Charles Schwab Challenge: Exciting Featured Groups

After nearly a three month delay due to the Coronavirus pandemic, the PGA Tour returns to action this week at the Charles Schwab Challenge in Fort Worth, Texas. The annual event at Colonial Country Club, which is typically held in May, often does not attract the strongest field. However, with this being the first competitive event in golf, the stars are rushing to the Lone Star state to shake off the rust.

The PGA Tour creates ‘Featured Groups’ on Thursday and Friday of every tournament, to drum up interest in the first two rounds of their events and allow fans to see multiple top players competing in the same group. This week at the Charles Schwab Challenge features four feature groups, each of which has their own flair and brings excitement to the PGA Tour’s return to competition.

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The most intriguing group includes the top three players in the world; Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm and Brooks Koepka will be playing together for the first time. McIlroy and Koepka have a sorta kinda maybe rivalry and the fiery Rahm is always exciting to watch. Anytime you can watch the three best players on the planet challenge Colonial along side one another, it serves as must-watch TV.

Another ‘Featured Group’ showcases three members of the #SB2K group, with good friends Justin Thomas, Rickie Fowler and Jordan Spieth challenging the famed Fort Worth country club. JT is coming off a scintillating performance as an announcer at The Match II, though this will be the first he has competed on live television since The Players. Fans did see Fowler at the Taylormade Driving Relief event at Seminole, where his game looked sharp. Spieth is the player to watch though; the three-time major champion has fallen off a cliff, and had only two Top-25 finishes in eight events before the PGA Tour season stopped. Did the layoff clear his mind? Will the Charles Schwab Challenge in his native Texas help him return to form? Or will he continue to struggle with his ball-striking?

The third threesome is not short on power; Dustin Johnson highlights the group, making his 2nd appearance at Colonial. The 5th-ranked player in the world looked rusty at Seminole competing in the Taylormade Driving Relief event, and it will be interesting to see how he performs in his first start at Colonial since 2014. Bryson DeChambeau is another powerful member of this group; the beefy scientist has bulked up to over 230 pounds, and the increased strength began to yield results on the PGA Tour. Before the Coronavirus pandemic shut down professional golf, DeChambeau finished in the Top 5 in three straight starts. Justin Rose rounds out this ‘Featured Group’, and the Englishman struggled mightily in the 2020, making only one PGA Tour cut (which resulted in a T56 at The Genesis Invitational). After a much publicized switch to Honma, Rose dropped the Japanese club makers last month. Will a change in equipment lead to improved results?

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Rounding out the ‘Featured Groups’ is the trio of Kevin Na, Phil Mickelson, and Gary Woodland. Na is the defending champion, having captured the 2019 Charles Schwab Challenge by 4 shots over Tony Finau. ‘Phil the Thrill’ is a two-time champion at Colonial Country Club, though this will be his first appearance at the Texas club in ten years. At The Match II, Mickelson provided plenty of fireworks but his game still appeared to be out of sorts, and fans will get to see if he can recapture the magic at the Charles Schwab Challenge once again. Lastly, Woodland is the defending U.S. Open champion, and will look to begin fine-tuning his game to defend his crown at Winged Foot this September.

These four Featured Groups at the Charles Schwab Challenge will provide plenty of fireworks and ample reason for golf fans to tune in to the first two rounds this weekend at Colonial. Most importantly, golf is back!

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