It has been on the circuit since 1946 in various forms and it’s been named for its current sponsor since 2019. The Charles Schwab Challenge tends to feature a strong field and a number of top players have stayed on the Tour following last week’s major. The destination is the Colonial Country Club at Fort Worth, Texas on a lengthy par 70 course, with varied tests and challenges.
22/1 Winner: Last week at the PGA Championship, we scooped a +2200 (22/1) winner as our pick, Brooks Koepka, delivered. Since Tony Finau at the Mexico Open, our last four outright winner selections have gone 1st, 2nd, 5th and 1st. So let’s see if we can keep that exceptional run going with this Charles Schwab Challenge golf preview with betting predictions, tips and picks.
The highest ranked golfer on show at the 2023 Charles Schwab Challenge is Texas resident Scottie Scheffler. He is on a solid run of form following a tie for second on Sunday and Scheffler leads the markets at best industry odds of 9/2.
Scottie lost out in a playoff to Sam Burns here last year, during a similar hot streak. That tie for second at Oak Hill means that he is back to number one in the rankings, and Scheffler is very much the man to beat.
Scottie Scheffler is so far out in front that we couldn’t legitimately include anyone else in the favorites section. Behind the market leader, Jordan Spieth and Tony Finau come next with both men available at top prices of 14/1. Spieth is a former champion, having won this event by three strokes in 2016, and he has been a runner-up on two subsequent occasions, in 2017 and 2021. Struggles with his short game led to a tie for 29th at the PGA Championship. Finau was a winner in Mexico last month and he has five top 20 finishes in this event in seven starts.
Next are Viktor Hovland and Collin Morikawa at 18/1, while Sungjae Im and Max Homa are both quoted at 22/1 in places. Hovland joined Scottie Scheffler as the two runners-up on Sunday, and he finished inside the top 25 on both of his previous visits to this tournament.
Sungjae Im also has a respectable record in this event and, while Homa and Morikawa are both struggling to find their best touch, this could be a good opportunity to get back into the winner’s circle.
The defending Charles Schwab champion slots in next at best odds of 25/1. Sam Burns edged out Scottie Scheffler in that dramatic playoff here 12 months ago, but he has missed the cut in each of his last two outings. Other golfers to consider from within this section include Rickie Fowler at 30/1, Justin Rose at 30/1 and Tommy Fleetwood at 33/1. Rose won this tournament back in 2018 and a steady four days at Oak Hill mean that he is attracting plenty of interest this week.
Heading up the outside section are Cam Davis and Russell Henley who are both on offer at a best of 40/1. Davis’ tie for fourth on Sunday was his best finish in a major and it takes him up to number 49 in the world rankings. Another former Charles Schwab champion is next, with Chris Kirk slotting in at a best of 45/1. Kirk was the winner here in 2015, when he edged out a chasing pack by just one stroke.
Other underdogs in the USA betting with the sportsbooks this week include Si Woo Kim at 50/1, Kurt Kitayama at 66/1, Brian Harman at 66/1, Harris English at 90/1, Ryan Fox at 90/1, Maverick McNealy at 100/1 and Billy Horschel at 100/1. There isn’t a great deal of depth to this field, but any of those names could threaten the top 10 finish markets.
Our Preview’s 2023 Charles Schwab Challenge Course & Betting Trends with Predictions & Picks Conclusion
The Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth provides the setting with a par 70 course with some reasonable length at 7,209 yards. Driving Distance has been a key stat in the last two years, but it has not always been the most desirable quality.
On tight, tree lined fairways, accuracy off the tee is essential and the feeling is that Greens in Regulation will be the most vital quality across the four days. Those greens will be fast and could reach up to 13 on the Stimpmeter.
It is tough to look past Scottie Scheffler again, as he is so far clear of the field in the bookies’ odds and on form. We should remember, however, that he was in a similar position at the Byron Nelson two weeks ago. In a weaker field, he finished in fifth.
One man who does need an improvement in form is Collin Morikawa, but he does have the game for this course. He also has a solid record in this competition with a playoff loss to Daniel Berger in 2020. While he waits for an overdue win, Morikawa has four top 10 finishes in 2023 and he is this preview’s outright betting pick for this week. So these are our tips for this Charles Schwab golf preview:
- Collin Morikawa to win at +1800 (18/1) with BetOnline. He is 16/1 with Bovada and 14/1 with EveryGame.
- Top 10 Finish Betting Picks (all odds from BetOnline who go best odds on all these golfers): Morikawa (+200), Cameron Davis (+425), Justin Rose (+300) and Chris Kirk (+320).
Matt Harris is a golf and soccer expert for USA Betting. His other area of specialist knowledge is cricket. He is well known in sports journalism and contributes articles to a plethora of big-name websites and media outlets. Titles that he writes or has written for include: Betfair, BetVictor, Unibet & Just Bookies.