Power Rankings: Charles Schwab Challenge

If it seemed that Xander Schauffele was overdue to win a major, the perception of that has nothing on the ongoing drought at the Charles Schwab Challenge. But like last week’s history, there’s reason to believe that it, too, will end on the historic backdrop of Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas.

Colonial has been the only host of the tournament since its inaugural in 1946. This is the 78th edition, but it’s the first time it’s being presented after the massive restoration. Continue reading beneath the projected contenders for more.

Once upon a time in the 21st century, it’d have been a default zinger to say that Colonial Country Club has been Grillo-proofed. That’s because the legendary track also known as Hogan’s Alley – Ben Hogan, a legend himself, prevailed here five times – isn’t the same test that Emiliano Grillo aced en route to his victory in a playoff with Adam Schenk a year ago. The Argentine can’t share the answers with his fraternity brothers who haven’t seen it yet.

At first glance, it’s fair to wonder why architects Gil Hanse and Jim Wagner, and everyone else who got their hands dirty in the sacred ground even bothered. Not only was Grillo’s 72-hole score of 8-under 272 the highest aggregate in decades, but the par 70 stood up to a scoring average of 70.734. It was the hardest par 70 in a non-major in a single season in 21 years. And it wasn’t like the omnipresent winds of Texas were howling. They weren’t. They weren’t even gusty.

Still, it was time. In fact, the renovation had been delayed a year due to challenges in the supply chain, so this week’s reveal isn’t a tongue-in-cheek response to giving the defending champion something new to consider inasmuch as Grillo survived its previous iteration.

There isn’t a component to the course that wasn’t touched in some capacity. Everything concerning the next phase of its life has been brought into the third decade of the third millennium.

Every hole has a new official yardage. While still a stock par 70 with one par 5 on each side, the course is 80 yards longer and now tips at 7,289 yards. Scoring on the par 5s – Nos. 1 and 11 – traditionally is difficult and new locations for the greens at the par-3 eighth and 16th holes have zero course history, but the introduction of new bentgrass greens steps forward as the most intriguing component to help even the playing field of 132, and that’s what could disrupt a long trend.

Sergio Garcia in 2001 remains the most recent first-time participant to prevail at Colonial. He’s also the last to break through for his first PGA TOUR victory in the tournament. The latter fact is in part due to the construct of the field in an invitational, but even the usually stingy Augusta National has served for coronations in the interim, most recently in 2016 when Danny Willett recorded his breakthrough title.

This week’s field is all but promised classic Texas breezes from a southerly direction. Gusts north of 20 mph will be felt by all until things calm for Sunday’s final round, and they’ll push wayward drives into primary rough allowed to grow to 2 1/2 inches. After a seasonable opener during which the daytime high should eclipse 80 degrees, readings in the low 90s will be the norm for the remainder. The best chance for rain and perhaps a delay will be on Thursday, but with ample daylight hours in the second half of May, there will be time to wait it out, adjust and finish the tournament as scheduled.

ROB BOLTON’S SCHEDULE

• MONDAY: Power Rankings
• TUESDAY*: Sleepers
• WEDNESDAY: Golfbet Insider
• SUNDAY: Points and Payouts; Medical Extension; Qualifiers; Reshuffle

*Rob is a member of the panel for PGATOUR.COM’s Expert Picks for PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf, which also publishes on Tuesday.