Weekly Fantasy Golf Preview: Charles Schwab Challenge

Charles Schwab Challenge

Colonial Country Club
Fort Worth, TX

The PGA Tour heads to Fort Worth, TX this week, for another edition of the Charles Schwab Challenge .

I don't think you'd find many people that would argue the PGA Tour season can seem very long at times. The "regular" season runs from January through August with no breaks and the fall portion is almost non-stop from September through November. There's little time to catch your breath until December rolls around. 

Within this long season there are segments. January through February, we are simply happy to have golf back. A big portion of the country is still in midst of a cold winter and golf is simply a dream at this point. We take any and all golf tournaments during this segment. Everything is acceptable. Bad field, no problem. Course is too easy, who cares? Just give me golf.

As we roll into March, we look ahead to the first "big" tournament of the year, The PLAYERS Championship. We get a look at the TPC Sawgrass and everything is right with the world. For those of us in cold climates, we can start to think about golfing ourselves. We still take any and all events, but we start to get picky about the fields.

April is, well, we know what April brings. It brings the first major of the season and the one that most people enjoy over all others. Life is good at this point. Depending on where you live, the weather is just about perfect, or just about warm enough to get out and play for the first time. With that first major though, comes the first let down of the year. This is the first time we start to think a tournament might not be worth viewing. Our expectations have risen, we want to see the best battle it out. Don't give me a field with one person in the top-50.

It is in this stretch that we have to learn how to manage the time between majors. After all, the majors are our focus. When is the next major? How many signature events are in-between?  When is that team event again? Do I care about that one?

We finally get to the second major and while it's great, we come to the realization that we are in the grind now. The long stretch between the PGA Championship and the U.S. Open. No Man's Land if you will, so how to best fill that time? And that's what I'm getting at here. How to best fill the time in-between big events.

Signature events hold their own. We don't need to hype them up, the field takes care of that, but what about the non-signature events, the ones that have no unique draw?

I ask this question because there were a lot of grumblings about the course this past week and I get it. The scoring was a bit ridiculous, especially when you consider that TPC Craig Ranch actually tried to make the course more difficult, but I have to ask, when everyone else is trying to fit in, why go the standard route, why not go the other way?

There are many non-signature events during a season and the only one that stands out is the team event in New Orleans, and while that hasn't really captured the attention of golf fans, at least it's different than a ho-hum standard event that we see so often this time of the year.

If you're the Byron Nelson, why not lean into the scoring fest? Let's see if we can get this thing to -40 under. A course full of reachable par-5s and drivable par-4s, why not? I'd watch that. Instead of trying to compete with all the other non-signature events, why not try to separate yourself from the pack? Golf pundits are making light of the course already, so why fight it? Apparently, you can't make this course difficult, so why keep trying? Lean into the low scores, you need something to draw attention to your event, why not make it the scoring?

I realize that the purists will hate this idea, but then again, I'm sure the purists aren't very fond of what's become of the PGA Tour over the past five years anyway, so why not try something new here?

I know, it goes against everything we've been taught about golf. Golf is supposed to be difficult, that's part of the draw, but does it have to be that way each and every week? We're about to embark on what is typically the toughest test of the calendar each year, the U.S. Open, why not have an event in the lead up to the Open that is the antithesis of that event? If nothing else, people will tune in for the spectacle. There's nothing worse than apathy when it comes to teams or leagues and an event with a thin field and a course that's trying to be something it isn't, is never going to capture the attention of golf fans, but an event that's unlike anything else of the calendar just might.

I know it's never going to happen, the people that run these events would never stoop to that level, they are hard wired to think golf has to be a challenge, even if the course won't allow it, but in the current environment, I think having a niche is more important than sticking to some outdated notion that every golf course has to try to be difficult. Be what you are, stop trying to be a difficult course, just become a fun course instead. 

Okay, enough of that. This week we're back at a course that has some bite as the winner here is usually barely into the teens under par. The field has some talent at the top as well, so it should be interesting.

For up-to-the-minute updates on injuries, tournament participation and overall golfer performance, head to RotoWire's latest golf news or follow @RotoWireGolf on X.

FAVORITES

All odds via FanDuel Sportsbook as of 7:00 PM ET Tuesday.

Ludvig Aberg (19-2) 

Aberg is off to a good start this season, he's already over $5 million in earnings and he has six top-10s, five of which are top-5s, but he needs a win. It sounds strange to say he needs a win, after all, he's in the top 10 on the FedEx list and his form is great, but Aberg has just one win in the past 2.5 seasons, so I think he needs a win. Top-5s are great, but they can also be disappointing depending on where you started the final round. Aberg has had some disappointing top-5s this season and a I think a win would do him wonders, especially as we head into the final two majors of the season. This will be Aberg's first time at this event, so we have know idea how he'll take to the course, but his form has been rock solid lately, so I'd imagine he'll be fine. This may be a case where you want to place your win wager after the action has started, one to see if he takes to the course and two to see if his odds improve.

Russell Henley (18-1)

It's a little odd that none of the favorites this week have a strong track record at this event, but that's what happens when you have some big names in the field. Henley doesn't necessarily qualify as a big name, but we all know he's got a lot of game. We haven't really seen his best this season though as he's well off the pace he set this past season. I'm actually a little surprised to see Henley as the second favorite this week. His track record here is nothing special and his form entering this week isn't all that great either. I think this looks like an easy pass for me this week.

Justin Thomas (20-1)

It didn't take long for Thomas to get back into the group of favorites. Sure, he won't be a favorite at a signature event until he wins again, but this is still an important step in his journey back from injury. Like Henley, Thomas does not have much of a track record here, but unlike Henley, Thomas has played some solid golf in recent weeks. Thomas got back into action at the Arnold Palmer in early March and while he missed the cut there, but landed a top-10 the following week at The PLAYERS. He hit a bit of a rough patch after that, but he's recently pulled out of that, as he posted top-15s in his two most recent starts. His most recent start resulted in a T4 at the PGA Championship. Based on what I saw at Aronimink, Thomas appears ready to step back into the winner's circle.

Visit our golf betting section for the latest PGA odds and finishing props from multiple sportsbooks.

THE NEXT TIER

Ben Griffin (27-1)

The defending champ is usually not a great target for a win bet, but I think Griffin might be an exception this week. Griffing picked up two wins this past season, but he got off to a slow start this season. His game has picked up in recent weeks, with a top-3 at the Cadillac Championship at the end of April and a top-15 in his most recent start at the PGA Championship. There is a slight hesitation here in that Griffin's win here this past year was his first good performance at this event in three tries, but we can probably chalk that up to his game showing a massive improvement overall this past year.

J.J. Spaun (30-1)

This isn't one of those events where there are several golfers with long and successful track records. There are a handful of golfers who have played well here a few times, but no one really sticks out as automatic here. Spaun finished in the top-10 here this past year, but prior to that, he'd had little success on this course. He missed the cut at the PGA Championship, but prior to that he was trending in the right direction. As is often the case with majors, sometimes you can just throw out the results as majors are unlike what these guys see on a weekly basis. Spaun finished T5 in his most recent start at a regular PGA Tour event, so I'm going with the assumption that his form is fine if he's on a normal course with a normal setup.

Akshay Bhatia (33-1)

There's not anything in particular to like about what Bhatia has done at this event, he has just one top 25 in three starts and his form doesn't jump off the page, but I feel like he's not getting enough respect from the betting community. This isn't a strong field, there's no reason a guy who won a signature event just a couple months ago should be at 40-1. Bhatia's results have slipped since his win in early March, but he's too good to be down for much longer. Look for Bhatia is get back into the mix soon, possibly this weekend.  

Looking to place a bet for this week's PGA Tour event? Check out the best golf betting sites, featuring comprehensive sportsbook reviews and a summary of new customer bonus offers.

LONG SHOTS

Gary Woodland (40-1) 

I have to admit, with no Scottie Scheffler in the field this week, I'm a little surprised at the inflated odds for some of the better players in the field. Woodland is only two months removed from winning of the PGA Tour and while his track record here isn't great, it's actually one of the better ones in the field. Woodland has three top-15s in six starts, which puts him ahead of most of the players in the field. His play since the win in March hasn't really fallen off much either as he's posted top-20s in both signature events since his win. His play at the majors hasn't been great this season, but we're not dealing with a major this week.   

Tony Finau (60-1)           

One thing we always like in our longshots is the proven ability to win on the PGA Tour. Finau certainly has that, but that's not the only reason he's listed here. Finau has been very consistent here over the years, with eight made cuts in nine starts. He's also had some high-end finishes as well, with a T4 in 2022 and a runner-up in 2019. Finau comes in with some decent form as well as he posted a T6 this past week at the Byron Nelson.   

ONE-AND-DONE LEAGUES

Highly-Chosen Pick: Justin Thomas – There are some big names in the field this week, but not many that you'd save for a signature event. Thomas is probably a borderline signature event golfer as it stands now, but if he keeps playing like he did at the PGA Championship, he'll quickly move into that space. The problem is, there aren't that many big events left, so if you have any borderline guys, you have to start thinking about using them in non-signature events.  

Moderately-Chosen Pick: J.J. Spaun – I'm guessing that most OAD players are not going to burn Aberg this week and some will use Thomas, but that leaves most of the players to pick from a group of guys in Spaun's range. Spaun has the edge on most of those guys however because his track record here is pretty good and his form, outside of a missed cut at the PGA Championship, is pretty good. Spaun could end up being a popular play, though, if people pass on Thomas.

Lightly-Chosen Pick: Tony Finau – I was going to put Woodland here because this last spot is generally reserved for a long shot, but honestly, I think Woodland might be a popular play, especially if the OAD players decide to save both Aberg and Thomas for bigger events. Finau looks like a good option on the low end though because he's coming off a pretty solid week at the Nelson and he also shows well at this event.    

Buyer Beware: Russell Henley – Honestly, I'm not sure why Henley is among the favorites this week. I think the oddsmakers are still using his performance from this past year as a guide, but Henley hasn't resembled that golfer very often this season. He's had a couple good showings, but he's well off the pace he set in 2025. He's not exactly a big name either, which is why I'm surprised that he's currently the second-favorite entering the week. Henley doesn't have much of a track record at this event either, so it's a mystery to me why he's less than 20-1.   

My Pick: Gary Woodland – I'm generally a course history guy, so this really isn't my week as there aren't many, if any golfers in the field this week that have a strong track record at this event, but that just means I get to expand my horizons. Woodland's track record here, like almost everyone in the field, is both good and bad. He's had three poor showings and three good ones. He doesn't have any high-end finishes here, but he does have three top-15s. He missed the cut at the PGA Championship, but his form outside the majors is pretty good entering this week, with two top-20s in his past three starts.   

Previous Results

View the PGA earnings report to find total winnings and winnings per entry via our fantasy golf stats pages.

FANDUEL PICKS

Upper Range: Justin Thomas ($11,600)
Middle Range: Gary Woodland ($10,100)
Lower Range: Michael Kim ($8,600)

SURVIVOR LEAGUES

This Week: Tony Finau – This would seem like a risky play given that Finau hasn't been the most reliable golfer over the past year or so, but he seems to be back on track as evidence by his T6 this past week at the Nelson and his track record here is pretty solid. He's lacking the high-end finishes, but he's been around for the weekend in 8/9 tries here.   

Previous Results