Horses for Courses: Jordan Spieth hoping to rekindle good vibes at 'Hogan’s Alley'

Since 1946, Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas, has hosted a PGA TOUR event. Nicknamed “Hogan’s Alley” after the great Texan Ben Hogan, the five-time winner of the event and only man to successfully defend the title, Colonial welcomes a field of 135 players.

The par-70 layout stretches to 7,289 yards for the second consecutive season and is the longest-running PGA TOUR event (non-major) at the same course. Defending champ Davis Riley (+5500), fresh off T2 at the PGA Championship last week at Quail Hollow Club, makes his fourth start in North Texas. The two-time PGA TOUR winner earned T4 in his 2022 debut and owns six of 10 rounds in the 60s, including 64 in Round 2 in 2024. Posting 14-under and winning by five shots last year, the largest margin of victory since 2005, he’s the only player in the previous three tournaments to finish at 10 under or better.

Most top-10 finishes at Charles Schwab Challenge

Players listed below are competing this week.

The only Texas-born player to win the event this century, Jordan Spieth (+2200), has a proud history in Fort Worth. Making his 13th start, the 2016 champion has finished second three times and recorded eight visits in the top 10. Dealing with a wrist injury the last two seasons, he posted T37-MC and did not factor. He leads the event in all-time money and scoring average with 68.15 from 46 rounds.

The No. 1 player in the Official World Golf Ranking, Scottie Scheffler (+250), calls Dallas home and starts across town in Fort Worth for the sixth time. Hitting the podium in his last three visits, the newly crowned PGA Championship winner is 25 under across that stretch. Eight of his last 12 loops are in the 60s, including seven at 67 or better, but the other four rounds were above par. Recently a winner at TPC Craig Ranch in McKinney, he owns a match play victory in Austin, and has finished T2 three times in the last four seasons in Houston.

Strokes Gained: Tee to Green

Players listed below are competing this week; 2025 ranking

Two winners of the last 10 have ranked outside the top nine in SG: Tee-to-Green.

The classic line from Hogan about Colonial Country Club resonates today: "A straight ball will get you in more trouble at Colonial than any course I know."

Doglegs shaping holes in both directions present challenges off the tees. Landing areas, on average 24 yards wide, do not give much room for error. Three inches of Bermuda rough is the penalty for missing the short grass.

Some of the smallest greens, averaging a mere 5,000 square feet, featured on TOUR, rank in the top 10 most difficult to hit in regulation.

The “Horrible Horseshoe,” the nickname for Nos. 3-5, is one of the most feared three-hole stretches on TOUR. The four par-3 holes range from 190 to 248 yards, and the two par-5 holes do not guarantee birdies. Only one is reachable in two. There are more bogeys than birdies annually.

After the Gil Hanse restoration post-2023, Colonial ranked as the fifth-hardest course, majors included, on TOUR in 2024. The last tournament to feature more than one player 10 under or better was the 2021 edition (six players).

Emiliano Grillo (+10000) won the 2023 edition in a playoff to earn his second podium and third top-10 payday in his last six visits. Returning to defend the title in 2024, he earned 64th place and made the cut for the eighth time in nine starts. The Argentine, who posted 8-under 272, the highest winning score since 1999, is the only international winner from the last 10 tournaments.

The winner from the June 2020 event, Daniel Berger (+2200),is one of 10 past champions in the field. The Florida native has found the weekend in five consecutive starts at Colonial, but his victory is his only top-10 result. Sharing 20th in 2021 and 23rd in 2022, he skipped the 2023 edition and returned with T45 in 2024. He is the last winner of the event to post all four rounds in the 60s.

The 79th Charles Schwab Challenge tournament notables

• The field of 135 includes 20 of the top 50 from the Official World Golf Ranking.
• The last player to win on debut was in 2001 (Sergio Garcia). He was also the last to get his maiden TOUR win at this event.
• Ian Baker-Finch (1989) was the last player to win wire-to-wire.
• The course record, 61, was last produced by Kevin Na (2018).
• The tournament scoring record, 21-under 259, was set by Zach Johnson in 2010.
• Since 2000, there have been six international winners.
• After two rounds, the field will be cut to the top 65 plus ties.

Oddsmaker’s extras

Harris English (+3500): Making his 10th start, the co-runner-up last week at the PGA Championship is familiar with what it takes to contend on a track resembling a major championship. The runner-up to Spieth in 2016, all six weekend paychecks cashed T30 or better from nine starts. A scoring average of 69.17 ranks in the top five active players in the field this week.

Mark Hubbard (+15000): Highlighted by a T9 in 2023, the Californian has never missed the weekend in six previous starts in Fort Worth, a streak that is T10 all-time at the event. The downside is that the other four results are T43 or worse.

Chris Kirk (+11000): The 2015 champion made the cut for 12 consecutive appearances before missing the weekend in 2023 and 2024. With seven paydays of T16 or better, he should be on the radar if a longer shot is required.

Matt Kuchar (+12000): Another veteran who has advanced to the weekend 12 times in 14 attempts, he returned in 2024 with a T17 after not playing the previous two editions. His stroke average of 68.88 is one of the best in the field this week.

Ryan Palmer (+100000): A member at Colonial, the Colleyville resident knows every piece of grass on the property. Making his 22nd start, he owns four top-10 paydays, but he has missed the cut in three of his last four visits.

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