The 2026 Charles Schwab Challenge odds market is starting to take shape, and this year’s trip to Colonial Country Club should once again reward precision, patience, smart iron play, and clean putting. This is not a bomb-and-gouge PGA Tour stop. Colonial is old-school, narrow, tactical, and built for players who can control the golf ball for four straight rounds.
The tournament returns to Fort Worth, Texas from May 25–31, 2026, with Colonial hosting one of the longest-running PGA Tour events at the same venue. Ben Griffin won last year’s tournament by one stroke, and the 2026 field should again bring a strong mix of elite ball-strikers, course-history specialists, and value names looking to break through at Hogan’s Alley.
Before we make our Charles Schwab Challenge predictions, let’s break down where the tournament is played, how to watch, last year’s winner, the current odds situation, the top favorites to monitor, the best betting value, the top longshot, and recent winners. You can also compare weekly golf picks and live golf odds throughout tournament week.
Colonial is one of those PGA Tour stops where course fit matters more than hype. Distance helps everywhere, but this is a place where fairways, approach proximity, scrambling, and putting inside 10 feet can matter more than raw power. That makes it one of the better weeks for bettors who like digging into course history and ball-striking form instead of just backing the biggest name on the board.
Where Is the Charles Schwab Challenge Being Played?
The Charles Schwab Challenge is played at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas. Colonial has hosted this event since 1946, making it one of the most historic and consistent stops on the PGA Tour calendar.
Colonial is a par-70 layout that generally plays a little over 7,200 yards, but the scorecard does not tell the full story. The course is tight, tree-lined, and heavily shaped by angles. Players need to position the ball properly off the tee, attack small greens with controlled irons, and avoid getting out of place in the rough or around the greens.
The famous “Horrible Horseshoe” stretch early in the round can expose loose ball-striking quickly. That is why this tournament often favors players with strong approach numbers, accurate drivers, creative short games, and patience. Colonial does not always produce the flashiest leaderboard, but it usually produces a fair one.
From a betting standpoint, Colonial is a strong form-and-fit course. Players who have succeeded here before are worth respecting, especially if their iron play is trending. It is also a good week to look beyond just outright winners and consider top-10 finishes, top-20 finishes, matchups, and placement bets through the top sports betting sites.
How To Watch The Charles Schwab Challenge?
The 2026 Charles Schwab Challenge will be played May 25–31 at Colonial Country Club. Tournament week begins with practice and pro-am activity before the official tournament rounds run from Thursday through Sunday.
U.S. coverage is expected to follow the usual PGA Tour broadcast setup, with weekday and early-round coverage on Golf Channel and weekend network coverage on CBS, plus streaming options through PGA Tour Live and affiliated platforms. Exact TV windows and tee times should be checked once tournament week coverage is finalized.
If you’re betting live markets, this is a useful event to watch closely. Colonial can shift quickly when the wind picks up, greens firm up, or players begin missing fairways in the wrong spots. A player who looks average on Thursday morning can become a strong live target if the ball-striking numbers are better than the scorecard shows.
Who Won the Charles Schwab Challenge 2025?
Ben Griffin won the 2025 Charles Schwab Challenge, holding off Matti Schmid by one stroke at Colonial Country Club. Griffin finished at 12-under par and earned his first individual PGA Tour victory after already winning the Zurich Classic team event earlier in the season.
That 2025 result was a classic Colonial finish. Conditions were difficult, the course asked for patience, and the winner had to survive pressure all the way to the final green. Griffin was not the biggest name on the board, but he handled the wind, leaned on his short game, and made the putt he needed on the 72nd hole.
For bettors, Griffin’s win was another reminder that Colonial does not always require superstar power. It rewards complete players who keep the ball in play, control distance, avoid big mistakes, and stay comfortable when pars become valuable. That should shape how we approach the 2026 betting card.
The Charles Schwab Challenge Odds
Check out the early projected 2026 Charles Schwab Challenge odds. These numbers should be treated as an opening-market guide until sportsbooks fully release their final Colonial outright boards during tournament week.
| Golfer | Projected Odds |
|---|---|
| Scottie Scheffler | +300 |
| Collin Morikawa | +1400 |
| Tommy Fleetwood | +1800 |
| Jordan Spieth | +2200 |
| Ben Griffin | +2800 |
| Daniel Berger | +3000 |
| Emiliano Grillo | +3500 |
| Keegan Bradley | +4000 |
| Si Woo Kim | +4500 |
| J.T. Poston | +5500 |
| Chris Kirk | +6000 |
| Brian Harman | +6000 |
| Maverick McNealy | +6500 |
| Akshay Bhatia | +7000 |
| Tom Hoge | +7500 |
Scottie Scheffler should be the clear favorite if he tees it up, and that makes sense given his Texas ties, elite ball-striking, and course fit at Colonial. The next tier is where bettors should start hunting for value, with Collin Morikawa, Tommy Fleetwood, Jordan Spieth, Ben Griffin, Daniel Berger, and Emiliano Grillo all carrying profiles that can work at Hogan’s Alley.
The key is not just betting the shortest number. Colonial rewards precision more than power, so players with strong approach numbers, fairway control, scrambling, and putting upside deserve extra attention. Once the final odds board is released, compare prices across multiple books before locking in an outright ticket.
A full, stable Charles Schwab Challenge outright board is not widely available yet, which makes sense with the PGA Championship still shaping the golf betting market. Once books fully post Colonial odds, Scottie Scheffler should be near the top if he tees it up, while Jordan Spieth, Tommy Fleetwood, Collin Morikawa, Ben Griffin, Daniel Berger, Emiliano Grillo, and Keegan Bradley should all draw attention based on course history, ball-striking profile, or recent Colonial form.
The best move right now is to build a watchlist instead of forcing fake numbers. Colonial is a course where the first full odds board can offer value if sportsbooks overreact to recent major results and underweight course fit. When the market opens completely, compare prices across multiple books before locking in your card.
For weekly golf betting, it also helps to compare outright odds with placement markets. If a player has a strong Colonial profile but a questionable win rate, a top-10 or top-20 bet may offer a cleaner path than an outright ticket. You can also track expert movement through the best handicappers page before tournament week.
The Charles Schwab Challenge Favorites
The following golfers should be considered the top Charles Schwab Challenge favorites or key betting names to monitor once the full odds board is posted:
Scottie Scheffler

Scottie Scheffler is always the first name to check at Colonial. He is the best player in the world, a Texas native, and one of the most reliable tee-to-green forces golf has seen in years. Colonial also fits his strengths because it rewards elite iron play, controlled tee shots, and consistent decision-making.
Scheffler has repeatedly played well at this event without lifting the trophy. That makes him both obvious and frustrating from a betting standpoint. He usually gives himself enough chances to contend, but his outright price is often so short that bettors need him to win, not just hang around the first page of the leaderboard.
The biggest question is price. If Scheffler opens as a heavy favorite again, the better betting angle may be finishing position markets or live betting after Round 1 rather than taking the shortest outright number. Still, from a pure win-probability standpoint, nobody in the field will be easier to trust if he plays.
Jordan Spieth

Jordan Spieth and Colonial will always be connected. Spieth won this tournament in 2016, has posted several strong finishes here, and clearly understands how to shape shots around Hogan’s Alley. Even when his form is uneven, this is one of the courses where bettors have to give him a second look.
Colonial rewards creativity, and that is where Spieth can still separate himself. He does not need to overpower the course. He needs to find fairways, control his approaches, scramble when he misses, and get hot with the putter. That formula has worked for him here before.
The risk is consistency. Spieth can still make enough birdies to contend, but he can also lose control for short stretches and give away shots. If his number opens in the mid-range rather than near the top, he becomes much more interesting. If the market prices him heavily because of course history, bettors should be careful.
Tommy Fleetwood

Tommy Fleetwood remains one of the better course-fit names for Colonial. He is accurate, patient, strong with his irons, and comfortable playing positional golf. This is exactly the kind of setup where his all-around consistency can keep him in contention deep into the weekend.
The big question with Fleetwood is the same one bettors have been asking for years: when does he finally close on U.S. soil? He often gives himself chances, and his ball-striking can absolutely travel to Colonial, but winning requires four clean rounds and a putter that does not disappear on Sunday.
If sportsbooks hang a fair number, Fleetwood should be on the shortlist. He may not be the safest outright winner, but he is one of the better fits for top-10 and top-20 markets. On a course where discipline matters, Fleetwood’s game checks a lot of boxes.
Collin Morikawa

Collin Morikawa is another natural fit at Colonial because this course rewards precision iron play. When Morikawa is dialed in with his approach game, he can turn difficult pin locations into makeable birdie chances and avoid the kinds of big mistakes that wreck cards here.
Morikawa has also shown he can handle classic, strategic golf courses where positioning matters more than pure distance. That is why he belongs near the top of any Colonial betting preview. If he drives it well enough and gets average putting, his ball-striking can carry him into Sunday contention.
The betting concern is always the putter. Morikawa does not need to lead the field on the greens, but he cannot lose too much ground in a tournament that often comes down to small margins. If his number is longer than the top favorites, he could be one of the better outright values once odds fully post.
Ben Griffin

Ben Griffin returns as the defending champion after winning the 2025 Charles Schwab Challenge by one stroke. That result should not be dismissed as random. Griffin handled difficult conditions, managed his emotions late, and proved he can win a proper individual PGA Tour event on a demanding course.
The defending champion angle can cut both ways. On one hand, Griffin now knows he can win at Colonial. On the other, the market may price him with more respect than last year, which could reduce the value. Bettors should not blindly chase the repeat, but he deserves to be part of the conversation.
Griffin’s best case is built around short game, confidence, and comfort on the greens. If he arrives in good form and the odds are not too short, he can be considered again. But if the market overcorrects because of last year’s trophy, placement markets may be the better route.
The Best Charles Schwab Challenge Betting Value
The best early Charles Schwab Challenge betting value is Tommy Fleetwood, assuming his outright number opens in a reasonable mid-tier range. Fleetwood has the right profile for Colonial: accurate enough off the tee, strong enough with his irons, patient enough to handle a demanding par-70, and sharp enough around the greens to survive missed targets.
Colonial is not a course where bettors need to chase pure power. Fleetwood’s game makes more sense here than it does on wide-open bomber tracks. He can plot his way around, avoid big numbers, and stack pars until scoring chances appear. That is a valuable skill set at a course where discipline often beats desperation.
The catch is price. If Fleetwood opens too short, the value fades. But if he lands behind Scheffler, Spieth, Morikawa, Griffin, and a few bigger-name players, he should be one of the better early outright targets. He also makes sense in top-10 markets if the books offer a fair number.
Betting Value: Tommy Fleetwood
The Top Charles Schwab Challenge Longshot
The top Charles Schwab Challenge longshot to monitor is J.T. Poston. He is not the flashiest player on the board, but Colonial is exactly the kind of venue where his skill set can matter. He keeps the ball in play, can get hot with the putter, and has the type of controlled game that can survive a tight, positional layout.
Poston is the kind of golfer who becomes interesting if sportsbooks focus too heavily on star power. He is unlikely to overpower anyone, but that is not the assignment at Colonial. The assignment is fairways, wedges, mid-irons, scrambling, and enough made putts to stay in the mix.
If Poston opens at a true longshot number, he is worth a small outright sprinkle and a stronger look in top-20 markets. Colonial has produced winners and contenders who are more efficient than explosive, and Poston fits that mold well.
Top Longshot: J.T. Poston
Charles Schwab Challenge Predictions
The safest Charles Schwab Challenge prediction is that the winner will be an elite approach player or a course-history specialist who avoids trouble for four straight days. Colonial does not usually reward sloppy golf. It asks players to stay disciplined, shape shots, hit small greens, and manage the course when birdies are not easy.
Scottie Scheffler is the obvious top threat if he tees it up. His ball-striking is built for Colonial, and he has already shown he can contend here. But from a betting value standpoint, the better early play is Tommy Fleetwood, provided his number opens in a fair range.
Fleetwood’s game fits the course beautifully. He does not need to overpower Colonial, and he should be comfortable in a week where patience, smart targets, and sharp short-game work matter. If the putter cooperates, he has enough upside to finally turn a strong PGA Tour week into a win.
Jordan Spieth is the course-history play, Collin Morikawa is the iron-play threat, Ben Griffin is the defending champion to respect, and J.T. Poston is the longshot worth monitoring. But the early pick is Fleetwood because the profile, price expectation, and course setup all line up.
Bet: Tommy Fleetwood
Once the full odds board is posted, the best betting card should include one outright, one placement bet, and one matchup. For now, Fleetwood is the outright target, Poston is the longshot watchlist name, and Scheffler is the player to consider in live markets if his pre-tournament price gets too short. For more weekly angles, check the latest golf betting analysis before Thursday’s opening round.
Charles Schwab Challenge Winners
The following is a list of the most recent Charles Schwab Challenge winners:
| Year | Winner | Margin |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Ben Griffin | 1 stroke |
| 2024 | Davis Riley | 5 strokes |
| 2023 | Emiliano Grillo | Playoff |
| 2022 | Sam Burns | Playoff |
| 2021 | Jason Kokrak | 2 strokes |
| 2020 | Daniel Berger | Playoff |
| 2019 | Kevin Na | 4 strokes |
| 2018 | Justin Rose | 3 strokes |
| 2017 | Kevin Kisner | 1 stroke |
| 2016 | Jordan Spieth | 3 strokes |
Recent winners show how different Colonial can be from other PGA Tour venues. Ben Griffin, Davis Riley, Emiliano Grillo, Sam Burns, Jason Kokrak, Daniel Berger, Kevin Na, Justin Rose, Kevin Kisner, and Jordan Spieth all won with different styles, but most had one thing in common: they handled positional golf better than the field that week.
That is the key for 2026. Do not just chase the biggest name or longest driver. Colonial asks for control, discipline, approach play, and putting under pressure. Fleetwood is the early value pick, Scheffler is the obvious favorite to respect, and Poston is the longer number to watch once the full Charles Schwab Challenge odds board is available.








