Bolton: Consider Jordan Spieth good bounce-back option at Charles Schwab Challenge

Suffice it to say that Scottie Scheffler has made up for time lost in January when he was on the mend from a sliced hand. Remember that? Yeah, it’s been only four months, but that’s a long time ago.

With wins in his last two starts, Scheffler is back in the FedExCup standings where he ended 2024 – at the top – but his busy schedule in Segment 2 of PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf presented by PGA TOUR Superstore can make even a veteran gamer feel like opportunities have been missed. It’s a blessing and a curse.

Consider that Scheffler has played six times since he opened Segment 2 at THE PLAYERS Championship with a T20, which is his second-worst finish in 10 starts since returning to competition in early February. This week’s commitment at the Charles Schwab Challenge is his seventh of the segment, and it means that he’ll have appeared in all four stops in his native Texas. In effect, how you navigated all 11 tournaments in Segment 2 will be segregated into calculus concerning only him and roster management for everyone else. Oh, and he’ll be the defending champion next week at the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday that concludes the phase. Whew! (Then again, just wait until Segment 3.)

Still, the beautiful thing is that he’s so good that we’re almost never wanting for more, essentially because, he just doesn’t disappoint, but for front-runners vying for every point in the season-long tug-of-war, there’s no such thing as overanalysis or lowered expectations when deciding when to play and not play him.

At last check, and somehow, Scheffler is rostered by a little over nine percent of the gamers for the Charles Schwab. Now, not every gamer plays every week for any number of reasons, but even if the clip represented all gamers who never rest, that cut still seems high after all of these weeks. However, if you’re down to one start and debating to burn it now or at Muirfield Village, do what I did at THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson and plug him in now. And of course, make him your captain. His impact relative to the field is stronger at Colonial Country Club than it will be next week. And while fantasy scoring will be muted this week compared to TPC Craig Ranch, it’ll be even more so in Ohio.

Recapping his victories at THE CJ CUP and the PGA Championship, and for those who designated him as the captain for either, he totaled 372 points at the former and 320 at the latter. Broken down, that’s 272 round-by-round points and 100 FedExCup bonus points at TPC Craig Ranch, with a respective 170 and 150 at Quail Hollow Club. The difference of 102 round-by-round points illustrates how much more rewarded we are when actual scoring is lower.

Round-by-round scoring at Colonial should land somewhere in between, so you’ll need him to prevail to pay off your patience and strategy for this week. And while he’s yet to win here, he’s finished a respective P2, T3 and T2 in the last three editions, so like everything else he’s done for us, he’s unlikely to let us down.

Before you dive into other details below, it’s been an active couple of days as it concerns the field for the U.S. Open. The page dedicated to all qualifiers that I curate has been updated twice since the conclusion of the PGA Championship. It lists and explains how the latest 53 golfers have gained entry into the third major of the year.

Captain

Daniel Berger … Despite Jordan Spieth’s dazzling record at Colonial, there isn’t an automatic Plan B to Scheffler (for whom I exhausted my third start at THE CJ CUP). In a situation like this, I aim for a proven talent on an upswing. So, I’ll lean into the 2020 champ who’s experiencing a career renaissance post-injury in 2025. Berger is sixth in adjusted scoring and 15th in the FedExCup. Pure and simple, he’s strong and he’s reliable. He’s also No. 2 in my Power Rankings.

Other considerations

• Scottie Scheffler … See above.
• Jordan Spieth … The No. 4 in my Power Rankings is the all-time earnings leader in the tournament, so his record at Colonial is undeniable. Because there’s an argument that he’s been too inconsistent to warrant the “C” beside his mug in your lineup, he presents as a contrarian for chasers, but of course, he can’t be that here, so the variables present as defense more than offense. But that’s fine, too.

Rounding out the roster

It’s been a few weeks since the primary objective has been to get four to the weekend, but that’s where we are this week, at least the majority of us who are dry on Scheffler starts. One of the misunderstood yet underappreciated values when considering who to trust is that most usual suspects don’t “need” to play, but because they’ve committed, dismiss whatever urge you might have that they’re not going to give it 100 percent because of that notion. Furthermore, should a guy fail to deliver, also be careful not to associate his performance with this line of thinking retroactively. That’s a warped version of revisionist history of your strategy, and there’s no benefit to it in any context.

Always make decisions with conviction. They are always the correct decisions, independent of outcome. Not only does this simplify your process, but you’ll perform better over time.

My starters

• Daniel Berger (C)
• Harris English
• Maverick McNealy
• Keith Mitchell

My bench

• Jordan Spieth (1)
• Tommy Fleetwood (2)

Careful

For almost every tournament, a usually impressive subset of the field warrants avoiding, and it might be represented in my Power Rankings, which is not written in the context of any fantasy golf format. In this section, I single out those who demand a pause and why.

Si Woo Kim ... I alluded to it in my Power Rankings, in which he’s No. 13; he’s just 3-for-8 at Colonial with only one top-55 finish (a T29 pre-renovation in 2023). Current form is outstanding, so leave him to your DFS and betting considerations.

Hideki Matsuyama ... Made some news when he missed the cut at the PGA Championship. It was his first in 13 starts in the tournament and first in any major since the 2019 Open Championship, but it’s an anomaly until it’s a trend, which is unlikely. However, despite a pair of top 25s that immediately preceded it, his inconsistency across the last two months is of mild concern. He’s also making his first appearance at Colonial since his debut in 2014.

J.J. Spaun ... Since losing in a playoff at THE PLAYERS, he’s 4-for-5 with one top-35 finish (T17, Truist Championship), so it’s surprising that he’s generating an ownership percentage of 19.6 at last check. Toss in the fact that he’s cashed in only one of five trips to Colonial – and for a T63 in 2023 at that – and he’s an easy pass.

Andrew Novak ... At about 13 percent among rostered lineups, he’s popular, and for good reason, given his recent heater. However, it came to a crashing halt at the PGA Championship (70-80=MC), so it’s a lot to ask of a guy who never spent time in the rarefied air of fifth in the FedExCup until now. He’s also failed to impress in six rounds at Colonial. Be patient and allow him to reset. He has a mammoth summer ahead.

Returning to competition

Patton Kizzire ... Walked off Quail Hollow Club during his second round of the PGA Championship last week. The reason wasn’t released, but it was just two months ago when he exited the Valspar Championship during its opening round with a sore back. It’s been a wild year and a half or so for the 39-year-old, three-time PGA TOUR winner. He had emerged from conditional status with a victory at the Procore Championship last September. It’s how he qualified for last week’s major. But it’s been a rough 2025 during which he’s cashed a mere four times. Only top 45 in eight trips to Colonial was a T3 in 2021.

Notable W/Ds

Rasmus Højgaard ... This is his first week off in the last five, so the Dane’s tournament debut remains on ice. He’s done nicely as a first-time PGA TOUR member via the top spot of the DP World Tour conduit. Sits 72nd in the FedExCup and he’s exempt into the U.S. Open and The Open Championship.

Nicolai Højgaard ... Second early withdrawal in the last three weeks (ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic), but he squeezed a T41 in between at the PGA Championship. Currently 80th in the FedExCup and not yet eligible for either of the remaining majors.

Will Zalatoris ... Hasn’t appeared at Colonial since 2022, but the local resident hasn’t made much noise all year, anyway. He’s 9-for-11 but just 95th in the FedExCup with one top 20.

Zach Johnson ... Although the 49-year-old’s value is limited in fantasy, he’d likely have been a popular pick in Top 30 and Top 40 betting markets at Colonial, where he’s second in all-time earnings. While it’s been over a decade since his last of six top 15s on the course, he went 4-for-5 from 2020-2024 with a pair of top 40s. Slots 87th in the FedExCup with a T8 at the Masters among three top 25s.

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