Tag: Colonial Country Club

Charles Schwab Challenge: Round 1 tee times, TV info

Here are the Round 1 tee times for the PGA Tour’s Charles Schwab Challenge.

The Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas, marks the return of the PGA Tour season.

The Tour season was paused in March after the first round of The Players Champions due to concerns of the coronavirus pandemic. The Charles Schwab kicks off four straight events with no fans permitted on site.

While fans are not allowed in, the telecasts on CBS and Golf Channel will put microphones on a few players and introduce its Inside the Ropes interviews on the course.

The Tour also announced that the 8:46 a.m. local tee time will be left empty in memory of George Floyd.

MORE: Betting odds | Fantasy | By the rankings

Television and streaming information can be found below tee times.

1st tee

Tee time (ET) Players
7:50 a.m. Ryan Palmer, Brian Harman, Bill Haas
8:01 a.m. Wyndham Clark, Doc Redman, Robby Shelton
8:12 a.m. Brian Stuard, Branden Grace, Scott Harrington
8:23 a.m. Kevin Tway, Patton Kizzire, Russell Knox
8:34 a.m. Chez Reavie, Charles Howell III, Pat Perez
8:45 a.m. Viktor Hovland, Brice Garnett, Jason Dufner
8:56 a.m. Matthew Wolff, Corey Conners, Louis Oosthuizen
9:07 a.m. Troy Merritt, Brendan Steele, Jimmy Walker
9:18 a.m. Cameron Champ, Shane Lowry, Jim Herman
9:29 a.m. Kevin Streelman, Rory Sabbatini, Abraham Ancer
9:40 a.m. Adam Hadwin, Harris English, Christiaan Bezuidenhout
9:51 a.m. Mackenzie Hughes, Danny Lee, Brian Gay
10:02 a.m. Tom Lehman, Henrik Norlander, Tyler McCumber
1 p.m. Charley Hoffman, Bud Cauley, Harry Higgs
1:11 p.m. Matthew Fitzpatrick, Denny McCarthy, Sepp Straka
1:22 p.m. Harold Varner III, Zac Blair, Scottie Scheffler
1:33 p.m. Cameron Smith, Joaquin Niemann, Adam Long
1:44 p.m. Tyler Duncan, Brendon Todd, Sung Kang
1:55 p.m. Justin Thomas, Rickie Fowler, Jordan Spieth
2:06 p.m. Rory McIlroy, Brooks Koepka, John Rahm
2:17 p.m. Webb Simpson, Matt Kuchar, Tony Finau
2:28 p.m. Lanto Griffin, Sebastian Munoz, Sergio Garcia
2:39 p.m. Chris Kirk, Scott Brown, Josh Teater
2:50 p.m. Rafa Cabrero Bello, Richy Werenski, Adam Schenk
3:01 p.m. Peter Uihlein, Maverick McNealy, Matthew NeSmith
3:12 p.m. David Frost, Cameron Davis, Franklin Corpening

10th tee

Tee time (ET) Players
7:50 a.m. J.J. Henry, Tom Hoge
8:01 a.m. Lucas Glover, Beau Hossler, Kyoung-Hoon Lee
8:12 a.m. Jhonattan Vegas, Joel Dahmen, Alex Noren
8:23 a.m. Sungjae Im, Dylan Frittelli, Keith Mitchell
8:34 a.m. Patrick Reed, Marc Leishman, Graeme McDowell
8:45 a.m. Dustin Johnson, Justin Rose, Bryson DeChambeau
8:56 a.m. Kevin Na, Gary Woodland, Phil Mickelson
9:07 a.m. Andrew Landry, Max Homa, Steve Stricker
9:18 a.m. J.T. Poston, Ian Poulter, Daniel Berger
9:29 a.m. Chesson Hadley, Bernhard Langer, Jason Kokrak
9:40 a.m. Ryan Moore, Vaughn Taylor, Victor Perez
9:51 a.m. Olin Browne, Doug Ghim, Tom Lewis
1 p.m. Patrick Rodgers, Carlos Ortiz
1:11 p.m. Talor Gooch, Sam Ryder Jazz Janewattananond
1:22 p.m. Chad Campbell, Matt Wallace, Xinjun Zhang
1:33 p.m. Andrew Putnam, Billy Horschel, Danny Willett
1:44 p.m. Collin Morikawa, Bubba Watson, Zach Johnson
1:55 p.m. Kevin Kisner, Xander Schauffele, Jim Furyk
2:06 p.m. Nate Lashley, C.T. Pan, Scott Piercy
2:17 p.m. Keegan Bradley, Jaosn Day, Si Woo Kim
2:28 p.m. Matt Jones, Scott McCarron, Byeong Hun An
2:39 p.m. Emiliano Grillo, Bronson Burgoon, Mark Hubbard
2:50 p.m. John Senden, Nick Watney, Erik van Rooyen
3:01 p.m. Keith Clearwater, Kramer Hickok, Andy Ogletree

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TV, streaming information

All times are listed in Eastern.

Thursday, June 11

6:45 a.m.-8:30 a.m.: Twitter
7:45 a.m.-7 p.m.: PGA Tour Live
4-7 p.m.: Live coverage (GOLF Channel)

Friday, June 12

6:45 a.m.-8:30 a.m.: Twitter
7:45 a.m.-7 p.m.: PGA Tour Live
4-7 p.m.: Live coverage (GOLF Channel)

Saturday, June 13

7 a.m.-6 p.m.: PGA Tour Live
1-3 p.m.: Live coverage (GOLF Channel)
3-6 p.m.: Live coverage (CBS)

Sunday, June 14

7:45 a.m.-6 p.m.: PGA Tour Live
1-3 p.m.: Live coverage (GOLF Channel)
3-6 p.m.: Live coverage (CBS)

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Jon Rahm talks racism, and the looks he gets

Jon Rahm says he gets looks, it’s not the initial reaction he gets when people see him, but rather the one he gets after opening his mouth.

FORT WORTH, Texas — Jon Rahm is passionate, and he’s never hidden it. While that trait hasn’t always served him well on the golf course, he’s certain it will when it comes to talking with fellow PGA Tour players about protests that have taken place since the death of George Floyd.

Rahm, who hails from Barrika, Spain, has been in the United States for years, through a stellar collegiate career at Arizona State. He now lives in Scottsdale, Arizona, with his wife.

As the aftermath of Floyd’s death lingers on, Rahm gets it. Not because of the initial reaction he gets when people see him, but rather the one he gets after opening his mouth.

“As a Hispanic immigrant in the U.S., even though I’m not even close to experiencing what some people have experienced in this world, even myself just speaking Spanish with one of my teammates or with people in some public areas, I’ve gotten dirty looks. I’ve never been racially profiled for the color of my skin but I have had some experiences and it’s not a good feeling,” Rahm said Tuesday from Colonial Country Club. “Why anybody would treat somebody differently to the way you look or they sound or what you believe in, I mean we’re all the same. We’re all human beings and we should all be treated the same way to me. It’s as simple as that.”

Rahm who has 10 professional wins to his credit — including three PGA Tour victories — has long insisted he’s looked to others like Kobe Bryant for inspiration. He said he’s used downtime during the coronavirus pandemic to explore writing, which he says has helped him stay more balanced.

So while he’s working on his temperament, the intensity comes through when he starts discussing the protests, and pent-up emotions that have led to the string of events.

MORE: Betting odds | Fantasy | By the rankings | Tee times

“When this whole thing broke out, I’ve tried to reach out to understand more profoundly what’s going on,” Rahm said. “Because if I’ve somehow experienced a little bit of what a little bit of reasons racism can be like, I can’t imagine what some people have experienced throughout their whole life.

“As an athlete, let’s say in a mainly white sport with somewhat of a platform on social media, I believed it was my duty to — at least not my duty but my belief — to support this cause and try to reach as many people as possible.”

The event in Fort Worth this week might lend itself to those conversations. At least not yet. Rahm and others were back on Tuesday, floating around Colonial Country Club and catching up after time away from work.

But if it arises, the Spaniard insists he’ll be ready to talk.

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“I understand you can’t make everybody aware of everything, but if I can just have one more person understand the situation and support it, to me it’s a win, right, so hopefully a lot of people got to know about it, and also being somebody who’s from Spain, by posting in English and Spanish, maybe some people in Spain understand the gravity of the situation and maybe they try to think of how they’ve treated people in the past,” Rahm said.

“It’s trying to raise awareness to everybody, and I mean, now it’s become the biggest civil rights movement in history. Not that I want to be a part of it, I just felt like I had to be a part of it and try to reach as many people as possible.”

If that means discussing the issue with players and friends, Rahm is comfortable with that. Although he’s not sure if the topic will surface.

“I have no idea. If somebody wants to ask me something or talk to me, I’m glad to talk and share my experience because that’s all I can do. I can’t speak for anybody else, I can only share my experience. If I see somebody worth talking to, I will,” Rahm said. “I’m always willing to learn and to comprehend what some people have gone through and the experiences, and I think that’s the best way we can maybe get information to then act on certain situations.

“Obviously, being in a tournament is going to be a little bit different, but again, if I have the opportunity to talk to somebody, if somebody wants to talk to me, I’ll be more than happy to.”

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Justin Thomas: ‘2020 is beyond a bizarre year so far’

At the Charles Schwab Challenge, Justin Thomas said: “You can’t go into this thing thinking it’s going to be normal because it’s not.”

Justin Thomas didn’t want for golf during the COVID-19 pandemic that silenced the PGA Tour three months ago.

He made frequent trips to the Medalist Golf Club near his southeast Florida home for numerous money matches against fellow pros, including Tiger Woods. He faced Rickie Fowler in 18-hole matches where they used vintage persimmon clubs and balata golf balls on one occasion and played left-handed the other time.

But the fun and games are over.

Now the golf gets real as the PGA Tour returns after a 91-day pause with Thursday’s start of the star-studded Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas, which has attracted the top 5 players in the world and 16 of the top 20.

MORE: Betting odds | Fantasy | By the rankings | Tee times

The former world No. 1 and current No. 4 knows he needs to knock off the physical rust but just as importantly has to quickly find his competitive edge when he puts his peg into the ground in the first round alongside playing partners Fowler and Jordan Spieth.

“I think the hardest thing for me is just going to be getting back into it,” Thomas said Tuesday at Colonial. “The fact that that four-footer I have on the first hole matters, and yeah, if I hit this ball in a hazard, OK, that’s a penalty stroke, and it’s real. It’s not just going out and having a money game with your buddies.

“Every shot counts, it matters, and it’s cumulative score for four days, and that’s I think for me the thing that’s going to be the hardest because I sometimes feel rusty after two, three weeks off, let alone four months.

“That’s going to be weird, but at the same time it’s going to be weird for everybody. I’m just going to hopefully try to get back into that as quick as I can.”

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Getting back into it is a challenge heightened by safety and health protocols developed by the PGA Tour in consultation with infectious disease experts. The plan creates a safety “bubble” intent to minimize the risk of the coronavirus.

The bubble this week for Thomas includes sharing a home with Fowler and Jason Dufner, with a chef on had to cook up all the meals. Thomas took the mandatory COVID-19 test upon arrival in Fort Worth. Is getting used to the grab-and-go meals at the course. Has practiced the social distancing guidelines inside the ropes with his caddie, Jimmy Johnson: being six feet apart, no more tossing a golf ball to each other, never touching the flagstick, trying to figure out how to check out the yardage book at the same time while talking about strategy, etc.

And he’s started to think about how everything is going to play out with no spectators on hand and no grandstands on the grounds.

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“It’s going to be different,” Thomas said. “I think that’s the thing that I was trying to get across to people is that you can’t go into this thing thinking it’s going to be normal because it’s not. I would say 2020 is beyond a bizarre year so far, and especially in the world of sports it’s just going to be different.

“If we all want to get back and play the game that we love and not just for us but for the fans and everybody at home, we’re just going to have to get over the fact that it’s going to be different and be a little weird.”

Thomas, who has 12 Tour titles, including the 2017 PGA Championship, has another distinctive challenge on hand – he’s making his tournament debut. He got his first taste of Colonial with a 9-hole practice round Tuesday morning, when winds were gusting 15-20 mph and the temps were rising toward triple digits.

“It’s awesome. It’s a place that I’ve always watched on TV and I love how it looks,” Thomas said. “It’s a place that I feel like I would like, and I do. It’s all right in front of you. It’s just a great old-school golf course where you put the ball in play and then it’s a second-shot course, and hitting to the small greens, and you have pure bent greens. I’m just excited to be here, because again, it’s a place that I’ve always wanted to come to, just never worked out in the schedule, and obviously would have liked to come under a little bit different circumstances than this year, but no matter what, I’m glad to be here.”

Thomas and Brendon Todd are the only multiple winners on Tour this season, with Thomas winning the CJ Cup at Nine Bridges and the Sentry Tournament of Champions. He also had three top-6 finishes, including a tie for sixth at the WGC-Mexico Championship in his most recent start.

Becoming the season’s first three-time winner will be tough for Thomas, who has gone nearly four months since he last hit a competitive shot on Tour and faces a loaded field featuring 101 players who have won on the PGA Tour. But there’s nowhere else he’d rather be.

“I’m glad to be back out and I’m glad to see a lot of familiar faces, media and officials,” he said. “This is what I’ve wanted to do my whole life, and it’s what I’ve loved to do forever, and it’s nice to be back out playing competitive golf again.”

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Charles Schwab Challenge Prop Bet Payday: Matchups and tournament specials

Looking at the various prop bets for the Charles Schwab Challenge, with PGA Tour odds, picks and bets for tournament specials and matchups.

The 2020 Charles Schwab Challenge is one of the most anticipated golf tournaments in recent history, as it marks the PGA Tour’s return from a nearly three-month hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We’ve made our outright betting picks and power rankings, and below, we’ll look at the best matchup picks and tournament specials for the Charles Schwab Challenge.

Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas hosts the event – Round 1 is Thursday – as one of the PGA Tour’s marquee annual stops. It measures 7,209 yards and plays to a par of 70. It features Bentgrass greens.

Charles Schwab Challenge: Matchup bets

Odds provided by BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Tuesday, June 9 at 10:20a.m. ET.

Patrick Reed vs. Brooks Koepka (-112)

Reed won the WGC-Mexico Championship earlier this year, while Koepka dealt with a lingering knee injury. The No. 3 player in the Official World Golf Ranking has had plenty of time to heal and finished as the runner-up in his only appearance here in 2018. He’s a good value with this line set as a pick ’em.

Charles Schwab Challenge free trivia game

USA TODAY has released a new, special trivia game around the Charles Schwab Challenge, which you can take part in absolutely free. It’s easy to participate.

Charles Schwab Challenge Trivia – How to play

  • Sign up for free at USA TODAY Trivia
  • Select the Charles Schwab Challenge box.
  • Answer each question with how you believe the event will play out
  • Sit back and watch your “My Stats” results to see how you’re doing

Sign up now for USA TODAY’s Charles Schwab Challenge trivia game.

Rickie Fowler vs. Marc Leishman (+100)

Current form goes out the window this week following a long interruption in the 2019-20 PGA Tour season, but Leishman still needs to be given at least somewhat of an edge. He won the Farmers Insurance Open and finished second at the Arnold Palmer Invitational earlier this year, both in stacked fields. Fowler missed the cut in two of six 2020 events.

Matthew Fitzpatrick vs. Justin Rose (+110)

Rose, a short-game wiz, won this event in 2018. Fitzpatrick finished just T-64 last year in his only career appearance at Colonial. Rose also has a significant advantage in putting on Bentgrass greens.

Looking to place a bet on the Charles Schwab Challenge? Get some action on it at BetMGM. Bet Now!

Charles Schwab Challenge: Tournament specials

Leader after 1st round: Scottie Scheffler (+5000)

Scheffler ranks third on Tour this season with a first-round scoring average of 68.15 through 13 rounds. He has soared into 45th in the OWGR and remained busy during the break while winning a charity event at Maridoe Golf Club. He’s just +4000 to win this event outright.

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Brooks Koepka, Jon Rahm and Rory McIlroy all to make the cut: +140

Getting the top three golfers in the world to all make the cut at plus-money is a bargain in any event. Even in a loaded field, they’re safe bets to be playing Saturday.

Wire to wire winner: +1200

This is a good hedge against the low outright odds for all the top players in the world. A number of golfers in this loaded field have the ability to go the distance, especially without fans permitted on the course.

New to sports betting? A $10 bet on a golfer to lead from the end of Round 1 through Round 4 returns a profit of $120.

Get some action on the Charles Schwab Challenge by signing up and betting at BetMGM. If you’re looking for more sports betting picks and tips, access all of our content at SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @EstenMcLaren on Twitter, and follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and Facebook. Please gamble responsibly.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Charles Schwab Challenge: No fans but players will be mic’d up, answer questions on course

To make the game more personable, PGA Tour players will be mic’d up and answer questions on course at the Charles Schwab Challenge.

It’s undeniable the Charles Schwab Challenge loses a bit of its magic without fans on site at Colonial Country Club, but there will be a few new elements introduced to make the broadcast a bit more enjoyable.

The most exciting addition: a few players will be mic’d up.

After its success during The Match: Champions for Charity, CBS Sports chairman Sean McManus said on a conference call Monday the Charles Schwab Challenge will be next event attempting to make the game more personable by putting microphones on players.

McManus said there are a few players who have agreed to be mic’d up beginning Thursday as the PGA Tour holds its first event in nearly three months. The players who will be mic’d up is expected to be announced later in the week.

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“We’ve been talking to the Tour about it for years,” McManus said. “I think there’s probably a greater appreciation for wanting to contemporize golf coverage a little bit and I think the players are beginning to realize that they can play a real role in that and making the product a little more interesting for the viewer at home.”

Putting a microphone on Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson along with partners Tom Brady and Peyton Manning paid off two weeks ago as droves of fans — traditional golf fans and unlikely viewers alike — tuned in for one of the first major live sporting events in two months amid the COVID-19 pandemic. While players at Colonial will only have a microphone and not have earpieces to be asked questions during the round as Woods and Co. did during their charity match, CBS is hoping to generate the same type of buzz as golf follows UFC and NASCAR as major sports returning to action in the United States.

While not every player is interested in participating, McManus said in fact most aren’t willing yet, he is hoping those who try the microphones this week at Colonial will convince others of its value to fans, the game and ultimately themselves. CBS plans to make mic’d up players part of its weekly golf coverage.

The Match: Champions For Charity
Tiger Woods, Peyton Manning, Phil Mickelson and Tom Brady pose after The Match: Champions For Charity at Medalist Golf Club in Hobe Sound, Florida. (Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images for The Match

Six-time major winner and current lead analyst for CBS Sports Nick Faldo said as a player, he too probably would have refused to have a microphone during a round as he feared it would have affected his privileged conversations with his caddie. In 2020, however, times have changed and the need for a more personable game is undeniable.

“What a great opportunity,” Faldo said. “We have plenty of fun talkers, fun tweeters haven’t we out there? Maybe they’d like to get their face and their sponsor on TV. I can’t see any harm. They have to switch it a little bit the players are entertainers right now and they have to do a little entertaining.”

The challenge of not having fans on the course presents an opportunity to add another interactive element to the broadcast. CBS will also introduce Inside the Ropes, an on-course interview with players on a certain hole. In accordance with social distancing guidelines, each player willing to participate will go into a tent alone on a certain hole, which one is to be determined, and answer a printed question to an unattended camera. The questions will range from specifics about their performance at Colonial to how it feels to be playing after three months away from competition.

Just like with the mic’d up players, McManus hopes to make Inside the Ropes part of CBS’s weekly Tour coverage as players grow more comfortable with the new plan to engage viewers. Jim Nantz, who will anchor all four days of the joint Golf Channel and CBS Sports broadcast alone from Colonial’s 18th Tower, wholeheartedly agreed.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for the game for the PGA Tour,” Nantz said. “They have a chance to go before a sports-starved nation and have a chance to create a fanbase, a wider fanbase than it’s ever had before and how you do that? But a lot of it has to be personality driven. We have to hear from the players.”

Tackling the strange landscape of running a professional sporting event in the time of coronavirus and social distancing goes beyond having no fans and making the tournament more engaging. CBS and Golf Channel are coordinating their efforts over the event’s four days by cutting the members of its broadcast teams on site for the Charles Schwab Challenge in half compared to pre-coronavirus production.

AUGUSTA, GA – APRIL 06: Jim Nantz, CBS Sportscaster, is seen on set during the first round of the 2017 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club on April 6, 2017 in Augusta, Georgia. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)

Nantz will be joined in Fort Worth by on-course reporters Dottie Pepper and Mark Immelman while Faldo and fellow analysts Ian Baker-Finch and Frank Nobilo will provide commentary from Orlando. Commentator Amanda Balionis will also work remotely from her home. Other members of the production team will work in an increased number of trucks on site and remotely from Golf Channel studios across the country.

While the CBS addressed coronavirus guidelines in preparing for their broadcast, it also plans to address the death of George Floyd and resulting nationwide protests at the top of the broadcast.

“I just think there would be a recognition on the part of our announcers that golf and sports coverage is not a matter of life and death but it’s a little perspective,” McManus said. “Let’s have some enjoyment out there. Let’s appreciate the athletic competition but let’s also remember that there’s a lot of other things going on in this country that we don’t need to necessarily recognize except in the opening but we have to keep in the back of our minds.”

Live television coverage of the Charles Schwab Challenge will begin Thursday at Noon ET on Golf Channel and move to CBS beginning Saturday afternoon for the third and final rounds.

The full broadcast schedule for the Charles Schwab Challenge can be found below.

Thursday, June 11

6:45 a.m.-8:30 a.m. ET: Twitter
7:45 a.m.-7 p.m. ET: PGA Tour Live
4-7 p.m. ET: Live coverage (GOLF Channel)

Friday, June 12

6:45 a.m.-8:30 a.m. ET: Twitter
7:45 a.m.-7 p.m. ET: PGA Tour Live
4-7 p.m. ET: Live coverage (GOLF Channel)

Saturday, June 13

7 a.m.-6 p.m. ET: PGA Tour Live
1-3 p.m. ET: Live coverage (GOLF Channel)
3-6 p.m. ET: Live coverage (CBS)

Sunday, June 14

7:45 a.m.-6 p.m. ET: PGA Tour Live
1-3 p.m. ET: Live coverage (GOLF Channel)
3-6 p.m. ET: Live coverage (CBS)

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Charles Schwab Challenge field loaded with star power, but no Tiger Woods

Even without Woods, the strongest field in tournament history will show up at Colonial.

The eyes of Texas – and the golf world – will be upon revered Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth next week when the PGA Tour resumes play after a three-month break due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

No one, however, will see Tiger Woods.

The game’s biggest star and reigning Masters champion didn’t commit to the Charles Schwab Challenge by the Friday deadline of 5 p.m., ET. He didn’t publicly make a statement explaining his decision not to go to Hogan’s Alley.

Woods last played in The Match: Champions for Charity on May 24, where he and Peyton Manning defeated Phil Mickelson and Tom Brady at The Medalist in Hobe Sound, Florida. Woods last played on the PGA Tour on Feb. 16, when he shot a final-round 77 to finish in last place at the Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club north of Los Angeles.

More: What our tour writers are most excited about when golf returns

Even without Woods, the strongest field in tournament history will show up at Colonial, led by world No. 1 Rory McIlroy, who has six top-5 finishes on the PGA Tour this season, including a victory in the WGC-HSBC Champions last fall.

He’ll be joined by World No. 2 Jon Rahm, No. 3 and reigning PGA Championship winner Brooks Koepka, No. 4 Justin Thomas and No. 5 Dustin Johnson. It will be the first time the tournament will feature the top 5 players in the world since the Official World Ranking began in 1986.

Other top-10 players in the field include No. 7 Patrick Reed and No. 9 Webb Simpson, both major champions. In all, 16 of the top 20 will be at Colonial, and 70 of the top 100.

Further, 24 major champions are in the field of 148, including two-time Masters champion and PGA Tour Champions star Bernhard Langer. The past five players who have won the tournament are in: defending champion Kevin Na, major champion Justin Rose, Kevin Kisner, three-time major winner Jordan Spieth and Chris Kirk.

Reigning U.S. Open champion Gary Woodland and reigning Open champion Shane Lowry are also playing. Further star power is bolstered by five-time major champion Mickelson, Rickie Fowler, Bryson DeChambeau, major winners Jason Day and Sergio Garcia, Tony Finau, Matt Kuchar, two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson, Ian Poulter and Xander Schauffele.

In all, 101 of the players have won on the PGA Tour, the most winners in  field outside of the Players Championship during the FedEx Cup era.

The Charles Schwab Challenge is the first PGA Tour event since the Players Championship, which was canceled March 13 after the first round. Eleven tournaments with more that $90 million in purse money have been canceled.

Next week’s event – which will be the 75th PGA Tour event held at Colonial – features a $7.5 million purse. The event will be played without spectators. Strict safety and health protocols will be in place at Colonial.

The next tournament where Woods could make his first Tour start since February would be the RBC Heritage June 18-21 on Hilton Head Island in South Carolina. The 15-time major winner is seeking his record 83rd PGA Tour title. He has played just twice this year—a tie for ninth in the Farmers Insurance Open and a finish of 68th in the Genesis Invitational.

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Jay Monahan: ‘What has happened here is not right, and we’re going to be part of the solution’

PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan and Harold Varner III addressed the Black Lives Matter in the wake of George Floyd’s death.

For the first time since George Floyd was killed May 25 in Minneapolis, and protests began to flood cities across the nation, the PGA Tour and Commissioner Jay Monahan addressed racial disparity in the United States.

The Tour had not commented publicly until Friday, when it released video of a conversation between Monahan and Harold Varner III about race and golf. Monahan said instead of a public statement, he wrote and sent a letter to Tour staff, players and tournaments addressing the racial tension and inequality in the United States. The Tour also released Monahan’s letter to Tour personnel on Friday.

In his conversation with Varner, Monahan said he spent the past week listening and learning what it meant to be part of the solution to racial inequality in America instead of being part of the problem.

“For me, I spent the weekend last weekend calling around to my black colleagues and black friends, people that I thought that I could really learn from and I, at that time, I felt vulnerable,” Monahan said. “I didn’t understand in a world where people say, ‘If you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem.’ I didn’t understand what the solution was in the short term, but I was committed to make certain I was part of identifying it as supporting it. So for me stepping back and trying to listen to those people that have been affected was the best place to start.”

As the Tour plans to play its first event since March, when the season was put on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic, Monahan said the Tour will restart its season committed to diversity, inclusion and doing what’s right.

“What has happened here is not right and we’re going to be part of the solution. Let’s open up our discussion,” Monahan said. “Let’s make certain that we are listening to our players, listening to our colleagues and let’s do this the right way.”

In his conversation with Varner, Monahan admitted that in many ways, the PGA Tour has been stable for a long time, but not growing. He said he wanted the Tour to use this moment in history to commit to growing and diversifying the sport.

In return, Varner, who became one of the first Tour players to speak following Floyd’s death when he released a statement Monday, asked Monahan if the commissioner thought the Tour had been working to promote diversity and access to the sport before Floyd’s death in Minneapolis.

“I think we’ve been trying for a long time,” Monahan said.

“That’s where I struggle,” Varner said. “I think it’s just really damn hard. Because if it was so easy, why wouldn’t we do it?”

Varner said while few of the golfers on the course are black, he’s encouraged by the Tour’s commitment to diversity because there are plenty of black people behind the scenes who are essential to the success of every Tour event. He said in an attempt to promote black voices in golf, he wants them to be more visible and to be heard.

“There (are) black people that make (the Tour) run every day,” Varner said. “I just don’t know how else to explain it. It’s why I’ve never worried about the PGA Tour. I worry about the golf part, yeah. I think most of it has to do with access, but I think that’s in any color, race, but I’m going to do my part for black people because there’s other people who gave me access.”

Varner leads the HV3 Foundation which gives back to children who will benefit from increased access and opportunity in golf. The foundation provides financial assistance for equipment, after-school programs, instruction and camps for young athletes.

Monahan and Varner also agreed the timing of the rise in Black Lives Matter protests and demands for social justice could not be better even though the calls for social and political reform come while the globe is grappling with the coronavirus pandemic.

“You think about what we’ve been through since we left each other on Friday of the Players and you have COVID-19, which is a situation that we didn’t create. Then you have this racial and social unrest which is a situation we did create,” Monahan said. “I’ve had people tell me, ‘Gosh, what terrible timing.’ … And actually it’s really good timing because people have more time right now to reflect on what has happened, both looking back and looking at what’s currently happening, and to the point you’re making, we’re the greatest country in the world and we overcome and this is an opportunity for us to unite and for us as a sport as we come back to play. Sport is the ultimate uniter.

“It’s the ultimate source of inspiration… I think as we move forward, we move forward with more awareness and a commitment to be a great representative for what’s right.”

The PGA Tour returns Thursday at Colonial Golf Club with the Charles Schwab Challenge.

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Jay Monahan releases letter to PGA Tour personnel on George Floyd’s death, social injustice

Jay Monahan released a letter to PGA Tour staff, players and tournaments addressing social injustice and how to proceed as a “Tour family.”

On Friday, the PGA Tour publicly addressed the topics of social injustice and the Black Lives Matter movement which is growing across the globe.

As part of the Tour’s first public reaction to the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25 and resulting protests, Commissioner Jay Monahan and Harold Varner III conversed for nearly 12 minutes in a video posted by the PGA Tour.

Monahan said earlier in the week, he released a letter to Tour staff, players and tournaments addressing social injustice and how to proceed as a “Tour family.” The PGA Tour plans to resume its 2020 season Thursday at Colonial Country Club for the Charles Schwab Challenge. The PGA Tour season was postponed in March due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The following letter was written by Monahan and sent to PGA Tour staff, players and tournaments this week and posted by the PGA Tour on Friday morning.

A time to communicate and search for answers

This past weekend, I – like many of you, I’m sure – spent a lot of time trying to understand and process the civil unrest that has engulfed many cities across the United States, following the tragic death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. The hardships and injustices that have and continue to impact the African-American community are painful to watch and difficult to comprehend. And as a citizen of this country and a leader of this organization, I must admit that I’m struggling with what my role should be. But I am not giving up.  

I’ve often heard that if you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem. What can I say? What should I do?

I’m certain many of you are asking those same questions.

In the midst of that confusion, as usually happens, the PGA Tour family steps up to shine a light of perspective and compassion. First, I had several meaningful and emotional conversations this weekend with colleagues and friends in the African-American community, who – once again – showed me that sometimes listening and making a commitment to understand are the only things you can offer, and that’s OK. And I learned that two of our PGA TOUR YOU groups – CORE and HONOR – took it upon themselves to work over the weekend on a unified message … reminding all of us at the TOUR of our shared values, offering help for those who may need it and providing perspective on how to be there for each other as we navigate this incredibly complex and painful issue, together. 

What I was left with was this: make no mistake about it – someone you know and care about is hurting right now, even if they haven’t told you that directly (and, of course, our work-from-home, socially distant way of living right now is not helping the cause). And if anyone at the Tour is hurting, we should all hurt. That’s how a family works.  

To that end, please also spend a few minutes on THIS ARTICLE that expresses an important and powerful viewpoint from the African-American community, not only in relation to the recent tragic headlines, but also the fear and sadness created by the inequality and racism that still presides in the 21st century. Too often we just move on when we are not directly influenced by the news of the day. Yes, we have all been impacted by the global pandemic, but we should also be painfully aware and impacted by the dividing lines in our country.

We might not know exactly what to do right now, but we shouldn’t be deterred. We should communicate and learn. We should talk to our family, friends and colleagues in an open and compassionate way. We should grow as individuals and as an organization. And, most importantly, we should demand better.   

Jay Monahan

Charles Schwab Challenge: Fantasy golf power rankings

As the PGA Tour prepares to return, we look at the top fantasy golf picks for the 2020 Charles Schwab Challenge.

The 2019-20 PGA Tour season resumes Thursday, June 11, with the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas. Previously an invitational event, the 2020 field has been expanded to 144 players, including many of those ranked at the top of the Golfweek/Sagarin world rankings. Below, we look at the top fantasy golf picks for the 2020 Charles Schwab Challenge.

Colonial Country Club features Bentgrass greens, measures 7,209 yards and plays to a par of 70. Final scores from the last five tournament winners have ranged from 10-under par to minus 20.

Charles Schwab Challenge: Fantasy Golf Top 30

Rory McIlroy lines up a putt on the 10th hole during the first round of the 2020 Players Championship. (Photo: Adam Hagy – USA TODAY Sports)

Here are my top 30 fantasy golf rankings for the 2020 Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial Country Club.

30. Brandt Snedeker

Snedeker has a strong history at Colonial, having gained an average of 1.06 strokes per round on the field across 36 career rounds. He made the cut in each of his last five trips to Fort Worth, picking up a T-2 in 2015 and a T-19 last year.

29. Adam Hadwin

Hadwin is an excellent putter on Bentgrass greens. He tied for fifth at Colonial in 2015 and followed it with three more made cuts before skipping last year’s event.

28. Harris English

Another strong putter (sensing a theme?), English was the runner-up in 2016. He ranks fifth in the field among those with a minimum of 10 rounds played with 1.58 true strokes gained per round at Colonial, according to Data Golf.

27. Shane Lowry

Lowry makes his debut at Colonial coming off his 2019 Open Championship victory. The 24th-ranked golfer in the Golfweek rankings tied for 21st at the Honda Classic in a rare non-major appearance in North America before the season was suspended.

Kevin Na kneels with the trophy after winning the 2019 Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial. (Photo: Ray Carlin – USA TODAY Sports)

26. Kevin Na

The 2019 Charles Schwab Challenge champion has finished inside the top 10 in three of his last four visits to Fort Worth. He’s a steady performer on and around the greens.

25. Matt Kuchar

Kuchar had a couple of strong finishes early this year. He won the SMBC Singapore Open on the Asian and Japanese Tours, and he was a co-runner-up at The Genesis Invitational. He’s well-experienced at Colonial with 42 career rounds and an average of 1.48 strokes gained per round.

24. Marc Leishman

Leishman won the Farmers Insurance Open and finished second at the Arnold Palmer Invitational before his season was put on hold. He’s not a particularly strong putter on Bentgrass surfaces, but the rest of his short game play has been in excellent form.

23. Joaquin Niemann

Niemann opened the 2019-20 season with a victory at A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier. He was ice cold to begin the 2020 portion of the schedule, missing the cut at the Genesis Invitational, The Honda Classic and the Arnold Palmer Invitational. He still ranks third in my stat model at Fantasy National, which looks at everyone’s most recent 50 rounds played on courses with Bentgrass greens.

22. Lucas Glover

Glover ranks 10th by the same stat model, leaning on a strength of Par 4 Efficiency on holes measuring between 400 and 450 yards. He missed the cut in his last two appearances here, but his 38 career rounds rank among the most of anyone in the field.

21. Scottie Scheffler

The reigning Korn Ferry Tour Player of the Year finished T-15 at the API prior to the Tour’s season being suspended. He’ll debut at Colonial having shot up to 28th in the Golfweek rankings.

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20. Byeong Hun An

An bucks the trend of backing putters, but he was in otherwise excellent form earlier this year, highlighted by a T-4 finish at The Honda Classic. He ranks among the best in the field in Strokes Gained: Scrambling, and he has a good approach game.

19. Daniel Berger

Berger was showing flashes of his former self earlier this year. He finished T-4 at the Honda Classic and T-5 at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Putting is a weakness, but his ball-striking is back in top form.

Rickie Fowler watches his tee shot on the 11th hole during the first round of the Players Championship. (Photo: Adam Hagy – USA TODAY Sports)

18. Rickie Fowler

Golf fans were able to see Fowler at the TaylorMade Driving Relief skins match where he was the best in a foursome consisting of Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson and Matthew Wolff. Fowler tied for 14th here in 2018, but he missed the cut last year.

17. Xander Schauffele

Schauffele has a surprisingly poor history at Colonial. He missed the cut each of the last two years following a T-48 finish in 2017. He’s a reliable putter who can get hot, and he is a low scorer.

16. Collin Morikawa

Morikawa still hasn’t missed a cut as a professional golfer on the PGA Tour. He tied for ninth in a strong field at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

15. Patrick Reed

Reed is an excellent putter and does extremely well on our selected par-4 distance of 400-450 yards. He tied for 15th here in 2016 before taking the last three years off.

14. Sungjae Im

Im, who picked up his first PGA Tour win at The Honda Classic earlier this year, missed the cut here in 2019, but he missed the cut in just two of 26 worldwide events since. He has an excellent short game and can create scoring opportunities.

Kevin Kisner lines up a putt during the first round of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am at Spyglass Hill Golf Course. (Photo: Kyle Terada – USA TODAY Sports)

13. Kevin Kisner

Kisner finished T-5 in 2015 and T-10 in 2016 before winning the plaid jacket in 2017. He has since finished T-52 and missed the cut in 2019. He is third in the field in SG: Putting on Bentgrass greens across everyone’s last 100 rounds on the surface.

12. Gary Woodland

Woodland was rounding into form immediately before the break, finishing T-12 at the WGC-Mexico Championship and T-8 at The Honda Classic. A weaker putter, he’ll rely on excellent ball striking and scoring.

11. Bryson DeChambeau

DeChambeau ranks fourth in my overall stat model. He missed the cut in three of four appearances here, but he finished inside the top five in each of his last three events in 2020.

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10. Tony Finau

The 2019 runner-up has gained an average of 1.57 strokes per round across his 16 career rounds at Colonial. He’s an expert ball-striker and low scorer.

9. Jordan Spieth

Throw out any reservations you may have about picking Spieth because of his struggles over the past three seasons. The 2016 champion of Colonial tied for second in both 2015 and 2017 and tied for eighth last year. He leads the field with 2.52 strokes gained at this venue, and his putter has remained consistently elite amid his struggles from tee-to-green.

8. Jason Day

Day is the only member of the field better with the putter than Spieth over everyone’s last 100 rounds on Bentgrass. Persistent injury issues have kept him out of the winner’s circle since 2018, but he’ll be well-rested after last withdrawing from the API.

7. Dustin Johnson

Johnson was a disaster at the TaylorMade event, but it’s quite possible the charity event didn’t have his full interest. He ranks seventh in the stat model and is the second-best ball-striker over everyone’s last 50 rounds.

6. Webb Simpson

The No. 1 player in the Golfweek rankings skipped last year’s event following a missed cut in 2018. He was fifth in 2017 and tied for third in 2016. Putting isn’t a strength, but he excels as an escape artist, which could have him better prepared than most to shake off the rust.

Brooks Koepka lines up a putt during the final round of the Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club. (Photo: Butch Dill – USA TODAY Sports)

5. Brooks Koepka

Koepka has now had plenty of time to rest and fully heal the knee injury which was plaguing his play early in the calendar year. He was the runner-up in 2018, his only career appearance at Colonial, and he gained 4.01 strokes on the field.

4. Rory McIlroy

McIlroy was in good, but not great, form at the TaylorMade event. His closest-to-the-pin shot in the playoff proved to be the winner. He’s fifth in the stat model and will be looking for his first win of 2020 after four top-five finishes.

3. Jon Rahm

Rahm ranks fourth in the Golfweek rankings and his early 2020 form may have been trailing only McIlroy. He collected two wins on the European Tour to end his 2019 campaign. He then finished second at the Farmers Insurance Open and tied for third in Mexico.

2. Justin Thomas

Thomas is another of the top-ranked golfers making his debut at Colonial in the restructured 2020 season. He bests the stat model, ranking first in Ball Striking and Birdies or Better Gained.

1. Justin Rose

Chalk up Rose as someone likely to have enjoyed the break from competitive golf. He had missed the cut at the Farmers Insurance Open, the Honda Classic and the API before play was suspended. He won here in 2018 and ranks second in the stat model coming in.

Get some action on the Charles Schwab Challenge by signing up and betting at BetMGM. If you’re looking for more sports betting picks and tips, access all of our content at SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @EstenMcLaren on Twitter, and follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and Facebook. Please gamble responsibly.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

Charles Schwab Challenge odds, predictions, picks and PGA Tour best bets

Analyzing the golf betting odds to win the 2020 Charles Schwab Challenge, with PGA Tour betting odds, picks, predictions and best bets.

The PGA Tour is back! The Charles Schwab Challenge will be the first tournament held since the cancelation of The Players Championship in March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. An expanded and star-studded field will be in attendance at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas. Below, we look at BetMGM‘s PGA Tour betting odds to win and make our Charles Schwab Challenge picks and best bets.

The first event to be held without fans permitted on the course will see four of the top five golfers in the Golfweek/Sagarin world ranking, including No. 1 Webb Simpson, try to hold off the competition in a more level field.

The key stats for the 7,209-yard, par-70 Colonial Country Club:

  • Strokes Gained: Ball Striking
  • Strokes Gained: Short Game
  • Birdies or Better Gained
  • Strokes Gained: Scrambling
  • Par 4 Efficiency: 400-450 Yards
  • Proximity from 125-150 Yards

My model at Fantasy National looks at the most recent 50 rounds for each golfer in the field on courses with Bentgrass greens. We’ll also weigh long-term putting performance more heavily this week than usual as a result of the extended midseason interruption.

Charles Schwab Challenge Betting Picks – Tier 1

Feb 23, 2020; Mexico City, MEX; Jon Rahm reacts after missing a putt on the 15th green during the final round of the WGC – Mexico Championship golf tournament at Club de Golf Chapultepec. (Photo Credit: Orlando Ramirez – USA TODAY Sports)

Odds provided by BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Wednesday, June 3 at 1 p.m. ET.

Jon Rahm (+1100)

Rahm, ranked fourth in the Golfweek world rankings, was in proper form as one of the best golfers in the world prior to the break. He has finishes of second, T-3, T-9 and 10th in five events in 2020.

He ranks 12th overall by my stat model over his last 50 rounds on Bentgrass greens. He’s seventh in the field in Ball Striking and fourth in Birdies or Better Gained. He missed the cut at Colonial last year, but he was T-5 in 2018 and T-2 in 2017. He offers adequate value when compared to Rory McIlroy (+700) as the tournament favorite.

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Justin Rose (+5000)

Rose won this event in 2018 when it was known as the Fort Worth Invitational. His finish at 20-under par is the second-best winning score ever at Colonial.

The 22-time winner around the globe ranks second in the stat model. He was in poor form early this year, having missed the cut at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, the Honda Classic and the Farmers Insurance Open. He’s well worth backing at an inflated price following the Tour’s hiatus.

Charles Schwab Challenge Betting Picks – Tier 2

Mar 5, 2020; Orlando, Florida, USA; Jason day hits his tee shot on the 18th hole during the first round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational golf tournament at Bay Hill Club & Lodge. (Photo Credit: Reinhold Matay – USA TODAY Sports)

Jason Day (+6600)

As noted above, these first few weeks of tournament play will be a good time to trust putters. No one has been better than Day over their last 100 rounds on Bentgrass greens. He hasn’t won since doing so twice in 2018, but the extended break has helped him to rest his lingering injuries.

Kevin Kisner (+9000)

Kisner ranks third in the field in SG: Putting on Bentgrass greens. The 2017 champion of Colonial followed it up with a T-52 in 2018 and a missed cut last year, but he was T-10 in 2016 and T-5 in 2015. He has gained an average of 1.53 strokes per round in Fort Worth over 20 career rounds, according to Data Golf.

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Charles Schwab Challenge Betting Picks – Long shots

Mar 8, 2020; Orlando, Florida, USA; Danny Lee looks over his putt on the eighth green during the final round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational golf tournament at Bay Hill Club & Lodge. (Photo Credit: Reinhold Matay – USA TODAY Sports)

Danny Lee (+12500)

Lee has just one PGA Tour win, but he’s a strong long-shot bet without fan pressure. He has been a steady performer at Colonial CC, making the cut in each of his last five visits with a sixth-place finish in 2017 and a T-10 in 2015. He has gained an average of 1.31 strokes per round across 28 rounds at this venue.

Emiliano Grillo (+15000)

Grillo made the cut in each of his last four trips to Fort Worth, finishing third in 2018 and T-19 last year. His 1.57 strokes gained per round at Colonial rank sixth in the field among those with a minimum of 10 rounds played. The break and the fan-less competition could serve him well as he looks for his first PGA Tour win since the 2015 Frys.com Open.

Get some action on the Charles Schwab Challenge by signing up and betting at BetMGM. If you’re looking for more sports betting picks and tips, access all of our content at SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @EstenMcLaren on Twitter, and follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and Facebook. Please gamble responsibly.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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