The PGA TOUR returns to Texas this week for the Charles Schwab Challenge. This event will be played at Colonial Country Club (par 70, 7,289 yards, bentgrass greens) in Fort Worth, which has been the home the Charles Schwab Challenge since it was added to the annual PGA TOUR schedule in 1946. There will be 135 golfers competing this week and a top 65 and ties cut after the first two rounds.
Below, I have featured some head-to-head tournament matchup bets to consider for the Charles Schwab Challenge.
Davis Riley over Davis Thompson (-110)
At the PGA Championship last week, Riley had one of the best performances of his career. The 28-year-old finished runner-up to Scottie Scheffler at Quail Hollow Club, while gaining strokes in every major category. Thompson, on the other hand, missed the cut and lost strokes across the board. Thompson has now missed three of his last 10 cuts with three top 25 finishes during this stretch, while Riley has made nine of his past 10 cuts with four top 25 finishes over this time. When we compare this field’s last 24 rounds, Riley ranks third in total strokes gained, which is far better than Thompson, who ranks 52nd.
In addition to having a clear edge in current form, Riley also has a much better track record at Colonial than Thompson. Riley won last year’s Charles Schwab Challenge by five strokes and he has finished inside the top five in two of his three starts at Colonial. Thompson finished T17 at this par 70 last season, but this is his only appearance at the Charles Schwab Challenge. Overall, Riley is gaining a field-best 2.54 strokes per round at Colonial, while Thompson is gaining just 0.6 per round.
Riley is a legitimate threat to win this week, while Thompson is just an average pick. Riley should have zero problems outperforming Thompson in his title defense at Colonial.
Lucas Glover over Mackenzie Hughes (-115)
Both these players competed at the PGA Championship last week, and while Glover finished with a solid T37 finish, Hughes was a disaster, missing the cut by eight shots. This was the 34-year-old’s second missed cut in a row and his fourth missed cut in his last eight starts. Conversely, Glover has only failed to make the cut once in his past eight starts. This season, Glover ranks 40th in total strokes gained, compared to Hughes, who ranks 88th.
These two players now head to Colonial, which a course that sets up better for Glover. The former U.S. Open champion has made five-of-seven cuts at Colonial with three top 25 finishes — including a T12 last season — while Hughes has only made the cut twice in five attempts at the par 70 with one top 25 finish.
Unsurprisingly, Glover’s +6000 odds to win the Charles Schwab Challenge on DraftKings Sportsbook are better than Hughes at +6500. All signs are pointing towards Glover finishing higher than Hughes this week and Glover is a must-bet to win this matchup.
