: Jordan Spieth (-17)
2015: Chris Kirk (-12)
2014: Adam Scott (-9)
2013: Boo Weekley (-14)
2012: Zach Johnson (-12)
2011: David Toms (-15)
History: Records
Scoring:
259 (-21) – Zach Johnson (2010)
History: Wins
5 – Ben Hogan (1946-47, 1952-53, 1959)
2 – Zach Johnson (2010, 2012)
2 – Phil Mickelson (2000, 2008)
2 – Nick Price (1994, 2002)
2 – Corey Pavin (1985, 1996)
2 – Bruce Lietzke (1980, 1992)
2 – Ben Crenshaw (1977, 1990)
2 – Lee Trevino (1976, 1978)
2 – Billy Casper (1964, 1968)
2 – Julius Boros (1960, 1963)
History: Colonial Country Club
Colonial Country Club was started 85 years ago in 1936 by Marvin Leonard, who had a keen interest in bringing bentgrass greens to his hometown of Fort Worth. When his initial plans to install bentgrass greens at an already existing Fort Worth golf club failed, Leonard came up with his vision for Colonial Golf Club. His vision became a reality in January 1936 when the club opened with approximately 100 members.
The golf course at Colonial Country Club was designed by John Bredemus of Texas and Perry Maxwell of Oklahoma. The par-70 course, currently at 7,209 yards, is bordered on the northern edge by the Trinity River (Clear Fork) with the rest of the course surrounded by the neighboring residential area.
The course length in 1941 was 7,035 yards, considerably long for the era.
In the late 1930s, Leonard began talks with the United States Golf Association (USGA) to conduct the U.S. Open at Colonial. After guaranteeing the USGA $25,000, Colonial was granted the rights to the 1941 edition, won by Craig Wood, the winner of that year’s Masters.
In 1942, Leonard decided to sell the club to the members of Colonial. His first attempt to sell to the members was rejected, but he eventually sold the club to the members on December 31, 1942, when it took its current name, Colonial Country Club.
In addition to the annual PGA Tour event, the course has hosted three major or significant professional golf events: the 1941 U.S. Open, the 1975 Tournament Players Championship (won by Al Geiberger), and the 1991 U.S. Women’s Open (won by Meg Mallon).
The Course: Colonial CC
The golf course at Colonial Country Club was designed by John Bredemus of Texas and Perry Maxwell of Oklahoma. The par-70 course stretches to 7,209 yards and is bordered on the northern edge by the Trinity River (Clear Fork) with the rest of the course surrounded by the neighboring residential area.
The course length in 1941 was 7,035 yards, considerably long for the era. Today, at just 7289, it’s one of the shortest on tour.
Because of its association with the great Ben Hogan, it is generally considered one of America’s most iconic golf courses.
In addition to the annual PGA Tour event, the course has hosted three major or significant professional golf events: the 1941 U.S. Open, the 1975 Tournament Players Championship (won by Al Geiberger) and the 1991 U.S. Women’s Open (won by Meg Mallon).
The signature holes are Nos. 3, 4 and 5, nicknamed the “Horrible Horseshoe” – a brutally tough three-hole stretch comprised of a 241-yard par-3 sandwiched between two lengthy par-4s.
The fifth hole of the course (which has the Trinity River running alongside the right for nearly the entire length) is often mentioned as one of the best holes in America. It also ends the “Horrible Horseshoe.”
Featured Hole
No.5, Colonial Country Club
Par 4, 481 yards
The most difficult and most iconic hole at Colonial Country Club. The tee shot is to a thin fairway, with a ditch to the left and a river on the right. Even a good tee shot leaves a long, narrow approach to a small green guarded by two big bunkers in the front.
The Charles Schwab Challenge Field
Despite being slotted as the first event following the PGA Championship, the field at Colonial is decent, and includes four of the top-10 ranked players in the PGA Tour’s world rankings, including No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, No. 5 Viktor Hovland, No. 9 Collin Morikawa, and No. 10 Max Homa.
Other top-ranked stars teeing it up this week include former Colonial champions Sam Burns (2022), Justin Rose (2019) and Jordan Spieth (2016). They will be joined by marquee names such as Tony Finau, Collin Morikawa, Tom Kim, Rickie Fowler, Brian Harman and Billy Horschel.
Spieth posted a disappointing T43 at last week’s major and before that a T29 at the Wells Fargo and missed-cut at the Byron Nelson. The Texan will look to get back on track at a course that most definitely fits his game.
Scheffler, the field’s top-ranked player at world No. 1, enters off a bizarre week that had him behind bars just hours before the second round of the PGA. On the season, Scheffler owns four wins, including the Masters, and five other top-5 finishes. He only has one finish outside the top 10 – a T17 at The Amex.
Hovland enters fresh off a solo third at the PGA, finishing three behind winner Xander Schauffele and two back of Bryson DeChambeau.
Morikawa is also a player to watch as the two-time major winner enters off four-straight top 16 finishes, including two top-5s, both coming in the majors (T4 PGA, T3 Masters).
Top-5 Betting Favorites
1. Scottie Scheffler (3-1)
2. Collin Morikawa (12-1)
2. Viktor Hovland (12-1)
4. Jordan Spieth (20-1)
4. Max Homa (20-1)
Up Next: RBC Canadian Open
The RBC Candian Open gets underway next week at Hamilton Golf and Country Club in Toronto with home hero Nick Taylor defending.
Credits: Joel Cook, PGA Tour Media, Getty Images
