The Rundown: 2023 Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial C.C.
By Derek Helm
We head into another PGA Tour event following a Major next, with the 2023 Charles Schwab Challenge next on the schedule at the historic Colonial Country Club.
Last year Sam Burns shot a 65 on Sunday and drilled a long putt to edge out Scottie Scheffler in a playoff to win. Scheffler shot a disappointing 72 in the final round relinquishing the lead. Tony Finau and Jordan Spieth were the other notable names to finish top ten.
Colonial will once again host the Charles Schwab Challenge in 2023.
The Charles Schwab Challenge will be held at the Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas. Colonial is one of the longest-tenured courses on tour; hosting since 1946. Only Augusta National has been on the schedule longer.
The course is a par 70 measuring 7,200 yards with small Bentgrass greens, it plays to a wide range of skill sets and we’ve seen that in the previous winners.
Much of Colonial’s yardage comes from the 635 yard par five 11th and the 247 yard par three 4th hole.
The opening hole is one of the two par 5s and also the easiest hole on the course. The 2nd hole is a 390 yard par four and plays as the 2nd easiest hole. Par fours measuring 400-450 yards make up nearly 40% of the holes at Colonial.
Hitting fairways and good approach shots are the preferred ways to attack Colonial. Distance can help but isn’t a necessity. Driving accuracy is lower than tour average at just 57% of fairways hit. Driving distance is lower as well, coming in at an average of 277 yards.
There is a strong correlation between top 10 finishers here and strokes gained approach. Approach shots from 150-175 yards make up 25% of all approach shots. Ultimately, ball striking, accuracy, and putting is what leads to success.
Colonial boasts some of the smaller greens on tour with greens in regulation percentage coming in at 65%. This will lead to golfers relying on their around-the-green game and scrambling. It will be even more necessary if the winds pick up like we saw last year.
The field consists of 120 golfers with the Top 65 and ties making the cut after 36 holes to play the weekend at the Charles Schwab Challenge.
2023 Charles Schwab Challenge: The Key Stats
- Approach
- Approaches from 150-175 yards
- Fairways Gained
- Par 4 Scoring: 400-450 yards
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Charles Schwab Challenge Historical Cut Line
- 2022: +2
- 2021: +2
- 2020: -1
- 2019: +3
- 2018: +3
Previous Winners
2022: Sam Burns -9
2021: Jason Kokrak -14
2020: Daniel Berger -15
2019: Kevin Na -13
2018: Justin Rose -20