2022 Charles Schwab Challenge Preview

THE week after a major usually sees pretty weak fields, but that is not the case as the PGA Tour arrives at Colonial for the Charles Schwab Challenge, where Jason Kokrak defends his title.

Kokrak famously played in 233 PGA Tour events before getting his first victory. And he didn't have to wait long to win again.

He shot an even-par 70 in a final-group showdown with Jordan Spieth, winning the tournament with a 14-under-par total of 266. He won by two strokes from Spieth, who hit his approach at the 18th over the green and into the water.

A huge crowd followed Kokrak and Spieth, most of them waiting to erupt for Dallas-native Spieth, who started the round with a one-stroke lead before a bogey-filled 73. Instead of his second win at Colonial, he finished as the runner-up at Hogan's Alley for the third time.

“They were definitely rooting for the guy next to me,” said Kokrak, who tied for third at Colonial in 2020. “Both of us didn't have our A-game today. We grinded it out.”

Colonial is a golf course that demands accuracy and good shotmaking and that means it is made for Viktor Hovland and Abraham Ancer, two of the most consistent performers on the PGA Tour, players who produce top-10 finishes for fun. 

Hovland already has two wins and a runner-up finish to his name this season but he has been fairly quiet recently. The Norwegian has been working furiously hard on his short game, which is still seen by many as a perceived weakness. I have said this before - you don’t win on the PGA Tour and DP World Tour unless you have a wonderful short game.

(Image Credit: Kevin Diss Photography)

England’s Tommy Fleetwood is desperate to arrest his slide down the world rankings. He went some way towards putting that right with a tied fifth finish at the PGA Championship. Prior to that, his best finish on the PGA Tour this season came at the Zozo Championship way back in October, when he ended the week in a tie for seventh. And his best finish on the DP World Tour was a tie for 12th at the Dubai Desert Classic. Fleetwood is normally pretty accurate from the tee but during the past couple of years he has been having a tough time with the driver. When he sorts that out he will surely start to heading in the right direction again.

It is also impossible to ignore Jordan Spieth, who won here in 2016 and has twice finished runner-up. He loves this golf course, is back to his very best and will have massive local support again.

The man they all have to beat is, of course, world number one Scottie Scheffler, who is enjoying a dream season. 

The Course

Colonial Country club is a par 70 measuring 7,209 yards. It opened in 1936 and the course record is 61, so look out for some low scoring this week. Almost every hole is tree-lined so accuracy from the tee is a must.

Tournament Winners

It was won in 2015 by Chris Kirk, in 2016 by Jordan Spieth, in 2017 by Kevin Kisner, in 2018 by Justin Rose, in 2019 by Kevin Na, in 2020 by Daniel Berger and last year by Jason Kokrak.

Form Guide

This is a golf course that is made for Viktor Hovland. His recent form has actually been pretty patchy but he is due a big week. Jordan Spieth has already won this season and this is his favourite golf course. He has won here and finished second on two occasions, including last year.

To Win:

Viktor Hovland. Ready to win again

Each Way:

Jordan Spieth. Adores this place

Players to Follow:

Viktor Hovland. Has no weaknesses

Jordan Spieth. Will have the crowd on his side

Scottie Scheffler. A winning machine

Jason Korkrak. Defending champion

Five Outsiders to Watch:

Tommy Fleetwood. Must turn it around soon

Erik Compton. A man who has suffered huge health problems 

Lucas Herbert. Underrated Australian

Justin Rose. Will be looking forward to returning to a venue where he is a past winner

Harry Higgs. Hits the ball a mile, but needs to keep it in play

How to Watch:

Thursday and Friday: Sky Sports Golf, 9pm 

Saturday: Sky Sports Golf, 7pm

Sunday: Sky Sports Golf, 5pm