Bob Weeks Picks Six – Charles Schwab Challenge

The PGA Tour moves to historic Colonial Country Club for the Charles Schwab Challenge, a post-major event that has assembled a solid lineup.

The course received a major renovation that started just hours after last year’s tournament concluded and the results can be seen at the Fort Worth, Tex., club. Gil Hanse brought the club up to date as viewers and golfers will see this week.

Even with the changes, the main asset of playing well here will be accuracy off the tee and into the greens. Power players aren’t necessarily at an advantage here even with the course playing longer after the renovations.

To win:

Scottie Scheffler +280

Wow. . . talk about some low odds here but then again, this is the world’s top-ranked golfer. He may not have won last week but other than a third-round slip, he played well and that’s with all the off-course distractions. We’re banking on him getting some rest (even with a baby at home) after a long week and coming to a course he knows well.

Collin Morikawa +1200

He couldn’t buy a birdie on the first 17 holes of the final round of the PGA Championship but he certainly struck the ball well most of the week. He finished fourth in Strokes Gained: Tee to Green and that should be a big asset this week. If he can regain a little of the putting prowess he showed in the first three rounds, he could be a factor at this tournament.

Top 10:

Harris English +310

He has a runner-up finish here and last year was tied for 12^th. Last week he was brilliant with the putter, finishing third in SG: Putting. He’s also been good with the driver, sitting 13^th in Total Driving, a combination of distance and accuracy. We like that on this relatively narrow course.

Tony Finau +310

Coming off a top-20 finish at the PGA Championship, Finau has a fourth and a second in his last five starts at this tournament. He sits fourth in Strokes Gained: Approach the Green this season and if his hot and cold putter turns to hot this week, he should find a spot near the top of the leaderboard.

Top 20

Justin Rose +210

A past champion here who has also logged three finishes inside the top 20 in the last four years. He had a very solid tie for sixth last week at the PGA highlighted by a 64 on Saturday. That finish seemed to indicate he’s climbing out of a slow stretch where he missed the cut at the Arnold Palmer, Players and Masters. That along with past performance bodes well for this week.

Keegan Bradley +220

Doesn’t have much of a history here, having played only once in the last seven years. However, he’s finished inside the top 22 in three of his last four starts including both the PGA and the Masters. He sits 20^th in Greens in Regulation and 17^th in Total Driving.