Power rankings, 2023 Charles Schwab Challenge: Scottie Scheffler leads notable field
The fifth and final Texas event of the PGA Tour season will take place this week at Colonial Country Club.
It’s the week after a major championship but a strong field is still headed to the Lone Star State. The event is headlined by world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and Jordan Spieth, but there are at least a dozen other notable names making the trip.
As an invitational, the field is limited to just 120 players to start the week. The low 65 and ties will still advance through the 36-hole cutline.
Michael Block wouldn’t normally fall in the “notable names” bucket but he became a fan favorite at Oak Hill last week and his story is getting shared across the country, not being limited to just golf fans. The PGA club pro, who tied for 15th during a remarkable performance at the PGA Championship, received a sponsor’s invite to play Colonial, so we’ll see if he can build on that momentum from last week.
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PLAYERS TO WATCH
Scottie Scheffler
You have to go back to October to find the last finish outside of the top 12 for Scheffler. He regained the world No. 1 title after last week’s runner-up finish at Oak Hill. He also posted a runner-up finish at Colonial last year. That really improved his course resume, which previously only featured a T-55 (2020) and a missed cut (2021). He’s the clear betting favorite to start the week, and for good reason, when you look at his body of work this season.
Jordan Spieth
He’s had to overcome wrist troubles in the last few weeks but played all four rounds at Oak Hill without having to withdraw. He was optimistic after his T-29 finish at the PGA Championship, saying, “I feel good. I feel like I’m going to just trend back upwards in that direction that I was a month ago.” Spieth has posted top-15s in nine of 10 starts at Colonial, so he’s a top target in all formats, as long as there are no setbacks with the wrist.
Sam Burns
The LSU product was hovering near the bottom of the leaderboard last week at the PGA Championship and he missed the cut in his previous start (Wells Fargo Championship). The bookmakers aren’t forecasting a prolonged slump, though, as they have him priced eighth on the odds board. He’s the defending champ, so he will have some good vibes as he attempts to snap out of this little lull.
Rickie Fowler
Had his first down week of 2023, missing the cut at Oak Hill. He’s been trending toward a big finish all season, so it wouldn’t be too surprising to see him bounce back right away. On the flip side, he has just three top-35s in nine tries at Colonial Country Club.
Tony Finau
Colonial is considered a less-than-driver layout by most, but Finau is someone that really takes an aggressive route at this classic course and it’s paid off in the past. “I do think it’s a golf course you have the opportunity to push it up if you want to, and I was able to take advantage of some of my length,” he has said. He’s bagged top-35s in all seven trips to Colonial, including a runner-up finish in 2019 and T-4 last year.
RANKING THE FIELD
1. Scottie Scheffler
2. Tony Finau
3. Viktor Hovland
4. Collin Morikawa
5. Jordan Spieth
6. Max Homa
7. Sungjae Im
8. Justin Rose
9. Tommy Fleetwood
10. Rickie Fowler
11. Chris Kirk
12. Sam Burns
13. Denny McCarthy
14. Si Woo Kim
15. Russell Henley
16. Brendon Todd
17. Cam Davis
18. Davis Riley
19. Brian Harman
20. Tom Hoge