The 2024 Charles Schwab Challenge will be played on Memorial Day weekend for the fifth time in the tournament’s six-year history. Hosted at the PGA Tour institution that is Colonial Country Club in Forth Worth, Texas, some iteration of the event has been held seventy-eight times, dating back to 1946. And despite a diminished field due to it being played the week after a major, Colonial is known for delivering drama.
Who will win the Charles Schwab Challenge this year?
Charles Schwab Challenge Field And Storylines
Though plenty of the tour’s top-ranked golfers are taking the week off after an emotional PGA Championship, some of the game’s most popular and well-respected players are headlining the field this week. Scottie Scheffler, the number one ranked golfer in the world and recent Louisville, Kentucky County Jail inmate is teeing it up near his hometown of Dallas. So is fellow local product and fan favorite, Jordan Spieth.
Another revered, beloved pro who makes a point of honoring the game by playing in the PGA Tour’s oldest events is Rickie Fowler. Past champions in the field include Spieth, Kevin Kisner, Chris Kirk, 2023 Ryder Cup Captain, Zach Johnson, Adam Scott, Justin Rose, Rory Sabbatini, 2022 winner Sam Burns, and defending champion Emiliano Grillo.
Collin Morikawa has played in the final group on Sunday in each of the year’s first two majors. Both ended in disappointment for the two-time major winner. He’ll look for validation this week as will 2023 Champion Golfer of the Year, Brian Harman. After badly missing the cut at Augusta in April, he rebounded with a T26 at Valhalla in the year’s second major, carding minus seven for the weekend.
Charles Schwab Challenge: A Fan Favorite Event
The par 70 track is known for testing all aspects of the professional’s games. And drama. Distance isn’t at a premium at the old school, narrow venue. Accuracy is. This is evidenced by the variety of champions and the results they have garnered. In over 75% of the 78 times this tournament has been played, the margin of victory has been three shots or less. In 42 of the 78 ‘Colonials,’ a win was either determined by a playoff or a single shot.
Except for 2020’s addition being rescheduled due to coronavirus concerns, the ‘Charles Schwab Challenge’ version of the Colonial-hosted Texas institution has always been held on the same weekend since it began in 2019. No state embodies patriotism quite like Texas. Or barbecue for that matter. It’s no wonder the biggest names in the field all either hail from Texas, have great reverence for the history of the game, or both.
Holiday weekends are perfect times to attend live sporting events. Especially the Charles Schwab Challenge, which is one of the best live experiences of any tournament on the PGA Tour schedule. The clubhouse is directly behind the 18th green, so the quaint layout creates a raucous, yet intimate theater. As does the host city, Fort Worth. With local favorites Jordan Spieth and Scottie Scheffler both scheduled to tee it up, excitability is a near certainty.
Tour History On Display At Charles Schwab Challenge
Colonial is a traditional golf course that appeals to the history of the game on all fronts. And the Charles Schwab Challenge shows reverence for the game’s origins with the winner’s jacket, a plaid design reminiscent of a Scottish kilt. And to past champions with its ‘Wall of Champions,’ prominently exhibited in the old-school, wood-trimmed clubhouse.
The tournament’s greatest champion, local legend, Ben Hogan, won five times at Colonial throughout its 78-year history. There is a statue of Hogan mid-swing, near the clubhouse. The associations between the two don’t stop there. The 9-time major winner was a long-time resident of Fort Worth, Texas. His presence at Colonial is still referenced today.
Adding to the lore of the Charles Schwab Challenge is a unique tradition called Champion’s Choice. The year’s previous winner is responsible for choosing one professional who would otherwise be ineligible to compete in the event and giving them a special exemption to play. Five Champion’s Choices have gone on to win the tournament in their careers. Dallas native, Jordan Spieth, being the most recent.
About the Author
Eric Colton is a former Hollywood screenwriter turned sports columnist. With several feature-length screenplays to his credit and 3 short films written and produced, Colton is a respected writer in film and television. His recent move to sports writing is based on his life-long love affair with sports.
Growing up outside of Detroit, he’s die-hard for all of the hometown teams. With over 20 years of fantasy sports experience, he’s well-versed in the intricacies of many sports and with the premier athletes of their respective sports. Colton’s voice is one filled with positivity, directness, and humor. He loves to write and does so at a ‘stream-of-consciousness’ pace.
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