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USA Today
20-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
2025 Charles Schwab Challenge odds, picks and PGA Tour predictions
2025 Charles Schwab Challenge odds, picks and PGA Tour predictions Following Scottie Scheffler's runaway win at the PGA Championship, the 2025 Charles Schwab Challenge takes center stage as the next event on the PGA Tour schedule. The first round from Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas, begins on Thursday morning. Below, we look at Charles Schwab Challenge odds from BetMGM Sportsbook's odds and make our PGA Tour picks and predictions. Despite the fact that he just won his third career major, Scheffler is still planning to tee it up back home in Texas this week. He's the heavy favorite at +225, with Daniel Berger (+2000), Hideki Matsuyama (+2200) and Tommy Fleetwood (+2200) chasing the world's No. 1 player. Texas native Jordan Spieth (+2500) is also near the top of the odds board this week. Colonial Country Club is a par 70 and will play at 7,289 yards following an extensive restoration project that took place before last year's tournament. Davis Riley won here last year by 5 shots over Scheffler and Keegan Bradley, finishing the week 17-under despite shooting even par on Sunday. The defending champion, who also found himself in the mix at Quail Hollow on Sunday, is +4500 to win the Charles Schwab Challenge. Bradley is not playing this week. WATCH: Get ESPN+ Charles Schwab Challenge – Expert picks Odds provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated Monday at 3:18 p.m. ET. Aaron Rai (+3300) Last week at the PGA Championship, Rai ranked third in the field in strokes gained: approach, which will be an important measure this week at Colonial. He finished 19th on the leaderboard, partly because he lost 0.23 strokes on the greens in what was a tough putting week for him. J.T. Poston (+3300) Poston shot 2-over on Sunday, but still finished the week fifth, a great showing at Quail Hollow for the North Carolina native. He was seventh in SG: approach but only 40th off the tee and 48th around the greens, so he struggled in a couple of different areas. Poston missed the cut in 4 of 5 years here from 2019-23 but he finished 12th last year and is riding some momentum. Charles Schwab Challenge picks – Contenders Brian Harman (+4500) Harman's odds are unquestionably lower this week after he finished 60th at the PGA Championship at a course that never fit his game. At the much shorter Colonial, he'll have a good chance to contend, just as he did a month ago when he finished third at the RBC Heritage. He's only finished worse than 31st here once since 2015, and that was a missed cut in 2020. Davis Thompson (+4500) Thompson missed the cut at Quail Hollow, but he navigated Colonial well last year in his tournament debut when he finished tied for 17th. He had been playing well before the PGA Championship, making 5 straight cuts and finishing 27th or better in 4 consecutive starts, so maybe he'll get back on track this week. Charles Schwab Challenge picks – Long shots Lucas Glover (+8000) Even at the age of 45, Glover remains a great ball striker. He was 20th in SG: approach at the PGA Championship, but finished 61st in SG: putting out of the 74 players who made the cut. If he can get the putter working at Colonial (where he finished 12th last year), he could be in for a good week. Kurt Kitayama (+9000) Kitayama missed the cut at the PGA Championship, but he gained 1.80 strokes on approach, which ranked fourth among all players in the field. He just couldn't make anything on the greens in the first 2 rounds. He didn't play here last year, but he finished 29th in 2023 and 40th in 2022. Play our free daily Pick'em Challenge and win! Play now! For more sports betting picks and tips, check out and BetFTW. Golfweek: Follow @camdasilva on Twitter/X. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter/X and like us on Facebook.
San Francisco Chronicle
19-05-2025
- Sport
- San Francisco Chronicle
PGA winner Scottie Scheffler says his driver didn't pass inspection either
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — For all the attention Rory McIlroy received for his driver failing to pass inspection at the PGA Championship, Scottie Scheffler added a surprising wrinkle after he won. His driver failed the test, too. It added to context badly missing in the original report. The PGA of America said it routinely and randomly asks the USGA to test driver heads to make sure the constant shots have not made the faces too thin to exceed limits of a trampoline effect. The PGA of America said one-third of the 156-man field had their drivers test. That included the eventual winner, Scheffler, who wasn't surprised by the result of the test. 'My driver did fail me this week. We had a feeling that it was going to be coming because I've used that driver for over a year. I was kind of fortunate for it to last that long,' Scheffler said. McIlroy never spoke to the media the entire week when the PGA Championship began. Random testing occurs routinely on the PGA Tour and the majors. Xander Schauffele said he asked for a test earlier this year when he put an old driver back in play. Schauffele believes it shouldn't be random. 'Test everybody,' he said. The PGA of America said the testing is to protect players who might not be aware when the driver faces start to get thin. This isn't a question of intent. Scheffler sided with Schauffele's line of thinking. 'I would argue that if we're going to test the drivers, we need to be even more robust in the way we test them,' Scheffler said. 'That was a conversation I had with one of the rules officials. If it's something we're going to take seriously, I feel like we're almost going halfway with it right now.' Scheffler said going to a new driver was 'no big deal' because he's had to do it before and he had been working with the manufacturer at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson two weeks ago because they knew it was about to surpass limits. Scheffler lost a five-shot lead on the front nine by missing so many shots to the left. Was that a product of the new driver? 'No, I think that was my fault,' he said with a laugh. Poston delivers J.T. Poston is referred to as the 'Postman' on the PGA Tour by players and caddies, and he delivered his best showing in a major at the PGA Championship. Poston was a favorite at Quail Hollow from growing up in Hickory, North Carolina, and played at Western Carolina. Starting four shots behind, Poston dropped three shots in five holes. And then he bounced back with three birdies in a four-hole stretch and was still in the picture — before Scheffler pulled away at the end. Poston bogeyed the last two holes, knocking him out of a potential runner-up finish. He closed with a 73 and tied for fifth. 'The big thing is it was a learning curve for me this week,' he said. 'It's the first time I've really been in this position in majors and I feel like I held my ground pretty well overall." He'll get two more tries at the U.S. Open and British Open. Poston's final bogey cost him a guaranteed spot in the Masters next year for being in the top four. That was the least of his concerns after a good battle in the PGA. 'More than anything, I just proved to myself that I can win one of these, which is exciting,' he said. U.S. Open exemptions Davis Riley's runner-up finish did more than get him into the Masters next year. He gets to avoid U.S. Open qualifying. The top 60 in the world are exempt from U.S. Open qualifying, and four players made big moves on Sunday in the PGA Championship. Jhonattan Vegas was at No. 70 and his tie for fifth moved him up to No. 49. Vegas also gets into the British Open, which takes the top 50 from this week's ranking. Si Woo Kim went from No. 66 to No. 59 with his tie for eighth. And then there's Joe Highsmith. He won the Cognizant Classic in Florida to get into the Masters and PGA Championship. And then he played bogey-free over the last 12 holes, closing with a 71 to tie for eighth. That moved him from No. 69 to No. 60. Niemann's best Joaquin Niemann has been playing his best golf for the LIV Golf League, with three victories this year in the Saudi-funded league. He went out early and shot 68 that moved him all the way into a tie for eighth as players late in the day began to fade under the tougher, windier conditions. It was Niemann's first top 10 in a major. He received a sponsor exemption to the PGA Championship this year. He won't need one next year. The top 15 get spots in the field. ___
Fox Sports
19-05-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
PGA winner Scottie Scheffler says his driver didn't pass inspection either
Associated Press CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — For all the attention Rory McIlroy received for his driver failing to pass inspection at the PGA Championship, Scottie Scheffler added a surprising wrinkle after he won. His driver failed the test, too. It added to context badly missing in the original report. The PGA of America said it routinely and randomly asks the USGA to test driver heads to make sure the constant shots have not made the faces too thin to exceed limits of a trampoline effect. The PGA of America said one-third of the 156-man field had their drivers test. That included the eventual winner, Scheffler, who wasn't surprised by the result of the test. 'My driver did fail me this week. We had a feeling that it was going to be coming because I've used that driver for over a year. I was kind of fortunate for it to last that long,' Scheffler said. McIlroy never spoke to the media the entire week when the PGA Championship began. Random testing occurs routinely on the PGA Tour and the majors. Xander Schauffele said he asked for a test earlier this year when he put an old driver back in play. Schauffele believes it shouldn't be random. 'Test everybody,' he said. The PGA of America said the testing is to protect players who might not be aware when the driver faces start to get thin. This isn't a question of intent. Scheffler sided with Schauffele's line of thinking. 'I would argue that if we're going to test the drivers, we need to be even more robust in the way we test them,' Scheffler said. 'That was a conversation I had with one of the rules officials. If it's something we're going to take seriously, I feel like we're almost going halfway with it right now.' Scheffler said going to a new driver was 'no big deal' because he's had to do it before and he had been working with the manufacturer at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson two weeks ago because they knew it was about to surpass limits. Scheffler lost a five-shot lead on the front nine by missing so many shots to the left. Was that a product of the new driver? 'No, I think that was my fault,' he said with a laugh. Poston delivers J.T. Poston is referred to as the 'Postman' on the PGA Tour by players and caddies, and he delivered his best showing in a major at the PGA Championship. Poston was a favorite at Quail Hollow from growing up in Hickory, North Carolina, and played at Western Carolina. Starting four shots behind, Poston dropped three shots in five holes. And then he bounced back with three birdies in a four-hole stretch and was still in the picture — before Scheffler pulled away at the end. Poston bogeyed the last two holes, knocking him out of a potential runner-up finish. He closed with a 73 and tied for fifth. 'The big thing is it was a learning curve for me this week,' he said. 'It's the first time I've really been in this position in majors and I feel like I held my ground pretty well overall." He'll get two more tries at the U.S. Open and British Open. Poston's final bogey cost him a guaranteed spot in the Masters next year for being in the top four. That was the least of his concerns after a good battle in the PGA. 'More than anything, I just proved to myself that I can win one of these, which is exciting,' he said. U.S. Open exemptions Davis Riley's runner-up finish did more than get him into the Masters next year. He gets to avoid U.S. Open qualifying. The top 60 in the world are exempt from U.S. Open qualifying, and four players made big moves on Sunday in the PGA Championship. Jhonattan Vegas was at No. 70 and his tie for fifth moved him up to No. 49. Vegas also gets into the British Open, which takes the top 50 from this week's ranking. Si Woo Kim went from No. 66 to No. 59 with his tie for eighth. And then there's Joe Highsmith. He won the Cognizant Classic in Florida to get into the Masters and PGA Championship. And then he played bogey-free over the last 12 holes, closing with a 71 to tie for eighth. That moved him from No. 69 to No. 60. Niemann's best Joaquin Niemann has been playing his best golf for the LIV Golf League, with three victories this year in the Saudi-funded league. He went out early and shot 68 that moved him all the way into a tie for eighth as players late in the day began to fade under the tougher, windier conditions. It was Niemann's first top 10 in a major. He received a sponsor exemption to the PGA Championship this year. He won't need one next year. The top 15 get spots in the field. ___ AP golf: recommended
San Francisco Chronicle
17-05-2025
- Sport
- San Francisco Chronicle
PGA Championship scorecards don't have pictures. Vegas and Poston make a 3 very different ways
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Jhonattan Vegas and J.T. Poston each put a 3 on their scorecard at the par-3 17th. The way they played the hole was nothing alike. Vegas watched his tee shot sail to the right and figured he would need to chip-and-putt his way for par. But it struck the rake outside the bunker when it landed and caromed onto the green. His first thought was that it might roll so hard to the left it would go into the water. Instead, he stopped 35 feet away from an easy two-putt par. 'Sometimes you get a sprinkler head that goes out-of-bounds or the cart path that goes out-of-bounds, or sometimes you hit a rake that goes on the green,' Vegas said. 'It's just part of the game, and you've just got to enjoy it all.' Poston played in the afternoon and put his shot on the 185-yard hole — a front tee to go with the front pin — into the water. 'I would have taken bogey walking off that tee,' Poston said, who played bogey-free the rest of the way, shot 70 and was only four shots out of the lead. He did even better. Going to the drop zone, from 110 yards and holed wedge for par. 'That felt like it was better than a 3,' Poston said. 'I was staring double bogey right in the face. That was big for momentum.' Coming up aces Already one of the more playfully animated characters in golf, Si Woo Kim had something to really celebrate Friday at Quail Hollow. He now has the longest hole-in-one in major championship history. Kim used a 5-wood on the 252-yard sixth hole for his ace. It carried him to a 7-under 64 that left him two shots out of the lead in his quest for his first major. After his ball bounced on the green and curled around toward the hole and dropped in, Kim threw his club high in the air, then started running down the fairway until he reached the next tee box. Then he turned back to his playing group and triumphantly raised his arms in the air. Kim was told it was the longest ace in major championship history. There was no need telling him who had the previous record — it was Kim last year at Royal Troon. 'Last record was me, too, because I've kind of made similar number at Royal Troon, so that was longest maybe major history hole-in-one,' he said. His ace at the British Open last year was on the 238-yard 17th hole at Troon. 'Yeah, it's exciting,' he said. 'I hit it like right exactly how I wanted. So it was cool and then it was pretty memorable hole-in-one in major.' Temper, temper The PGA Championship provided a few explosive moments Friday at Quail Hollow. One of them, without too much surprised, belonged to the animated Tyrrell Hatton. He was right in contention until hitting his tee shot into the creek left of the 18th fairway at the midpoint of his round. He hissed at his driver dropped two strong expletives, leading the ESPN announcers to say, 'So, he was not happy with that tee shot.' Hatton made triple bogey and wound up seven shots out of the lead. And then there was Shane Lowry, who hit a good drive on the short eighth hole only to discover it was in a pitch mark that was not his — if it had been, he would have been granted a free drop. But he had to play it. Lowry was trying to put it in the bunker because he didn't think he could reach the green 57 yards away from that lie. Still angry, he dropped an expletive and violently slammed his wedge into the divot he had made. Lowry wound up with a bogey and extended his middle finger at the hole when he missed his par putt. He also was seen speaking to an official, but Lowry said that was directed toward an ESPN crew member who interjecting. 'The ESPN guy came straight over and said, 'That's not your pitch mark.' I'm like, 'That's not for you to talk about. That's for me to call a rules official and decide what happens,'' Lowry said. 'I wasn't arguing that it was my pitch mark,' he said. 'I was trying to be 100% sure.' Either way, he was annoyed — especially after missing the cut by one shot. Major performance for Matthieu Pavon Matthieu Pavon of France showed his chops in the majors last year when he contended in the U.S. Open, playing in the final group with Bryson DeChambeau at Pinehurst No. 2 before closing with a 71 to finish fifth. He's back at it again in the PGA Championship. Pavon had a 6-under 65 for his lowest round in a major and putting him in the final group with Jhonattan Vegas. He also matched the low score in a major by a Frenchman. Michael Lorenzo-Vera had a 65 in the 2018 PGA Championship at Bellerive. 'I was able to play Wells Fargo last year on that golf course, so I knew what test of golf that tournament could be,' Pavon said. 'I think it's even bigger now being a major. The atmosphere is great, and the golf course played tough. I'm very lucky to play there last year and get a little taste of it because now I understand better the way it is.' Pavon played bogey-free with only one of his birdies on the par 5s. The French player to win a major is Arnaud Massy in the 1907 British Open. More recently, Thomas Levet was part of a four-man playoff in the 2002 British Open at Muirfield, and Jean Van de Velde famously lost a three-shot lead on the final hole at Carnoustie in 1999 and then lost in a three-man playoff. 'The last two days were pretty solid, but today was even better,' Pavon said. 'Got a nice momentum with the putter early on that kept me in the right way to manage the golf course. Overall it was a super satisfying day.' Divots Patton Kizzire withdrew after 10 holes of the second round with an injury. He was 6-over par for his round and 9 over for the championship. ... There won't be another Block party at this PGA Championship. Michael Block, who made an ace at Oak Hill in 2023 to finish in the top 2023 and earned more than 15 minutes of fame, shot 75-82 this year. What's similar to that magical week at Oak Hill is that Block has received an exemption to the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial next week on the PGA Tour. ... Dustin Johnson's major woes continue. He missed the cut for the fifth time in his last seven majors with rounds of 78-76.
Winnipeg Free Press
17-05-2025
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
PGA Championship scorecards don't have pictures. Vegas and Poston make a 3 very different ways
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Jhonattan Vegas and J.T. Poston each put a 3 on their scorecard at the par-3 17th. The way they played the hole was nothing alike. Vegas watched his tee shot sail to the right and figured he would need to chip-and-putt his way for par. But it struck the rake outside the bunker when it landed and caromed onto the green. His first thought was that it might roll so hard to the left it would go into the water. Instead, he stopped 35 feet away from an easy two-putt par. 'Sometimes you get a sprinkler head that goes out-of-bounds or the cart path that goes out-of-bounds, or sometimes you hit a rake that goes on the green,' Vegas said. 'It's just part of the game, and you've just got to enjoy it all.' Poston played in the afternoon and put his shot on the 185-yard hole — a front tee to go with the front pin — into the water. 'I would have taken bogey walking off that tee,' Poston said, who played bogey-free the rest of the way, shot 70 and was only four shots out of the lead. He did even better. Going to the drop zone, from 110 yards and holed wedge for par. 'That felt like it was better than a 3,' Poston said. 'I was staring double bogey right in the face. That was big for momentum.' Coming up aces Already one of the more playfully animated characters in golf, Si Woo Kim had something to really celebrate Friday at Quail Hollow. He now has the longest hole-in-one in major championship history. Kim used a 5-wood on the 252-yard sixth hole for his ace. It carried him to a 7-under 64 that left him two shots out of the lead in his quest for his first major. After his ball bounced on the green and curled around toward the hole and dropped in, Kim threw his club high in the air, then started running down the fairway until he reached the next tee box. Then he turned back to his playing group and triumphantly raised his arms in the air. Kim was told it was the longest ace in major championship history. There was no need telling him who had the previous record — it was Kim last year at Royal Troon. 'Last record was me, too, because I've kind of made similar number at Royal Troon, so that was longest maybe major history hole-in-one,' he said. His ace at the British Open last year was on the 238-yard 17th hole at Troon. 'Yeah, it's exciting,' he said. 'I hit it like right exactly how I wanted. So it was cool and then it was pretty memorable hole-in-one in major.' Temper, temper The PGA Championship provided a few explosive moments Friday at Quail Hollow. One of them, without too much surprised, belonged to the animated Tyrrell Hatton. He was right in contention until hitting his tee shot into the creek left of the 18th fairway at the midpoint of his round. He hissed at his driver dropped two strong expletives, leading the ESPN announcers to say, 'So, he was not happy with that tee shot.' Hatton made triple bogey and wound up seven shots out of the lead. And then there was Shane Lowry, who hit a good drive on the short eighth hole only to discover it was in a pitch mark that was not his — if it had been, he would have been granted a free drop. But he had to play it. Lowry was trying to put it in the bunker because he didn't think he could reach the green 57 yards away from that lie. Still angry, he dropped an expletive and violently slammed his wedge into the divot he had made. Lowry wound up with a bogey and extended his middle finger at the hole when he missed his par putt. He also was seen speaking to an official, but Lowry said that was directed toward an ESPN crew member who interjecting. 'The ESPN guy came straight over and said, 'That's not your pitch mark.' I'm like, 'That's not for you to talk about. That's for me to call a rules official and decide what happens,'' Lowry said. 'I wasn't arguing that it was my pitch mark,' he said. 'I was trying to be 100% sure.' Either way, he was annoyed — especially after missing the cut by one shot. Major performance for Matthieu Pavon Matthieu Pavon of France showed his chops in the majors last year when he contended in the U.S. Open, playing in the final group with Bryson DeChambeau at Pinehurst No. 2 before closing with a 71 to finish fifth. He's back at it again in the PGA Championship. Pavon had a 6-under 65 for his lowest round in a major and putting him in the final group with Jhonattan Vegas. He also matched the low score in a major by a Frenchman. Michael Lorenzo-Vera had a 65 in the 2018 PGA Championship at Bellerive. 'I was able to play Wells Fargo last year on that golf course, so I knew what test of golf that tournament could be,' Pavon said. 'I think it's even bigger now being a major. The atmosphere is great, and the golf course played tough. I'm very lucky to play there last year and get a little taste of it because now I understand better the way it is.' Pavon played bogey-free with only one of his birdies on the par 5s. The French player to win a major is Arnaud Massy in the 1907 British Open. More recently, Thomas Levet was part of a four-man playoff in the 2002 British Open at Muirfield, and Jean Van de Velde famously lost a three-shot lead on the final hole at Carnoustie in 1999 and then lost in a three-man playoff. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. 'The last two days were pretty solid, but today was even better,' Pavon said. 'Got a nice momentum with the putter early on that kept me in the right way to manage the golf course. Overall it was a super satisfying day.' Divots Patton Kizzire withdrew after 10 holes of the second round with an injury. He was 6-over par for his round and 9 over for the championship. … There won't be another Block party at this PGA Championship. Michael Block, who made an ace at Oak Hill in 2023 to finish in the top 2023 and earned more than 15 minutes of fame, shot 75-82 this year. What's similar to that magical week at Oak Hill is that Block has received an exemption to the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial next week on the PGA Tour. … Dustin Johnson's major woes continue. He missed the cut for the fifth time in his last seven majors with rounds of 78-76. ___ AP golf:
