The PGA Tour is back in Fort Worth, Texas, this week for the Charles Schwab Challenge. Colonial Country Club, one of the Tour’s longest-standing annual stops, hosts the strong post-major field. Below, we look at the fantasy golf power rankings and odds for the 2021 Charles Schwab Challenge, with PGA Tour picks and predictions.
Phil Mickelson, the 2021 PGA Championship winner and a two-time champ at Colonial, is among those looking to overthrow 2020 Charles Schwab winner Daniel Berger. Last year’s tournament featured a major-caliber field as it was the first event upon the Tour’s mid-June restart.
Colonial CC is 7,209 yards and plays to a par of 70. It demands accuracy off the tee and precise iron play as the fairways are well-guarded by tight tree lines.
2021 Charles Schwab Challenge: Fantasy Golf Top 20
Odds provided by BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Odds last updated Tuesday at 2:15 p.m. ET.
20. Brendon Todd (+10000)
Todd has struggled over 15 career rounds at Colonial, including a missed cut last year, but his current form should fit well despite having no finish better than a T-13 through 11 events in 2021. He leads the PGA Tour in driving accuracy, and he’s one of the top putters.
19. Gary Woodland (+5000)
The former U.S. Open winner followed a fifth-place finish at the Wells Fargo Championship with a T-38 at the PGA Championship. He was in contention for much of the tournament until a Sunday round of 5-over 77. His iron play was a strength last week with 1.53 Strokes Gained: Approach per round and he’ll need that type of performance again at Colonial.
18. Chris Kirk (+5500)
The 2015 champ at Colonial is coming off back-to-back missed cuts at the Valspar Championship and PGA Championship, but he has four top-10 finishes through 11 events this year, including a T-2 at the Sony Open in Hawaii. He leads the Tour in Par 4 Efficiency: 400-450 Yards, and there are seven such holes here.
17. Kevin Na (+6600)
Second in this field among those with a least two appearances in the event with an average of 1.68 strokes gained on the field per round, with over 48 career rounds logged at Colonial. He’s won here before, in 2019, and has a victory this year at the Sony Open in January.
16. Matt Kuchar (+6600)
The runner-up of the 2013 Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial has averaged 1.42 strokes gained per round over 44 career rounds played at this venue. The nine-time PGA Tour champ is 19th in driving accuracy and sixth in par 4 efficiency from the key distance of 400-450 yards.
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15. Billy Horschel (+5000)
Four straight made cuts in stroke-play events to go with a victory at the WGC-Match Play. Averaged 1.27 SG: Putting per round in a T-23 finish at the PGA Championship and is 30th in driving accuracy this season.
14. Justin Rose (+3000)
The 2018 champion at Colonial has averaged 1.50 strokes gained per round over 28 rounds there. He tied for third in last year’s stronger field.
13. Scottie Scheffler (+3000)
Tied for eighth last week while recording 0.69 SG: Off-the-Tee per round and a strong putting performance at the Ocean Course. He tied for 55th in his debut at Colonial last year but was excellent with the driver and his irons.
12. Brian Harman (+3500)
Thirty career rounds played at Colonial with an average of 1.25 strokes gained per round. Finished inside the top 35 each of the last seven years with three top-10 results.
11. Joaquin Niemann (+2500)
Twenty-second in par-4 efficiency from the key distance of 400-450 yards this season and eighth in SG: Off-the-Tee. Tied for 32nd in this event last June but his play around the green has improved.
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10. Sungjae Im (+3300)
Tied for 10th last year in just his second appearance at Colonial. Tied for 17th last week with strong play off the tee. He’s 14th in driving accuracy on tour this season.
9. Patrick Reed (+2200)
Eleventh in this field with 1.46 strokes gained per round at Colonial. Tied for seventh in the event last year with an excellent putting performance and also gained 0.76 strokes per round around the greens.
8. Will Zalatoris (+2800)
Picked up a third straight top-10 finish at a major with a T-8 last week. Was second among those to make the cut with 2.04 SG: Approach per round.
7. Abraham Ancer (+2000)
Second on Tour in driving accuracy and fourth in par 4 efficiency from the key distance of 400-450 yards. Finished T-14 last year at Colonial and has improved his play around the putting surfaces.
6. Corey Conners (+2200)
Hasn’t missed a cut since February’s Genesis Invitational and has four top-10 finishes in his last eight stroke-play events. Tenth on Tour in driving accuracy and fifth in SG: Approach.
5. Daniel Berger (+2000)
The defending champ was in the top five of last year’s field that made the cut in both SG: Approach and SG: Tee-to-Green per round. He struggled to a T-75 finish last week but his iron play is much better suited to Colonial.
4. Collin Morikawa (+1400)
Lost in a playoff to Berger last year but is being given a better chance of winning this week by the betting odds. He’s first on Tour in SG: Approach and won the WGC-Workday Championship earlier this year.
3. Tony Finau (+2200)
Sixth in this field in average strokes gained per round at Colonial. Was the runner-up in 2019 and is coming off yet another top-10 major finish last week.
2. Jordan Spieth (+1000)
This week’s betting favorite won here in 2016 with runner-up finishes in 2015 and 2017. He returned to the winner’s circle in April and has six other top-10 finishes this year to move back to 21st in the Golfweek/Sagarin world rankings.
1. Justin Thomas (+1200)
Debuted at Colonial with a T-10 finish in the strong field last year and was second among those to make the cut with 1.75 SG: Approach per round. Got an early jump on his preparation for this week with a missed cut at the PGA Championship.
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