Tag: PGA Tour

2020 Tour Update-PGA Championship Preview

TPC Harding Park, San Francisco CA
TPC Harding Park, San Francisco CA

3M Open

The 3M Open at TPC Twin Cities in Blaine, Minnesota, closed out July with tour journeyman Michael Thompson winning at 19 under par, two shots ahead of runner up, Andrew Long. The win was Thomson’s second tour victory, the first one at the Honda all the way back in 2013. The 2020 season has been difficult for Thomson, making the cut in only 8 of 17 events, but a top 10 at the Heritage in June was a sign that his game was starting to come around. Proving that hard work and fortitude can pay off, Thomson secured a two-year tour exemption along with entry into this week’s PGA Championship at Harding Park and the U.S. Open at Winged Foot in September. In an emotional interview following the final round, Thomson credited his wife, Rachel, for keeping his confidence up and believing in him when things got tough, saying “My wife has been a rock for me.”

WGC FedEx St. Jude Invitational

August opened up with the WGC FedEx St. Jude Invitational, and saw Justin Thomas mount a dramatic come from behind charge to victory with the legendary ‘Bones’ Mackey on his bag. Everyone expected the hard as nails Brooks Koepka to come away with the win, but the pressure Thomas applied seemed to shake a normally unflappable Koepka and he ended with a double bogey six on the last hole, finishing runner-up. This victory gave Thomas a 713-point lead in the FedEx Cup standings over Webb Simpson, currently in the second spot.

Tiger Woods

After a rocky showing at the Memorial Tournament, questions have again started to bubble up with regard to Tiger’s back. Before starting the Memorial, Tiger put the kibosh on speculation about the condition of his back when he said that his delayed return to tournament play was strictly due to an abundance of caution concerning COVID-19. While Tiger didn’t appear to be in obvious pain at any point in the tournament, his swing didn’t have the fluid freedom we saw at the end of 2019, and a pair of 76’s only add fuel to the rumor mill. Tiger says that he just needed to knock off some rust, and we’ll get to see for sure when he continues his pursuit of Jack’s major championship record this week at Harding Park. Stay tuned.

2020 PGA Championship

The Field

As with all major championships, The PGA Championship will include a tremendous field of top-ranked players, each hoping to bring home the Wannamaker Trophy, awarded to the winner by the PGA of America. In addition to Tiger, Brooks Koepka, Justin Thomas, Bryson DeChambeau, Dustin Johnson, Rory McIlroy, Rickie Fowler, Jon Rahm, Patrick Reed, Jordan Spieth, and Phil Mickelson will all be teeing it up this week. The player to watch is most certainly the reigning two-time PGA Champion, Brooks Koepka. Koepka gained momentum at the FedEx, in spite of the hiccup on the final hole. After poor finishes at the Workday, Memorial, and 3M, Koepka turned up his game with a blistering 62 in the opening round, and recorded solid rounds of 68 and 69 over the weekend. With his explosive display at the FedEx, Justin Thomas (also a former PGA Champion) is another player to watch closely this week. Bryson DeChambeau, Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Patrick Cantley, Collin Morikawa, Tony Finau, and Patrick Reed have all been playing well of late, and each would dearly love to add the Wannamaker to his trophy case. And don’t be surprised if Dustin Johnson suddenly jumps in the mix and walks away with his second major victory. Of course, The PGA has been known to deliver the unexpected, suddenly launching an unknown name into the spotlight (John Daly, Rich Beem, Y.E. Yang, Shaun Micheel, Jeff Sluman, and Wayne Grady come to mind). One thing is for sure, this is going to be a great week for watching golf.

The Course

TPC Harding Park in San Francisco, California will be hosting a professional major championship for the first time in its venerated history. Harding Park was originally designed by Willie Watson and Sam Whiting, opening in 1925. A municipal course, owned by the San Francisco Department of Parks & Recreation, Harding Park hosted the U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship in 1937 and in 1956, and the Lucky International Open on the PGA Tour until 1969. Due to budget cuts, Harding Park’s condition had begun to decline and the tour was ultimately forced to end their relationship. For the next thirty years, Harding Park was largely forgotten, with the most humiliating moment coming when it was used as a parking lot for the 1998 U.S. Open that was played at The Olympic Club. 2002 brought about a revival, however, when Arnold Palmer Golf Management was brought in to operate the park. Former USGA President Sandy Tatum played a key role by enlisting the assistance of Tim Finchem and the PGA Tour, with PGA Tour course architect Chris Gray tasked with returning Harding Park to Watson’s vision—and he did a masterful job. 2005 proved to be another groundbreaking year for Harding Park, as it hosted its first World Golf Championship event (The American Express Championship). Ten years later, the course hosted the 2015 WGC-Cadillac Match Play Championship. Both World Golf events at Harding were thrilling nail-bitters, with Tiger Woods narrowly defeating fan-favorite John Daly in a playoff at the American Express, and Rory McIlroy defeating the hard-charging Gary Woodland at the Cadillac Matchplay. Harding Park also hosted the 2009 Presidents Cup, and is scheduled to host the 2025 Presidents Cup. In 2010, Harding Park became a member of the TPC network, and is now operated by PGA Tour Golf Course Properties. Joining Bethpage, Torrey Pines and Chambers Bay among municipal courses that have hosted a major championship is yet another fitting tribute to Harding Park, and a testament to how far the game has come in making great courses available to everyone.

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Tiger, Jack and The 2020 Memorial

The Memorial Tournament starts this week at the Muirfiekd Village Golf Club
Muirfield Village Golf Club
July 16, 2020

Tiger and Jack

The Memorial Tournament starts this week, and as we mentioned in our last blog, this will be Tiger’s first start since the tour suspended play for COVID-19. This week will also provide an opportunity for Tiger to break Sam Snead’s record for PGA Tour wins (they are tied at 82). Other than perhaps Augusta National, it’s hard to think of a better place for Tiger to break Snead’s record than Muirfield Village. Earlier in the week Tiger dispelled rumors that his extended absence may have been due to his back, stating “I just felt it was better to stay at home and be safe.” Something tells me he will have his A-game on display this week, so this star-studded field will have to do some playing if they want to delay the inevitable.

Between the two them, Tiger and Jack occupy a pretty hefty chunk of the record book while dominating their respective era. A few of Tiger’s more illustrious records include winning four majors in a row (tying Bobby Jones), most consecutive cuts made (142), and most victories in a single PGA event (8 times at Bay Hill). He also won the Vardon Trophy for lowest season scoring average a record 8 times, with the best ever recorded of 68.17 in 2000, when he won 9 times. At 24, Tiger was the youngest player in history to complete the career grand slam, and also holds the record for most World Golf Championship victories (18). Jack, of course, holds the most prestigious record of all with 18 major victories, but Tiger’s resurgence has suddenly brought it once again within his reach (with the addition of the 2019 Masters, Tiger now has 15 major championships). Jack’s over-all record at the majors is truly eye-popping; however, when you consider that in addition to the 18 wins he also recorded 19 runner-up finishes and was among the top 3 an astounding 48 times. Seeing Jack and Tiger together at the Memorial is an opportunity to witness golf history as it unfolds—and you definitely do not want to miss a minute of it.

WorkDay Charity wrap-up

Last week’s WorkDay Charity Open proved to be yet another exciting finish. Young phenom Collin Morikawa was able to take down Justin Thomas in a playoff thriller and move all the way up to Number 6 in the FedEx cup point standings. Although it was a tough loss, the runner-up finish was more than enough to propel Thomas past Webb Simpson and assume the lead in FedEx points, and also move him ahead of Dustin Johnson to Number 3 in the World Golf Rankings. Young Viktor Hovland also came close, but his hopes were dashed when his ball found water on the 14th hole. The young Norwegian has led the tour in strokes gained tee to green in each of the last three tournaments, and no one has ever done that before, so it’s a good bet he will notch his second tour victory sooner rather than later.

The Memorial

Jack has Muirfield Village set up to play a lot tougher for the Memorial than it was at the WorkDay last week (not that it was easy by any means). First of all, the greens will be far quicker, running between 13 and 13.5 on the stimpmeter (they were at 11 for the WorkDay). In addition, the tees will be pushed back a bit (particularly at the drivable par 4 14th hole), and the mowers will spend less time keeping the thick rough in check. Fast and firm greens with heavy rough are a recipe for high scores, and even such a deep and talented field will have a difficult time going low—exactly the way Jack wants it to be. When you put Tiger together with Jack and Muirfield Village, what could be better.

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FedEx Cup Playoff Update

East Lake Golf Club, Atlanta, GA
July 12, 2020

We are well into July, and although the long lay-off makes it feel like the PGA season only just began, the FedEx Cup playoffs are right around the corner. A number of youngsters have burst onto the scene in a big way, and this year looks to be the most exciting run to the tour championship and $15 million dollar FedEx Cup purse ever.

Currently Webb Simpson is the leader, with 1,660 points on the strength of 6 top ten’s, including two wins in 2019-2020 wrap-around season. After reaching the pinnacle of professional golf with a win at the 2012 US Open, the putter he used to get him there was removed from his bag when the Tour announced in 2013 that “Anchored Putters” would no longer be allowed beginning with the 2016 season. Simpson had to re-build his putting stroke, and even more importantly, his confidence, but it appears that all of his hard work has him ready to add another major to his resume—and perhaps the FedEx Cup as well. Justin Thomas is hot on his heels with 1,543 points. Thomas has recorded 5 top-10’s with two wins thus far, and charged to the third-round lead at the Workday Open at Muirfield Village with consecutive 66’s (he shot 68 in the opening round). With Simpson taking this week off, Thomas can move into the FedEx Cup point lead by finishing 4th or better. At number 3 is Sungjae Im, a 22 year old from the Republic of Korea, who won the Honda and followed that up with a top-5 at Bay Hill just before the suspension of play. Im recorded a top-10 at the Charles Schwab Challenge when play resumed at Colonial in June. In 4th place is Bryson DeChambou (“The Mad Scientist”), who bombed the field with 350 plus yard drives at Detroit Golf Club to win the Rocket Mortgage Classic last week. Rory McIlroy is lurking at number 5, with a win and 6 top-10 finishes. While Rory has gotten off to a bit of a slow start since play resumed, expect him to make a charge beginning at the Memorial next week with Tiger in the field. Patrick Reed, dubbed “Captain America” for his gritty play at the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup, sits just behind McIlroy at number 6. Reed has a win (WGC-Mexico) and 4 top-10’s thus far in the 2019-2020 campaign.

Young Guns

Coming into this week, twenty-one-year-old Californian Colin Morikawa stood at 21st in the FedEx standings, and precision iron play reminiscent of Johnny Miller have him only 3 shots behind Thomas after the 3rd round at the Workday Open–a big Sunday would vault him into the top 10. Another youngster, 22-year-old Victor Hovland from Norway who played college golf at OSU, stands at 35th on the FedEx Cup standings. Hovland started the final round at the Workday only 2 shots behind Thomas, and he also would shoot up to the top ten with a win.

Notables

Tiger will be making his first start in 3 months at next week’s Memorial Tournament, and he has won Jack’s event 5 times. All eyes will be glued to the screen to see what he has in store after such a long lay-off (Tiger will also be looking to record his 83rd Tour win and break Sam Snead’s record). There have been some rumors that his back troubles may have returned, but he looked solid at the end of May in the match with Phil, Tom Brady and Peyton Manning. Brooks Koepka is another force to be reckoned with down the stretch run. Looking to win an unprecedented three consecutive PGA Championships, Koepka has displayed Tiger-like ability and resolve at the biggest events under maximum pressure. Jordan Spieth has started to show signs of returning to major championship form, but has been unable to put four solid rounds together so far—still, don’t be surprised if he suddenly bursts onto the scene when the FedEx playoffs get going. And coming off his win at the Travelers, Dustin Johnson appears ready to make a move and remind us of why he is number 3 in the world rankings. Keep an eye on Patrick Cantley as well, who has quietly edged closer to the top 30 with his game peaking at exactly the right time. When you add John Rahm (number 2 in the world), Rickie Fowler, Bubba Watson, and Jason Day to the mix, the next month and half of pure excitement will more than make up for those dreary days when there was no golf to watch.

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Rocket Mortgage Classic and the “Muirfield Double”

Muirfiekd Village Golf Club
Muirfield Village Golf Club
July 7, 2020

DeChambeau wins in Detroit

Last week’s Rocket Mortgage Classic at Detroit Golf Club delivered not only excitement, but our first bit of controversy as well. Bryson DeChambeau, nicknamed “The Mad Scientist” for his uniquely scientific approach to the golf swing, put the emphasis on “mad” after making a poor shot out of a greenside bunker on the par 5 7th hole during Saturday’s 3rd round, failing to get up and down for birdie. After angrily swatting the sand and then muttering various expletives while leaving the green, he then accosted a camera man for filming his less than professional display. Blowing his top at a camera man for simply doing his job raised a few eyebrows, but in spite of the momentary lapse, DeChambeau charged from three shots back of Matthew Wolff with a sizzling 65 on Sunday and cruised to victory. A new found power surge that he credits to an offseason change in diet and robust exercise regimen has him bombing it off the tee (one of his drives was measured at 375 yards). While he won’t be in the field for the first leg of the “Muirfield Double” at Jack’s course in Dublin, OH, we’ll get a chance to see him the week after for the Memorial where he recorded his second career win in 2018. Bryson has also vaulted to the odds-on favorite for winning one or more of the three majors coming up later this year.

The WorkDay Charity Open

The inaugural WorkDay Charity Open, and first leg of the “Muirfield Double” at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio begins this Thursday (July 9). The Jack Nicklaus masterpiece, and venue for the Memorial Tournament, has perennially drawn one of the strongest fields on the PGA Tour—and this year we get to enjoy it two weeks in a row. The powerhouse field will include Brooks Koepka, Rickie Fowler, Phil Mickelson, Jordan Spieth, Jason Day, Jon Rahm, Patrick Reed, and Bubba Watson. Brooks Koepka’s younger brother, Chase, will also be teeing it up this week (the Tour graciously added him to the field after he qualified for the Travelers Championship but withdrew after learning that Brooks’ caddie had tested positive for COVID-19). In addition, the deep field will include Xander Schauffele (2017 Tour Championship winner and runner up in 2019), Hideki Matsuyama (2014 Memorial Champion), and Patrick Cantley (the reigning Memorial Champion).

Muirfield Village

Muirfield Village Golf Club was designed and founded by Jack Nicklaus in 1974 while he was at the height of his PGA Tour career (and he won the Memorial twice, in 1977 and 1984). Jack is notorious for designing difficult tracks, and Muirfield may be the toughest of all with a course rating of 78.6 and a slope of 155. In addition to Jack himself, the list of past winners at Muirfield reads like a who’s who among golf’s elite, including Tiger Woods (5-time winner of the Memorial), Tom Watson, Greg Norman, Ernie Els, Hale Irwin, Vijay Singh and Fred Couples. Known for its thick rough, tight fairways and firm greens, year in and year out Muirfield provides a test where the biggest names in golf can display their skills, and identifies the player who is at the very top of his game.

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2020 Travelers at TPC River Highlands

Beautiful landscape at TPC River Highlands
TPC River Highlands, Cromwell, CT
June 25, 2020

The Travelers Championship starts today at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, CT. and while the previous three tournaments provided plenty of thrills, I have a feeling the Travelers may be the best yet.

The Field

First some unfortunate news–Brooks Koepka announced yesterday that he was withdrawing from the tournament because his caddie, Ricky Elliot, had tested positive for Covid-19. Web Simpson, Cameron Champ and Chase Koepka (Brook’s younger brother) also announced that they would withdraw. Although none of the players have tested positive, they each had been in close proximity to Brooks and his caddie, so felt that caution was the most prudent course—hopefully they will be returning soon. The field, however, will still be packed with big stars like Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson, Justin Thomas, Jordan Spieth, Justin Rose, Bubba Watson and Patrick Reed. Now that Phil has joined the 50+ club, it will be interesting to see how he fares. A two-time winner at the Travelers, Phil is comfortable with the layout at River Highlands and with his window of opportunity closing a little bit more in a star-studded field, don’t be surprised if we see the hyper-aggressive Phil of years past. The Travelers will be the third tournament in a row for Thomas, Spieth, Rose, Johnson, Rahm, and McIlroy, so fatigue may start to become a factor—although they may also be super sharp after playing so much competitive golf. And with the exception of Johnson and McIlroy, all of them were in the hunt at the previous two events, but came up just short. Meanwhile, we are still eagerly awaiting the debut of Tiger Woods. While no official date has been set, Tiger was seen playing golf with his son Charlie on St. Simon’s Island, so perhaps he is starting to tune up for a return in the near future (The Memorial is a good bet, since Tiger has rarely missed Jack’s event).

The Course

The Travelers Championship is held at TPC River Highlands, a private club in Cromwell CT. The course, originally name Edgewood Country Club, was designed in 1928 by Robert R. Ross. Pete Dye did a redesign in 1982, modernizing and stiffening the course to stand up to current equipment as a TPC course, while maintaining the natural beauty of the landscape and layout. In 1989, the course underwent further remodeling and updating by Bobby Weed. As a par 70 measuring 6,841 yards from the tips, the softness of the course makes it play significantly longer, and tight fairways with small greens will present a challenge to the players. Still, River Highlands is considered one of the less demanding courses on the Tour schedule (USGA course rating of 73/Slope rating of 131). The course record of 58 was set by Jim Furyk in 2016, but the fact that he did not go on to win is evidence that River Highlands has teeth and can bite back.

History

Past champions at the Travelers include bombers like Bubba Watson (twice), Phil Mickelson (twice), and Greg Norman, as well as great putters like Jordan Spieth and Brad Faxon. Illustrious ball strikes including Nick Price, Paul Azinger and Lanny Wadkins have also claimed this championship, but precision and grit can carry the day—as seen with the reigning champion, Chez Reavie. Other past winners here include David Frost, Curtis Strange and Peter Jacobsen (twice).

Wrap up

With this field, on a course that allows so many different styles of play the opportunity to win, we should be in for a treat. Be sure to tune in, you will be glad you did.

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PGA Tour Schedule Update

Image from the Harbor Town Golf Links, Hilton Head, SC that includes the famous lighthouse and view of the 18th hole.
Harbor Town Golf Links, Hilton Head, SC

Up-coming Tour Schedule

Now that the PGA Tour is back, I’m sure we’re all excited to watch golf on a weekly basis again.  COVID-19 and the cancelation of nine events from March through May has forced the Tour schedule to be completely reorganized. Let me take you through what the next few months of tournament play will look like. Following this week’s Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial, the RBC Heritage at Harbor Town Golf Links is up next. There’s a chance that Tiger may make Hilton Head his first tournament back (his yacht is reportedly headed there), but tournament officials have had no official commitment from Woods thus far on whether he will be playing. Not to worry, there will be plenty of big names teeing it up regardless. Stars like four-time major winners Brooks Koepka and Rory McIlroy, John Rahm (ranked 2 in the world), Justin Thomas (fourth ranked), Dustin Johnson (fifth ranked) have already committed, so all of the top 5 players in the world will be there. After that comes the Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands, where Koepka, McIlroy, Thomas, Johnson, Patrick Reed, Bubba Watson, and Jason Day will be competing. The Rocket Mortgage Classic at Detroit Golf Club is next, with Rickie Fowler, Phil Mickelson, and Bubba Watson having made firm commitments so far. With fields like these, packed with superstars, tour fans should be gearing up for some great golf in the next month. After that, Muirfield Village and Jack will be hosting two consecutive tournaments, a newly sponsored event called Workday, Inc., and the Memorial Tournament—taking place from July 6 to July 19.

The fans come back!

The governor of Ohio, Mike DeWine, recently announced that the Memorial will have spectators, so golf fans get ready to grab your tickets, but also be safe, and remember to follow the rules for social distancing. To be extra safe, the tour is also planning to have mandatory temperature readings. While this may sound like a pain in the neck, it’s the prudent way to keep everybody safe while cheering for our favorite pro. The 3M Open at TPC Twin Cities in Minneapolis, MN will be held the week after (July 23-26) followed by the FedEx St. Jude Classic (now a WGC event) and The Barracuda Championship (the same week). Then comes the PGA, the first major of the year. The Wyndham Championship at Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro North Carolina is after the PGA, followed by the FedEx Cup playoffs. The playoffs will be held in similar fashion as previous years, with the Northern Trust, BMW Championship, and the Tour Championship taking place from August 23 through September 7. After that, the Safeway Open is scheduled to play at Johnny Miller’s Silverado Country Club in Napa, California.

The Majors

Unfortunately, the R&A has decided that The Open Championship will not be held this year (The Memorial will be played that week instead). The PGA Championship will be held from August 6-9 at TPC Harding Park, a renowned municipal course in San Francisco, CA. The PGA has not been held on the west coast since Sahalee in 1998, and it will be interesting to see how the players fare in the moist and cool conditions of San Francisco. The U.S. Open will be played from September 17-20 at historic Winged Foot in Westchester, NY, and in addition to the notoriously tough track there is no doubt that fatigue will be a factor, with such a rigorous FedEx Cup playoff schedule leading up to it—although all of the players are welcoming the challenge (at least for now). Winged Foot is a course that demands perfection and is arguably the hardest course in the open rotation. The USGA strives to make the Open a test of mental strength as much as shot making skill, and this year’s schedule is likely to provide exactly that. The Masters will be played from November 12-15, so the players will have a little time to recover. It will be fascinating to see how Augusta plays in the fall, with cool and windy conditions. Also, the course will play much longer than the players are accustomed to (while the greens should still be nearly as fast). Something tells me that that the scores may be quite a bit higher than we’ve seen in the Spring, and it will be fun to see how the players approach the different challenges.

Ryder Cup

If the Open at Winged Foot isn’t enough excitement for golf fans, the Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits in Haven, WI follows the very next week. Many changes are taking place for the Ryder Cup this year, as Captains will now be allowed six picks—up from the usual four due to the short season with many players not accumulating enough points to qualify in the normal way. Those who have qualified for the U.S. team so far include Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson, Patrick Reed, Gary Woodland, Xander Schauffele, and Webb Simpson. For the Europeans, only four players have qualified thus far with Tommy Fleetwood, Jon Rahm, Victor Perez, and Rory McIlroy securing their spots. As of right now, it’s still up in the air on whether patrons will be allowed to attend. This has caused a bit of early controversy, as the Ryder Cup has come to be synonymous with rowdy, patriotic fans, and a whole lot of heckling. Brooks Koepka in particular has been vocal in opposing a Ryder Cup with no patrons, and has alluded to a player boycott if fans are not allowed to attend (and other stars, including Rory McIlroy, have expressed the same sentiment). Steve Stricker, the Captain for the U.S. team and Wisconsin native, has assured fans that a compromise can be reached, suggesting that a Ryder Cup with 50% patron capacity would be fine by him. We’ll have to wait and see how it all shakes out, but one this for sure—the next six months are going to be fun for golf fans.

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2020 Charles Schwab Invitational—The PGA Tour is back!

A view from the green at the Colonial Country Club

While the Woods/Manning v Mickelson/Brady match delivered far beyond our expectations, and quelled a bit of our PGA Tour withdrawal,I think we all still long for a return of regular tournament play. That is why I’m pleased to remind all golf fans out there that the tour is finally returning with the Charles Schwab Challenge next week (June 11-14) at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas.

A Fitting Start

It seems fitting for the tour to return at Colonial, since the first tour event hosted at the legendary course was played in 1946, making it the longest running tour event continuously played at the same venue. Colonial is a tough track with a USGA course rating of 75.1 and slope rating of 138. Tight fairways and quick, undulated greens, make precision a requirement for success on this classic layout. Ranked nationally and among the top five courses in Texas by Golf Digest, Colonial has seen all the games greatest players battle it out to have their name etched on the Wall of Champions next to the first tee. Colonial will be forever associated with the legendary Ben Hogan, who resided in Fort Worth and won five times there. While the Colonial puts a premium on accuracy, short game, and putting, winners at Colonial also include some of the longest hitters in the game—including Sam Snead, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson, and Phil Mickelson. What makes Colonial unique in an era of power golf, is the opportunity it gives for players like Corey Pavin and Zach Johnson (both past champions) to display their immense skills at shaping shots and controlling ball flight without needing to hit it 340 yards off the tee.

Colonial Country Club History

Colonial was founded in in 1936 and originally designed by John Bredemus, with later renovations by Perry Maxwell and updates by Robert Trent Jones, Sr. and Dick Wilson. The members at Colonial have maintained their commitment to improving the course over the years with contributions coming from accomplished modern-day architects including Jay Morrish, Bob Cupp, and Keith Foster. Bredemus is relatively obscure, but he designed a great many excellent courses in Texas, as well as quite a few in Mexico, including Guadalajara Country Club, one of the top ranked courses in the country. Maxwell is known for his contributions to Augusta National, Pine Valley, Merion, and Westchester, all of which emphasize the necessity for accurate driving and strong putting.

Major Championships Held at the Colonial

Colonial has hosted three major championships over the years, including the 1941 U.S. Open as well as the 1975 Players Championship and the 1991 U.S. Women’s Open.

2020 Charles Schwab Invitational

With the re-opening of tournament play after such a long lay-off, this year’s event will have a packed field of stars. Brooks Koepka, Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson, Justin Thomas, Rickie Fowler, John Rahm, Patrick Reed, Justin Rose, Jordan Spieth, Bubba Watson, and Jim Furyk are all expected to tee it up. With a field like this, golf fans can expect fireworks and thrills right down to the back nine on Sunday. And don’t count out the defending champ Kevin Na, who had a top ten earlier in the year at the World Golf Championship in Mexico, or Tony Finau who finished second last year and can attack pins from short range if he’s finding fairways.

And away we go.

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