Charles Schwab Challenge 2025 Preview, Picks & Analysis

THERE is always a feeling of deflation in the week after a major but a decent field will assemble at Colonial this week for the Charles Schwab Challenge and for somebody it could be another life-changing week.

Among those in action are Daniel Berger, Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Eric Cole, Tommy Fleetwood, Rickie Fowler, Jake Knapp, Keith Mitchell, Andrew Novak, Aaron Rai, Jordan Spieth, Matt Wallace and Will Zalatoris. And in a major bonus for the sponsors, world number one Scottie Scheffler was one of the first to commit to the tournament - maybe not such good news for his rivals though.

• Tournament Winners
• The Course
• How To Watch
• Form Guide
• Tournament Picks & Tips

(Image Credit: Kevin Diss Photography)

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For Fleetwood it’s a case of another week and yet another chance to break his duck. I still find it almost impossible to believe that the Englishman has yet to win a tournament on American soil. Once more he produced another great finish at the recent Truist Championship, storming through the field with a final round of 65 to end the week in a tie for fourth. Before heading to Quail Hollow he had made nine starts, making the cut every time and recording three top 10s and eight top 25s while earning $3.6m in prize money. He drives the ball superbly, is one of the best iron players on tour but would be the first to admit his frailties on the greens.

His statistics are remarkable. In 154 starts ahead of the US PGA, he had finished second five times, third five times, in the top five on 26 occasions and in the top 10 a staggering 40 times. It has been good enough to earn him more than $28.5m but he would swap it all for a victory.

Berger is a golfer who has been through something of a rollercoaster ride in recent years.

In March 2015 he shot a six-under-par 64 in the final round of the Honda Classic to get into a sudden-death playoff which he lost to Padraig Harrington. Had Berger won, it would have been the second-largest final round comeback in PGA Tour history; he began the final round nine strokes behind 54-hole leader Ian Poulter. Three weeks later at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, Berger made an albatross at the par-five sixth hole during the third round.

During the 2015 season, Berger made the cut in 17 of 31 events, had six top-10 finishes, including two seconds, and was the only rookie to make the Tour Championship. He finished 11th in the FedEx Cup rankings, 25th on the money list (earning over $3 million), and was named Rookie of the Year.

Berger claimed his first PGA Tour win in June 2016 at the FedEx St Jude Classic, which took him to 29th in the world rankings. The win earned him $1.1m.

In 2017 he successfully defended his FedEx St. Jude Classic title, and moved to 24th in the world. By July, he was ranked 20th in the world and he made the 2017 US Presidents Cup team.

At the 2018 US Open at Shinnecock Hills, Berger shot a third-round 66, putting him in a 4-way tie for the lead with Dustin Johnson, defending champion Brooks Koepka and Tony Finau.  However, a final round 73 left him in a tie for sixth place, five shots behind eventual winner Koepka.

When the PGA Tour resumed after the Covid-enforced three-month break, Berger won the Charles Schwab Challenge in June 2020. He won the tournament when Collin Morikawa missed a short putt for par on the first playoff hole.With the victory he was ranked No. 31 in the world. He had a streak of 32 consecutive rounds at par or better in 2019–20, the eighth-longest streak since 1983.

Berger won the 2021 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, shooting a 65 in the final round. He eagled the final hole to win by two strokes ahead of Maverick McNealy.

In September 2021, he was a member of the US team that thrashed Europe in the Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits.

He then endured a long spell in the doldrums but 2025 has seen a welcome return to form for the 32-year-old American. He was tied second at the Phoenix Open, tied third at the RBC Heritage, 12th at the Genesis and tied 11th at the Truist. It seems that his fifth PGA Tour win is just around the corner.

Novak has also had a sensational season. After finishing third at the Farmers Insurance Open in January he went off the boil for a while. But his recent form has been wonderful. He was tied third at the Texas Open, second at the RBC Heritage and followed that by winning the Zurich Classic of New Orleans in partnership with Ben Griffin. Novak is no overnight success. He is 30 years of age and spent some time grinding it out on the Korn Ferry Tour before finally making it to the PGA Tour. And all of a sudden he looks like he was made to play at this level.

Twelve months ago Davis Riley cruised to his first individual PGA Tour title at Colonial as Scheffler failed to mount a final-day charge. Riley, who won the Zurich Classic with Nick Hardy in 2023, took a four-shot lead into the final round and carded a closing 70 to finish 14 under par, five shots clear of Scheffler and Keegan Bradley.

World No 1 Scheffler was in second place, four strokes back, when the day began, but no serious challengers emerged in the final round as Riley, 27, responded to each of his four bogeys with a birdie, and increased his lead to six shots despite only going level par over the front nine.

"I knew coming into today it was going to be tough," Riley said. "It's obviously a very tough golf course and when you've got the world No 1 breathing down your neck it's going to be difficult until the last hole. I'm proud of the way I just stayed in it, fought some adversity early, just kind of hung in there and played some really good golf coming down the stretch and just super excited and proud of myself.”

Seeking a fifth win of the season, Scheffler was three over par for his first 10 holes before making birdies on the 13th and 17th in a final round of 71.

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, in 2021 by Jason Kokrak, in 2022 by  Sam Burns, in 2023 by Emiliano Grillo and last year by Davis Riley.

Prize Money

Total prize money is just over $9m, with $1.7m going to the winner along with 500 FedEx Cup points

The Course

Colonial Country Club is a par 70 measuring 7,209 yards. Bordered by the Trinity River, it was designed by Perry Maxwell and John Bredemus. Its tree-lined fairways put a premium on accuracy from the tee. It features several doglegs and smallish greens.

Form Guide

It goes without saying that Scottie Scheffler is the class act in the field but Daniel Berger has been making terrific progress this season and a victory is surely just around the corner

How to Watch

Thursday, May 22, Friday, May 23, Sky Sports Golf, 9pm; Saturday, May 24, Sunday, May 25, Sky Sports Golf, 6pm

Tournament Picks & Tips

To win:

Scottie Scheffler. Who else?

Each way:

Daniel Berger. On the way back

Each way:

Tommy Fleetwood. Serial contender

Five to follow:

Scottie Scheffler. Back to his brilliant best

Daniel Berger. Fierce competitor

Tommy Fleetwood. A top-10 machine

Andrew Novak. Having a sensational run of form

Keith Mitchell. Brilliant ball striker

Five outsiders to watch:

Matt Wallace. In need of a good run

Christiaan Bezuidenhout. Impressive South African

Blades Brown. Fabulous young prospect

Joel Dahmen. Feeling the heat

Ben Griffin. Enjoying a decent year