Charles Schwab Challenge Betting Preview: Odds and Predictions
This week's PGA Tour event, the Charles Schwab Challenge, isn't a "designated event", but it boasts a pretty solid field at Colonial Golf Course.
Scottie Scheffler leads the field and is the rightful betting favorite. He went down to the wire here with Sam Burns last season before eventually losing in a playoff.
Let's take a look at the odds to win the event and then I'll give you my best bets.
Odds to Win Charles Schwab Challenge
Best Bet to Win: Sungjae Im +2000
I think this is a great time to buy low on Sungjae Im. He missed the cut at last week's PGA Championship, but some of that can be blamed on having to travel from South Korea to Rochester that week. Why was he in South Korea? He quietly went there to compete in (and win) a Korean Tour event.
Before his excusable poor performance at the PGA Championship, Im had finished T8 or better in three straight starts and hadn't finished outside the top 21 since the Honda Classic in February. You could argue his only weakness is a lack of distance off the tee, but you can get away with that at Colonial.
Strong irons and a great short game is what you need to win this event and that's exactly what Im offers. Not to mention he has finished in the top 15 here in two of the last four years.
Charles Schwab Challenge Top 5 odds
Scottie Scheffler Top 5 (-120)
Usually I like to work in the opposite direction, taking golfers further down the odds board once I start betting on position finishes. Instead, I'm going to do something I don't think I've ever done and take the betting favorite to finish in the top 5 at minus-money.
Sure, -120 odds isn't going to get you up in the morning, but good value is good value. Scheffler has finished in the top 5 in six of his last nine starts and hasn't finished worse than T12 since the CJ Cup last October. That's complete insanity.
As a cherry on top, he's always competed well in his home state of Texas and finished in 2nd place here last year. If you want to take him to win at +400, go ahead, but a tiny bit of bad luck can prevent someone from winning. Instead, I'll take him top 5 at -120 in what I think is a great value play.
Charles Schwab Challenge Top 10 odds
Russell Henley Top 10 +320
Russell Henley hasn't competed a lot lately, so people are starting to forget about him, but he was hot in March and April and deserves our respect at this weaker field event.
Henley has the potential be locked in with his irons and he gained significant strokes putting in three of his last four starts, including one which culminated in a T4 finish at this year's edition of The Masters.
Even when his putter let him down at last week's at the PGA Championship, he still gained +1.44 strokes on the field with his approach play. Much like Im, his lack of distance off the tee isn't going to hurt him at Colonial.
Charles Schwab Challenge Top 20 odds
Akshay Bhatia Top 20 +400
Non-elevated events are the time to take a shot on the 21-year old, Akshay Bhatia, who has shown great promise in his young career. He already has two top 5 finished on the season in weaker field events, and his irons have been absolutely dialed in during his last two starts.
He gained +1.44 strokes on the field with his approach play at the Mexico Open and then +1.52 strokes on the field in that area at the Wells Fargo Championship. Those numbers alonge make him a strong candidate to post a top 20 finished this week
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.