The famous tartan jacket is up for grabs this weekend as the historic Colonial Country Club in Fortworth Texas plays host to the Charles Schwab Challenge teeing off on Thursday (AEDT).
This time honoured invitational was first established 73 years ago and has hosted several multiple winners including Phil Mickelson, Zach Johnson and Ben Hogan.
Aussies have won this event four times, with the most recent being Adam Scott in 2014. After a thrilling conclusion to last week’s US PGA Championship at Bethpage, Ladbrokes Australia have previewed everything you need to know in our 2019 Charles Schwab Preview below.
2019 CHARLES SCHWAB CHALLENGE BEST BET
Xander Schauffele – $17.00
The four-time Tour winner returns to Fort Worth for his third crack at trying to win the jacket. Schauffele missed the cut last year but the fact he ranks one spot below Jon Rahm in the PGA’s tee-to-green rating is an encouraging sign. The American is still searching for his second win of the year after winning the Sentry back in January, but he should take full confidence knowing he’s earned four Top 10 finishes since.
2019 CHARLES SCHWAB CHALLENGE TOP 5 FINISH
Jon Rahm – $3.25
Rahm has been installed as co-favourite despite missing the cut at Bethpage last week. The narrow corridors of Colonial call for pinpoint accuracy off the tee, which should suit Rahm nicely. He currently ranks 18th in tee-to-green accuracy – the highest among any player attending this weekend’s event. The Spaniard tied for fifth at last year’s Invitational and second in 2017, so course familiarity is well and truly on his side.
2019 CHARLES SCHWAB CHALLENGE TOP 10 FINISH
Scott Piercy – $4.00
Hasn’t won an individual tournament on Tour since 2015 but certainly looks due for a win sometime soon. Piercy finished tied for third at the RBC Heritage last month before tieing for second at the Byron Nelson three weeks later. The 40-year-old will be hungry to put last week’s disappointment at Bethpage behind him, and with seven previous starts at Colonial under his belt including two Top 3 finishes, he’s worth a play at very wide odds.
2019 CHARLES SCHWAB CHALLENGE FIELD
Justin Rose – $11.00
The defending champ returns to Fort Worth after his thrilling three-stroke victory over Brooks Koepka last year. Rose’s style of play is well suited to this course, and his consistency with the putter should put him in a strong winning position if he can find some accuracy around the green. Rose ranks eighth in putting percentage this year, but his accuracy off the tee poses a few concerns. The Englishman now hopes to join Ben Hogan as the only player to successfully defend his crown at this event.
Jordan Spieth – $11.00
Is Spieth finally back to his best? The American fell two spots shy of claiming Grand Slam glory at Bethpage last week tieing for third at the PGA Championship. It was great to see him back inside the Top 10 after five straight tournaments outside the Top 20, and with seven appearances under his belt at Colonial, the 25-year-old will take some beating. There’s no doubt Spieth has the precision with the putter, but his approach on the fairways could let him down once again.
Rickie Fowler – $15.00
Fowler has to be disappointed with where he wound up last week at Bethpage. The American found himself Top 10 by the end of the first round only to string together a pair of disappointing final days to fall outside the Top 30. The good news is Fowler knows how to put up a solid round in Fort Worth having finished tied for 14th last year. Now making his eighth appearance, don’t sleep on the 30-year-old after as he continues to flirt with his second win of 2019.
Francesco Molinari – $17.00
Molinari struggled to put together four consistent rounds at Bethpage last week to finish well outside the Top 30. He’ll make his first appearance at Colonial weekend, and given just how unforgiving this course can be, it’s hardly an ideal recipe for success. Still, the Italian remains a quiet achiever and a massive sleeper in just about every tournament he attends. Considering he’s one of the best ball strikers on Tour, you can’t write him off.
Paul Casey – $26.00
Would you believe this is Casey’s sixth appearance? The 41-year-old last finished Top 10 back in 2017 and will be hoping to improve on his Top 30 finish at Bethpage last week. Casey has quietly been around the money this year with three placings inside the Top 5, the most recent of which came at the Wells Fargo earlier this month. The putter continues to cause a few problems, but Casey arguably has the best precision from the tee in this year’s field. Don’t be surprised if the veteran is among the favourites on Monday.
Louis Oosthuizen – $34.00
Oosthuizen looks to join David Frost and Rory Sabbatini as the third South African to win at Colonial. He’s been here before despite limited success, but recent form suggests the 36-year-old could raise a few eyebrows this weekend. Oosthuizen ranks fourth in the PGA’s around the green rating to go along with back-to-back Top 5 finishes in the final week of March.
Shawn Stefani – $126.00
Returns to his home state for the second time in just over a month after finishing tied for 20th the AT&T Byron Nelson. Stefani knows Colonial well after finishing tied for 19th back in 2015 and continues to climb up the rankings with three straight strong performances. Distance and accuracy could be a concern, but home-course advantage makes him worth a look at long odds.
