The PGA Tour stops off in Fort Worth, Texas for this week's Charles Schwab Challenge, which has been played at the iconic Colonial Country Club since its inception in 1946.
Nicknamed 'Hogan's Alley' after Ben Hogan's record five victories, this narrow, tree-lined course is a Par 70 measuring 7,289 yards, with two par-5s, 12 par-4s and four par-3s.
There are no less than 12 challenging dog-legs to negotiate and the stretch of holes from the third to the fifth, known as the 'Horrible Horseshoe', played to 284-over-par in the 2019 edition.
Sweden's Ludvig Aberg has been installed as the +800 favorite, ahead of +1600 Russell Henley and +1800 Justin Thomas, who tees it up for the first time at Colonial since missing the cut in 2022.
Charles Schwab Challenge Longshot Predictions
Christiaan Bezuidenhout to win and each-way (+6600)
While the market leaders deserve respect ahead of Thursday's opening round, there is value to be had further down the betting and Christiaan Bezuidenhout looks like a solid each-way play.
A sharp putting is required at Colonial and the South African is one of the best on the greens, evidenced by his ranking of 10th in putting average and strokes gained and his position of fourth in total putting.
With finishes of 15th, 21st, 17th and 16th in his last four Charles Schwab appearances, Bezuidenhout is comfortable knocking it around this course in the Lone Star State and another solid display is anticipated.
Karl Vilips to win and each-way (+15000)
Another player to watch out for is highly rated Australian Karl Vilips, who finished tied-11th on his Colonial debut last year and he returns 12 months later as a PGA Tour winner.
The 24-year-old won the 2025 Puerto Rico Open by three shots and he has the skillset required to get into contention for a second victory at this level come Sunday.
Vilips has been excellent on the greens, ranking 10th in strokes gained putting and sixth in total putting, and that club will be extremely important to success this week.
The Aussie, who had a top-25 effort at Myrtle Beach a couple of starts ago, may have been overlooked heading into this event and he is worth an each-way play.
Vince Whaley Top American each-way (+19000)
The Top American market is saturated, with Henley, Thomas and defending champion Ben Griffin leading the way, but it could be worth taking a chance on Vince Whaley to outscore his compatriots.
Whaley may have missed the cut on his last two outings, at Myrtle Beach and the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, but Colonial is a course he has performed well at and that could spark a resurgence in his game.
The 31-year-old recorded his best Charles Schwab result last year when finishing tied-11th, adding to the top-20 he had on debut in 2021, and his sharp putting can aid his cause again.
Whaley is unrivalled in strokes gained putting and in the top 10 for both total putting and overall putting average, and this club can help get in the mix.
Charles Schwab Challenge Outright Odds
Ludvig Aberg | +800 |
Russel Henley | +1600 |
Justin Thomas | +1800 |
Ben Griffin | +2200 |
Ricke Fowler | +2200 |
Robert MacIntyre | +2200 |
Hideki Matsuyama | +2500 |
J.J. Spaun | +2500 |
Alex Smalley | +2800 |
Akshay Bhatia | +3300 |
Read the latest Golf news on site.
This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
