Following Wyndham Clark’s longshot win at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, the PGA Tour will stay in Texas for this week’s Charles Schwab Challenge.
Hosted at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, this par 70 will demand precision tee-to-green and be much less of a birdie-fest compared to TPC Craig Ranch. Running short of 7,300 yards, Bermudagrass fairways and bentgrass greens that measure a meager 5,000 square feet on average, paired with 13-foot Stimpmeter speeds, create an entertaining course for 132 golfers in this field to compete on.
Ben Griffin seeks his first win of 2026 in his title defense, with oddsmakers valuing him at +2500 in the outright winner betting market. Ludvig Åberg, despite making his tournament debut, is the pre-tournament favorite at +850. Åberg is also seeking his first win of the season, followed by Justin Thomas and Russell Henley at +2000.
My 2026 CJ Cup Byron Nelson Picks & Predictions: Best PGA Bets settled 2-1 for a profitable outing at a restored TPC Craig Ranch. Davis Thompson’s missed cut was the only loss for a Top 20 finish (+145). Jordan Spieth did just enough to cash a Top 20 prop at -125 odds, while Wyndham Clark’s dominant outing on Sunday, which led to his outright win at 125-1, easily cashed his Top 20 Finish prop at +170 odds.
Let’s keep the profit rolling into Colonial with three more PGA best bets to lock in ahead of Round 1 on Thursday. Follow me on X at Matt_MacKay_ for more free picks and analysis throughout the rest of the PGA Tour season.
2026 Charles Schwab Challenge Picks: Best Bets
(Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)
Top 20 Finishing Position
Let’s start with one of the most decorated veterans on the PGA Tour, Rickie Fowler. He logged three straight top 10 finishes before a T60 at Aronimink Golf Club during the PGA Championship.
After a week to rest and practice, Fowler should have plenty of juice to make another run up the leaderboard at Colonial. Fowler has historically played well here, turning in T6-T37-T16 in his last three trips.
Ranks 18th in total strokes gained this season, including 20th SG: Putting and top-50 marks in SG: Approach and SG: Off-the-Tee. Fowler is also 10th in scrambling, leading to 11th in scoring average and seventh for par 4 scoring.
A layout like Colonial should suit Fowler’s game for a prime bounce-back spot. Let’s jump on the plus odds and bet on him to record a top 20 finish in Fort Worth this weekend.
Pick: Rickie Fowler (+125)
Top 20 Finishing Position
J.J. Spaun already has an outright win under his belt in 2026, carding a win at the Valero Texas Open. The 2025 U.S. Open champion had two straight top 20 finishes before missing the cut at the PGA Championship in his last outing.
Two weeks’ rest should suit Spaun for a strong showing at Colonial. He logged a career-best T6 finish here last season.
In 2026, Spaun sits eighth in SG: Approach, 20th in driving accuracy, and second in proximity. Bet on Spaun to follow up his 2025 result with a similar performance, targeting his line in the Top 20 Finishing Position market at +125 odds.
Pick: J.J. Spaun (+125)
Top 10 Finishing Position
2026 has been a resurgent year for Sungjae Im. The South Korean golfer has logged three top 10 finishes, including two top five results, with two of these performances recorded in May.
Im ranks top-40 in SG: Putting, approach shots from 200+ yards, and 30th in putting average. His flat stick is a weapon this season, ranked 11th in putts per round and 17th in one-putt percentage.
Iron play remains a bit of an issue. However, Im has two top 10 finishes at Colonial, including a T9 in 2024. He did not compete in this field last season.
Based on both current form and historical success, I’m willing to bet on Im to log another top 10 finish this week at a lucrative +350 price.
Pick: Sungjae Im (+350)
