Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial
The Charles Schwab Challenge is an annual professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour held at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas, typically during Memorial Day weekend in late May.[1] Established in 1946 as the Colonial National Invitational, it is the longest continuously running non-major event held at the same venue on the PGA Tour and one of only five invitational tournaments with a select field based on specific qualification criteria, such as past champions, major winners, and top FedExCup rankings.[2][3] The tournament takes its name from title sponsor Charles Schwab & Co., which assumed sponsorship in 2019 and extended the agreement through 2026, supporting charitable initiatives like Birdies for Charity that have raised millions for local causes.[4][5] Played on the historic Colonial Country Club course—a par-70 layout measuring 7,209 yards designed by John Bredemus and Perry Maxwell with input from club founder Marvin Leonard—the event features a $9.5 million purse for the 2025 edition, with the winner earning $1.71 million and 500 FedExCup points.[6][3][7] Renowned for its rich history and challenging, tree-lined fairways that demand precision, the Charles Schwab Challenge has hosted legendary moments, including five victories by Fort Worth native and World Golf Hall of Famer Ben Hogan (1946, 1947, 1952, 1953, 1959) and the 2003 appearance by LPGA star Annika Sörenstam as the first woman to compete in a PGA Tour event in nearly 60 years.[3][8] Recent winners include Ben Griffin in 2025, Davis Riley in 2024, and Emiliano Grillo in 2023, underscoring its role in showcasing both established stars like Jordan Spieth and emerging talents.[3]History and Background
Origins and Development
The Charles Schwab Challenge traces its roots to 1946, when it was established as the Colonial National Invitational at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas, marking the beginning of a longstanding PGA Tour event dedicated to professional golf following the conclusion of World War II.[9][10] The tournament emerged from the club's earlier hosting of the 1941 U.S. Open, which had inspired plans for an annual event, though wartime constraints delayed its launch until after 1945, shifting focus from wartime pauses to a professional invitational format with a select field of 29 players, including 25 professionals.[10] Ben Hogan, a Fort Worth native and club member, won the inaugural edition with a final-round 65 to finish at 279, claiming the $3,000 first-place prize from a total purse of $15,000, and he went on to secure a record five victories at the event overall.[11][12] Over the decades, the tournament solidified its place as a PGA Tour staple, traditionally held in May at Colonial Country Club, with continuous annual play except for a 1949 cancellation due to flooding.[9][10] It evolved from its early modest purse—reflecting post-war economic recovery—into a major event, with the prize fund growing to $9.5 million by 2025, underscoring its enduring prestige and economic impact on professional golf.[7] The event's invitational status, one of only five on the PGA Tour, has maintained its selective field composition since inception, emphasizing quality over quantity.[9] A landmark moment in the tournament's development occurred in 2003, when LPGA star Annika Sörenstam received a sponsor's exemption to compete, becoming the first woman in 58 years to play in a PGA Tour event and highlighting the tournament's openness to groundbreaking participation.[13] Now titled the Charles Schwab Challenge since 2019 under its current sponsor, the event continues to build on this foundation of innovation and tradition.[6]Invitational Designation
The Charles Schwab Challenge holds invitational status on the PGA Tour, one of only five such tournaments alongside the Genesis Invitational, Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard, the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday, and the RBC Heritage.[14] This designation allows for a reduced field size of approximately 132 players, compared to the standard 144 for full-field events, fostering a more exclusive competition that attracts top-ranked professionals.[15] The event's invitational format was established early in its history, with official PGA Tour recognition as an invitational tournament, enabling greater flexibility in participant selection while maintaining high competitive standards.[8] Key advantages of the invitational structure include a purse that is proportionally larger relative to the field size—$9.5 million for 2025, providing enhanced earnings potential for participants—and expanded exemption categories beyond standard PGA Tour criteria.[7][15] These exemptions encompass lifetime entry for past champions, additional spots for recent major winners, and up to 10 sponsor or tournament director invitations, allowing organizers to include promising amateurs, international talents, or notable figures like club professionals.[15] This discretion, unique to invitational events, has historically drawn elite fields, such as the 1946 inaugural edition limited to the top 24 money earners and select amateurs.[8] The invitational prestige elevates the tournament's profile, often featuring multiple top-10 world-ranked players and contributing to its reputation for quality competition at Colonial Country Club.[8] To align with the smaller field, the 36-hole cut advances the top 65 players and ties to the weekend rounds, a rule that promotes tighter leaderboards and intense play compared to the top 70 and ties in full-field events.[15] This format underscores the event's role in showcasing precision and strategy on the demanding par-70 layout, enhancing its enduring appeal among players and fans.[1]Sponsorship Evolution
Current Sponsorship
The Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial secured Charles Schwab as its title sponsor in 2019 with an initial four-year agreement, which was extended in 2021 to run through 2026, solidifying the event's official name as the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial. This partnership replaced previous sponsors and marked Schwab's entry into PGA Tour title sponsorships, emphasizing the company's commitment to golf and the Dallas-Fort Worth region.[5][4] In January 2021, Charles Schwab relocated its corporate headquarters from San Francisco to a new 200-acre campus in Westlake, Texas, located about 20 miles northwest of Fort Worth and Colonial Country Club, thereby deepening its local economic and cultural connections to the tournament's host city. This move, part of a broader strategy following the 2020 acquisition of TD Ameritrade, positioned Schwab as a prominent North Texas employer with over 5,000 associates in the area, fostering enhanced community engagement around the annual event.[16][17] As title sponsor, Charles Schwab integrates its branding across the tournament, including prominent association with the event's signature Scottish royal tartan plaid jacket awarded to the champion alongside the Leonard Trophy, a tradition honoring golf's heritage that continues under Schwab's tenure. The sponsorship also drives community initiatives, such as the Birdies for Charity program, which solicits pledges for birdies made during the tournament to benefit over 30 Tarrant County nonprofits, raising nearly $19 million in 2025 alone to support local causes. Additionally, Schwab leverages the event to promote its broader corporate social responsibility efforts, including financial literacy programs through the Charles Schwab Foundation, which provides educational resources to underserved communities in the region.[4][18][19][20] The sponsorship contributes to the tournament's elevated purse, which reached $9.5 million in 2025, with the winner claiming $1.71 million, reflecting the event's status as a key PGA Tour stop and Schwab's investment in competitive excellence.[21]Historical Sponsors
The Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial, originally established in 1946 as the Colonial National Invitational, operated without a major title sponsor for its initial 42 years, emphasizing its status as a prestigious invitational event hosted by Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas.[22] This period allowed the tournament to build a legacy rooted in local tradition and high-profile competitors, including legends like Ben Hogan, who won five times between 1946 and 1959.[5] The first title sponsorship arrived in 1989 with Southwestern Bell, rebranding the event as the Southwestern Bell Colonial Invitational through 1994; this telecommunications partnership introduced corporate backing while retaining the event's invitational character. The 1995 edition had no title sponsor.[23] MasterCard followed as title sponsor from 1996 to 2002, naming it the MasterCard Colonial and aligning with the growing trend of financial and consumer brands in PGA Tour events.[23] Bank of America assumed sponsorship duties from 2003 to 2006, titling the tournament the Bank of America Colonial and continuing the financial services theme that would recur in later years.[23] This era saw the event maintain its invitational format amid increasing purse sizes, reflecting the stabilizing influence of corporate involvement.[24] From 2007 to 2015, InterContinental Hotels Group sponsored the event through its Crowne Plaza brand, rebranding it the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial; this hospitality partnership emphasized the tournament's Texas heritage and drew strong fields, including multiple wins by players like Zach Johnson.[23] In 2016, gourmet retailer Dean & DeLuca secured a six-year title sponsorship, renaming it the Dean & DeLuca Invitational, but the deal lasted only two seasons (2016–2017) due to the company's bankruptcy filing in 2017.[25][26] The 2018 edition proceeded without a title sponsor as the Fort Worth Invitational, supported by a consortium of local corporations including American Airlines and Lockheed Martin, to bridge the gap after Dean & DeLuca's collapse.[27] This transitional year highlighted the event's resilience and community ties before the shift to Charles Schwab in 2019, which reinforced the financial branding pattern established by earlier sponsors like Bank of America and MasterCard.[28]Tournament Structure
Field Composition
The Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial assembles its field through a combination of PGA Tour priority rankings and event-specific exemptions, typically resulting in a field of 120 to 135 players.[15] This structure ensures a mix of top-ranked professionals, past champions, and select invitees, reflecting the tournament's invitational status while adhering to PGA Tour eligibility rules.[15] Qualification paths prioritize fully exempt PGA Tour members, including top performers in the current FedExCup standings and the top 125 from the prior FedExCup Fall standings, providing entry to leading point earners who maintain full Tour membership.[15] Past winners receive exemptions into the event, with lifetime status for pre-2000 victors and 5-year exemptions for 2000 and later, allowing repeat champions like Jordan Spieth and Daniel Berger to participate based on their win eras without relying solely on current standings.[15] [29] Additional spots go to the top 15 and ties from the previous edition of the Charles Schwab Challenge, fostering continuity and rewarding strong performances in the prior year's event.[15] Sponsor exemptions, typically 4 to 6 selections, include opportunities for non-exempt Tour members, Korn Ferry Tour graduates, and special invitees such as amateurs or international talents.[15] [30] After 36 holes, the field is cut to the top 65 players and ties, who proceed to the final two rounds and compete for the full prize purse and FedExCup points. This rule aligns with standard PGA Tour full-field event protocols, ensuring a competitive weekend while managing pace of play on the renovated Colonial Country Club layout. In the 2025 edition, the field notably incorporated recent major winners, including Rory McIlroy (2025 Masters champion) and Hideki Matsuyama (2022 Masters winner with ongoing exemption), alongside rising stars such as Ben Griffin, who entered via Tour priority ranking and went on to claim victory.[15] [31] These inclusions highlighted the event's blend of established elite and emerging talent.[15]Traditions and Format
The Charles Schwab Challenge follows the standard PGA Tour format of 72-hole stroke play contested over four days in May, with players divided into morning and afternoon waves for the first two rounds. After 36 holes, the field is cut to the low 65 scorers and ties, who advance to the weekend rounds. In the event of a tie for the lead following regulation, a sudden-death playoff commences on the 18th hole and continues until a winner emerges. Past champions receive exemptions into the event, varying by win era, ensuring their ongoing participation in the invitational event.[29] A distinctive tradition is the Champion's Choice program, initiated in 1953, in which former tournament winners annually select two deserving amateurs or rising professionals for special invitations to compete. This initiative has spotlighted emerging talent, such as Jordan Spieth, who received a Champion's Choice invitation in 2014 and went on to claim the title in 2016. Another longstanding custom is the Wall of Champions, a prominent marble display etched with the signatures and names of every victor, located near the first tee at Colonial Country Club to honor the tournament's storied legacy. The 2020 edition marked a significant adaptation due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as it was conducted without spectators for the first time in its history to prioritize health and safety protocols. The event resumed admitting fans in 2021, returning to limited capacity before gradually restoring fuller attendance in subsequent years. The champion receives a tartan jacket in a ceremonial presentation following victory.Venue Details
Colonial Country Club Overview
Colonial Country Club, situated in Fort Worth, Texas, was founded in 1936 by Marvin Leonard, a self-taught golfer and owner of Leonard Brothers department stores, who sought to create a premier private golf facility in the region. The club's original 18-hole championship course was designed by Texas architect John Bredemus, with significant contributions and later redesigns by Oklahoma-based Perry Maxwell, whose work enhanced the layout's strategic depth and natural integration with the Trinity River floodplain.[32][9] Since its early years, Colonial has been a cornerstone of professional golf, hosting an annual PGA Tour event continuously since 1946—except for interruptions due to flooding in 1949 and the 1975 Players Championship relocation—establishing it as the longest-running non-major tournament at a single venue. The club also hosted the 1941 U.S. Open, the first time the major came to Texas and won by Craig Wood in a playoff, underscoring its early status as a challenging test for elite players. Ben Hogan, a Fort Worth native and longtime club member, won the invitational five times, cementing his legendary association with the venue.[9][9] As a private members-only club, Colonial offers an 18-hole course alongside amenities such as a driving range, short-game areas, a full-service pro shop, and dining facilities within its historic clubhouse, all maintained to high standards year-round. In preparation for the annual tournament, the grounds crew performs extensive conditioning, including aeration, overseeding, and bunker renovations, to meet PGA Tour specifications and ensure pristine playing conditions.[33][34] The venue's role in hosting the Charles Schwab Challenge drives substantial economic benefits for Fort Worth, enhancing local tourism through increased patronage at hotels, restaurants, and attractions. The 2025 edition was projected to generate $5.5 million in total economic impact, with daily attendance averaging around 15,000 patrons over the four tournament days, totaling approximately 60,000 visitors.[35][36]Course Specifications
The Colonial Country Club course is a par-70 layout measuring 7,289 yards from the tournament tees, featuring bentgrass greens and Bermudagrass fairways.[37][1] Among its notable holes, the par-4 second requires a demanding water carry on the approach shot to a narrow green protected by hazards on both sides.[38] The par-3 13th, a 170-yard shot over water to an elevated green, serves as a signature challenge and prime spectator vantage point due to its scenic positioning along the Trinity River.[9] The closing par-4 18th demands accuracy into a bunker-guarded green, with the iconic Ben Hogan statue overlooking the fairway as a tribute to the club's legendary history.[39] The course's design emphasizes strategic play through tree-lined fairways averaging under 30 yards in width, small greens, and numerous doglegs that reward precision and iron play over raw driving distance.[40][41] This setup has historically produced winning scores around 13-under par in the Charles Schwab Challenge.[41] In 2023, the course underwent a comprehensive $20 million renovation led by architect Gil Hanse, which included rebuilding all bunkers for improved definition and drainage, installing a new state-of-the-art irrigation system with 65 miles of piping, and updating greens and tees to align with modern PGA Tour standards while preserving the original Perry Maxwell blueprint.[42][43][34]Champions and Records
Complete List of Winners
The Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial, one of the PGA Tour's longest-running events, has awarded its champion a share of the purse that has evolved dramatically, from $3,000 out of a $10,000 total in 1946 to $1.71 million out of a $9.5 million purse in 2025, reflecting the tournament's growing prestige and economic scale.[7][44] The event has featured 12 playoffs in its history, adding drama to several editions. The following table lists all winners chronologically, including winning scores relative to par (Colonial Country Club is a par-70 layout), total strokes, margins of victory, and notes on playoffs or other key details where applicable.[23]| Year | Winner | To Par | Total | Margin | Runner-up(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1946 | Ben Hogan | -1 | 279 | 1 stroke | Harry Todd | |
| 1947 | Ben Hogan | -1 | 279 | 1 stroke | Lloyd Mangrum | |
| 1948 | Clayton Heafner | -8 | 272 | 6 strokes | Sam Snead | |
| 1949 | No tournament | - | - | - | - | Flooding |
| 1950 | Sam Snead | -3 | 277 | 3 strokes | Sam Snead | |
| 1951 | Cary Middlecoff | +2 | 282 | 1 stroke | Lloyd Mangrum | |
| 1952 | Ben Hogan | -1 | 279 | 4 strokes | Julius Boros | |
| 1953 | Ben Hogan | +2 | 282 | 5 strokes | Arnold Palmer | |
| 1954 | Johnny Palmer | 0 | 280 | 2 strokes | Billy Casper | |
| 1955 | Chandler Harper | -4 | 276 | 8 strokes | Julius Boros | |
| 1956 | Mike Souchak | 0 | 280 | 1 stroke | Cary Middlecoff | |
| 1957 | Roberto De Vicenzo | +4 | 284 | 1 stroke | Dow Finsterwald | |
| 1958 | Tommy Bolt | +2 | 282 | 1 stroke | Arnold Palmer | |
| 1959 | Ben Hogan | +5 | 285 | Playoff | Gene Littler | Won playoff |
| 1960 | Julius Boros | 0 | 280 | 1 stroke | Dow Finsterwald | |
| 1961 | Doug Sanders | +1 | 281 | 1 stroke | Arnold Palmer | |
| 1962 | Arnold Palmer | +1 | 281 | Playoff | Dow Finsterwald | Won playoff |
| 1963 | Julius Boros | -1 | 279 | 4 strokes | Arnold Palmer | |
| 1964 | Billy Casper | -1 | 279 | 4 strokes | Arnold Palmer | |
| 1965 | Bruce Crampton | -4 | 276 | 3 strokes | Jack Nicklaus | |
| 1966 | Bruce Devlin | 0 | 280 | 1 stroke | Gene Littler | |
| 1967 | Dave Stockton | -2 | 278 | 2 strokes | Arnold Palmer | |
| 1968 | Billy Casper | -5 | 275 | 5 strokes | Gene Littler | |
| 1969 | Gardner Dickinson | -2 | 278 | 1 stroke | Bob Goalby | |
| 1970 | Homero Blancas | -7 | 273 | 1 stroke | Bob Murphy | |
| 1971 | Gene Littler | +3 | 283 | 1 stroke | Jack Nicklaus | |
| 1972 | Jerry Heard | -5 | 275 | 2 strokes | Ralph Johnston | |
| 1973 | Tom Weiskopf | -4 | 276 | 1 stroke | Bert Yancey | |
| 1974 | Rod Curl | -4 | 276 | 1 stroke | Tom Weiskopf | |
| 1975 | No tournament | - | - | - | - | Not held; venue hosted Tournament Players Championship |
| 1976 | Lee Trevino | -7 | 273 | 1 stroke | Raymond Floyd | |
| 1977 | Ben Crenshaw | -8 | 272 | 1 stroke | Tom Kite | |
| 1978 | Lee Trevino | -12 | 268 | 4 strokes | Ed Sneed | |
| 1979 | Al Geiberger | -6 | 274 | 1 stroke | Ben Crenshaw | |
| 1980 | Bruce Lietzke | -9 | 271 | 1 stroke | Lee Trevino | |
| 1981 | Fuzzy Zoeller | -6 | 274 | 4 strokes | Jack Nicklaus | |
| 1982 | Jack Nicklaus | -7 | 273 | 3 strokes | Roger Maltbie | |
| 1983 | Jim Colbert | -12 | 268 | Playoff | Jack Nicklaus | Won playoff |
| 1984 | Peter Jacobsen | -10 | 270 | Playoff | Payne Stewart | Won playoff |
| 1985 | Corey Pavin | -14 | 266 | 4 strokes | Scott Simpson | |
| 1986 | Dan Pohl | -5 | 205 | Playoff | Greg Norman | Weather-shortened to 3 rounds; won playoff |
| 1987 | Keith Clearwater | -14 | 266 | 3 strokes | Ben Crenshaw | |
| 1988 | Lanny Wadkins | -10 | 270 | 1 stroke | Chip Beck | |
| 1989 | Ian Baker-Finch | -10 | 270 | 4 strokes | Bob Tway | |
| 1990 | Ben Crenshaw | -8 | 272 | 3 strokes | Scott Simpson | |
| 1991 | Tom Purtzer | -13 | 267 | 3 strokes | Lanny Wadkins | |
| 1992 | Bruce Lietzke | -13 | 267 | Playoff | Tom Watson | Won playoff |
| 1993 | Fulton Allem | -16 | 264 | 1 stroke | Corey Pavin | |
| 1994 | Nick Price | -14 | 266 | Playoff | Tom Lehman | Won playoff |
| 1995 | Tom Lehman | -9 | 271 | 1 stroke | Davis Love III | |
| 1996 | Corey Pavin | -8 | 272 | 2 strokes | Greg Norman | |
| 1997 | David Frost | -15 | 265 | 2 strokes | Tom Watson | |
| 1998 | Tom Watson | -15 | 265 | 2 strokes | Billy Mayfair | |
| 1999 | Olin Browne | -8 | 272 | 1 stroke | Steve Stricker | |
| 2000 | Phil Mickelson | -12 | 268 | 2 strokes | Michael Clark | |
| 2001 | Sergio García | -13 | 267 | 2 strokes | Retief Goosen | |
| 2002 | Nick Price | -13 | 267 | 5 strokes | Billy Mayfair | |
| 2003 | Kenny Perry | -15 | 261 | 6 strokes | Justin Leonard | Annika Sörenstam (LPGA) made cut as sponsor exemption |
| 2004 | Steve Flesch | -11 | 269 | 1 stroke | Bob Estes | |
| 2005 | Kenny Perry | -15 | 261 | 7 strokes | Kenneth Ferrie | |
| 2006 | Tim Herron | -12 | 268 | Playoff | Charley Hoffman, Robert Allenby | Won playoff |
| 2007 | Rory Sabbatini | -14 | 266 | Playoff | Kelly Gibson | Won playoff |
| 2008 | Phil Mickelson | -14 | 266 | 1 stroke | Tim Clark | |
| 2009 | Steve Stricker | -17 | 263 | Playoff | Jarrod Lyle | Won playoff |
| 2010 | Zach Johnson | -17 | 259 | 3 strokes | Matt Bettencourt | |
| 2011 | David Toms | -15 | 265 | 1 stroke | Camilo Villegas | |
| 2012 | Zach Johnson | -12 | 268 | 1 stroke | Jason Dufner | |
| 2013 | Boo Weekley | -14 | 266 | 1 stroke | Matt Every | |
| 2014 | Adam Scott | -9 | 271 | Playoff | Jason Dufner, Rickie Fowler, Brian Harman | Won playoff |
| 2015 | Chris Kirk | -12 | 268 | 1 stroke | Jordan Spieth | |
| 2016 | Jordan Spieth | -15 | 263 | 3 strokes | Danny Lee | |
| 2017 | Kevin Kisner | -10 | 270 | 1 stroke | Jason Dufner | |
| 2018 | Justin Rose | -20 | 260 | 3 strokes | Brooks Koepka | |
| 2019 | Kevin Na | -13 | 267 | 4 strokes | Adam Scott | |
| 2020 | Daniel Berger | -15 | 265 | Playoff | Collin Morikawa | Won playoff |
| 2021 | Jason Kokrak | -14 | 266 | 2 strokes | Jordan Spieth | |
| 2022 | Sam Burns | -11 | 271 | Playoff | Scottie Scheffler | Won playoff |
| 2023 | Emiliano Grillo | -8 | 272 | Playoff | Adam Schenk | Won playoff on 2nd hole |
| 2024 | Davis Riley | -14 | 266 | 5 strokes | J.T. Poston | |
| 2025 | Ben Griffin | -12 | 268 | 1 stroke | Matti Schmid | Final-round 71 clinched win |