The Charles Schwab Challenge 2026
Overview
Dates: May 28, 2026 to May 31, 2026
Location: Fort Worth, Texas
Course: Colonial Country Club
Course Par: 70
Course Length: 7289
Prize Purse: $9900000
Last weeks review:
Despite last year’s renovation at TPC Craig Ranch, the course once again surrendered low scores. With soft conditions and barely a breath of wind, the field tore it apart from the opening round.
Heading into Sunday, Stephan Jaeger looked like our best shot at landing a value finish, but his modest two‑under effort was never going to keep pace with Wyndham Clark’s electrifying, record‑equalling 11‑under 60. Clark vaulted past the entire field, snatching victory from Si Woo Kim, who had controlled the tournament for three straight days before being blindsided by Clark’s historic charge.
Preview
The PGA Tour returns to one of its most historic and character‑defining venues as the Charles Schwab Challenge tees off once again at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas. Known as “Hogan’s Alley” in honour of Ben Hogan’s five victories here, Colonial remains one of the purest tests of precision golf on the schedule — a strategic chess match that rewards discipline over brute force.
The Course: Colonial Country Club
Par: 70
Yardage: ~7,200 yards
Architect: John Bredemus & Perry Maxwell
Signature Stretch: Holes 3–5, known as the “Horrible Horseshoe”
Colonial is one of the few remaining classic, tree‑lined shot‑making venues on the PGA Tour. Tight fairways, doglegs that force players into specific windows, and small, subtly contoured greens make it a thinking player’s course.
Grass Types
Fairways: Bermudagrass overseeded with rye
Greens: Bentgrass — typically firm, fast, and unforgiving by Sunday
The combination creates a premium on trajectory control, spin management, and precise distance control into small targets.
Typical Weather Conditions
Late May in Fort Worth brings:
Temperatures: 80–90°F (27–32°C)
Wind: Often 10–20 mph, swirling through tree corridors
Humidity: Moderate to high
Storm risk: Afternoon thunderstorms are common
Wind is the defining factor. Colonial becomes dramatically harder when gusts pick up, especially on the “Horrible Horseshoe,” where par becomes a premium.
🏆 Previous Winners (Last 10 Years)
Colonial has produced a mix of elite champions and tactical specialists:
2025: Ben Griffin
2024: Davis Riley
2023: Emiliano Grillo
2022: Sam Burns
2021: Jason Kokrak
2020: Daniel Berger
2019: Kevin Na
2018: Justin Rose
2017: Kevin Kisner
2016: Jordan Spieth
A clear pattern emerges: elite ball‑strikers and precision‑first players thrive here. Bombers can win, but only if they throttle back and play positional golf.
Skills Required to Win at Colonial
Colonial is not a modern power layout. It’s a shot‑maker’s course, and the statistical profile of past champions is remarkably consistent.
Strokes gained specifically in approach play and scrambling.
Strokes Gained from specifically 125–175 yards
Winners here often rank top‑10 in Strokes Gained: Around‑the‑Green for the week.
Bentgrass Putting
Bentgrass specialists historically gain a meaningful edge.
The greens are true — but subtle — and reward confident putters.
Wind Management
Trajectory control is essential.
Players who flight the ball down and maintain spin control in gusty conditions tend to rise on the leaderboard.
Expect:
A winning score between −10 and −15 depending on wind
A premium on precision iron play
A leaderboard shaped by course management, not raw power
Colonial rewards the smart, the patient, and the technically sound — a refreshing contrast to many modern layouts.
Outrights
Pick Summary:
Rickie Fowler 5 units Win +2500, 5 units Top 5 +600
Harry Hall 4 units Win +4500, 4 units Top 5 +900
Tony Finau 2 units Win +6100, 2 units Top 5 +1225
Sudarshan Yellamaraju 2 units Win +8600, 2 units Top 5 +1600
Sam Ryder 1 unit Win +17500, 1 Unit Top 5 +3000
AJ Ewart 1 unit Win +20000, 1 unit Top 5 +4000
Rickie Fowler:
Once a fixture near the top of the world rankings, Rickie Fowler has endured a couple of underwhelming seasons, but the past few months have hinted at a genuine resurgence. The spark that defined his prime is beginning to reappear, and despite his improved play, the market continues to price him at surprisingly fair value.
His recent surge has propelled him from a world ranking of 86th last year to a far more respectable 38th, a climb that reflects both consistency and renewed confidence. There’s still a long road ahead if he hopes to revisit the heights of 2016, when he reached No. 4 in the world, but the trajectory is finally pointing in the right direction.
Harry Hall:
For casual golf fans, the name Harry Hall might not ring many bells, but the Cornishman has been quietly carving out a reputation on the PGA Tour for the past four years. Operating largely under the radar, Hall has built a steady, reliable body of work — the kind that rarely grabs headlines but earns deep respect inside the ropes.
Hailing from Cornwall, England, Hall brings a composed, almost monk‑like discipline to his game. And this week, we like the chances of this PGA Tour Jedi, who has all the tools to go well once again.
Tony Finau:
Another player who has endured a difficult stretch over the past 18 months is Tony Finau. Once a perennial top‑10 machine, Finau’s form fell off a cliff by his own high standards. But last week’s T6 finish suggested the tide may finally be turning.
With his trademark power, elite ball‑striking, and a price that still reflects his slump rather than his ceiling, Finau shapes up as one of the more attractive tournament plays on the board this week.
Sudarshan Yellamaraju:
A name that certainly stands out on the entry list is Canadian Sudarshan Yellamaranju. While he may not yet be a household figure, his form this season has been impossible to ignore. Week after week he has produced the kind of consistent, confident golf that forces analysts to take notice, and he’s been firmly on our radar for months.
Yellamaranju has shown he can mix it with the established stars, and in a weakened field like this one, even a place finish could deliver a healthy return. His trajectory suggests he’s more than capable of doing exactly that.
Sam Ryder and AJ Ewart:
We’ll round things out with two long‑shot plays in Sam Ryder and AJ Ewart, both of whom have shown notable upticks in their recent Strokes Gained profiles. The data aligns neatly with this week’s course demands, suggesting their games may be trending at just the right moment. With that in mind, we recommend conservative stakes, but each offers an intriguing angle for those looking to dig a little deeper into the board.