Now that the birdiefest at TPC Craig Ranch is over, we can get back to some real golf, as the PGA Tour moves 50 miles southwest to Colonial Country Club for this year's Charles Schwab Challenge, one of the longest-running events in the sport.
While Colonial never runs as one of the longer courses in any season, the tricky approach shots always baffle the pros and keep scoring in check, with winning scores recently ending up in the -9 to -15 range.
As we continue moving closer and closer to this two-tour system that Brian Rolapp seems hellbent on implementing in 2028, Colonial is one of those events that I hope remains as one of those premier events that's played on the higher-status Tour.
It's a good challenge for these guys that changes year to year depending on the weather; it usually produces a good winner, and there does need to be some respect for the long-running events on Tour amid the biggest upheaval of the schedule since the introduction of the Signature Events. While space on the calendar will be limited, I hope Colonial proves a strong enough test to earn its spot.
I have to be honest, there was a lot of counting the chickens before they hatched on Friday after Si Woo Kim's 60 to open up a five-shot lead going into the weekend. Oh well, I'll just have to live with the second-place finish from Kim and the third-place finish from Scottie. We need a winner in the worst way this week, hopefully we can find one and break this skid.
Honorable Mentions: Eric Cole, Harry Hall, Hideki Matsuyama, Mac Meissner, Gary Woodland
9. Robert MacIntyre
Robert MacIntyre's season since the Valero Texas Open in April has not gone to plan, with his best finish being a T42 at the RBC Heritage, and missed cuts at both The Masters and the PGA Championship. The culprit behind MacIntyre's woes has been poor iron play, but these struggles mirror his lead-up to the Charles Schwab last season, where he eventually finished T6.
MacIntyre is a somewhat notoriously streaky player, and he can turn things around any given week after some poor performances. Coming back to a course where he's had recent success could be just what the doctor ordered.
8. Justin Thomas
I want to remain very tempered with my expectations for Justin Thomas this week, but he does come into Fort Worth with three straight top-25 finishes, including a T4 at a tricky Aronimink.
We're well past the days of Thomas being a consistent threat to win each time he tees it up, but his improved iron play in recent weeks, along with better putting, should bolster Thomas's chances to put in a performance like his performance at the Heritage in 2025.
7. Ben Griffin
Defending champion Ben Griffin has started to wake up from an early-season coma in recent weeks, with top-14 finishes in three of his last four starts. Griffin's emphasis on a strong short game fits Colonial perfectly, as we saw during his victory here last season.
While 2026 hasn't quite lived up to the hype coming out of a three-win 2025, I still think that Ben Griffin is a great talent on Tour, and should be able to find his way up the leaderboard once again at Colonial (and considering his normal weekly expenditures, he needs to).
6. Akshay Bhatia
Akshay Bhatia has quickly become a forgotten man on Tour again, after a strong start to the season that saw him pick up a win at the Arnold Palmer. While the high finishes have slowed down for Bhatia, his overall season performance has given us some of his strongest, most consistent play on Tour in his career.
A former boon to his game, Bhatia's putting has become a true weapon, and his strong play through the rest of his bag should lead to more high finishes and potential wins very soon, and I think Colonial can be a great spot for the lefty.
5. Rickie Fowler
Rickie Fowler started Sunday last year at the Charles Schwab in solo third, before a Sunday 74 derailed an otherwise very strong week. Also, while the Rickie Fowler-PGA Championship pipe dream didn't pan out, the 37-year old is playing the best golf we've seen him play since 2023 right now. He's shown enough strong play at Colonial in the past to trust that his current form will marry well with his comfort with the course,
4. Matt McCarty
His missed cut at the PGA Championship ended a streak of five straight top-25s for Matt McCarty, which included a T9 at the Cadillac and a T10 at the Truist. The first of two breakout candidates being mentioned this week, McCarty has shown increased comfort to the weekly motions of being a PGA Tour player in his second full season. His accuracy-focused approach should line up well with Colonial this week, and truly anything can happen if McCarty can catch a hot putter this week.
3. Russell Henley
While Russell Henley hasn't been able to capitalize on the form that brought him a T3 at Augusta, he is still playing some very solid golf this season, with seven top-25s in 11 starts. I was surprised to see only two prior starts at Colonial for Henley, since this course seems like the perfect course for someone who prides himself on hitting fairways and having a truly elite short game.
Henley is a borderline top-10 player in the world, but this season hasn't lived up to those expectations quite yet. Colonial should be a perfect setup for the 37-year-old to reestablish himself.
2. Alex Smalley
The breakout candidates nearly had an extremely successful PGA Championship, but we will settle for a strong T2 from Alex Smalley. That finish has given Smalley six straight top-25 finishes on Tour, showing an elevation in Smalley's baseline talent that I was hoping to see coming into 2026.
Even though the Duke alumnus hasn't had success at Colonial in the past, this does feel like a new Alex Smalley that we're watching currently, and he should be able to hop right back into the swing of things after taking a week off after Aronimink.
1. Ludvig Aberg
The PGA Championship is going to feel like a missed opportunity for Ludvig Aberg, as he just lost the putter at the wrong time while trying to win the tournament. Still, it is very exciting to see Aberg finally contend at a major that is not The Masters, and this play should lead to a win this week at Colonial.
The Swede has rattled off eight straight top-25 finishes, and his short game has taken a massive stride forward in 2026. He just needs to avoid the weekend woes, and he should walk away with the plaid jacket come Sunday.
Add us as a preferred source on Google