Golf: Kern picks The Charles Schwab Challenge in Fort Worth at Colonial featuring Justin Rose, Rickie Fowler, Jon Rahm, Jordan Spieth & more

PGA TOUR
CHARLES SCHWAB CHALLENGE
Site: Fort Worth, Texas.
Course: Colonial CC. Yardage: 7,209. Par: 70.
Purse: $7.3 million. Winner's share: $1,314,000.
Television: Thursday-Friday, 4-7 p.m. (Golf Channel); Saturday-Sunday, 1-2:45 p.m. (Golf Channel), 3-6 p.m. (CBS).

So last week for the PGA Championship I said I liked two of the handful of favorites the best: Brooks Koepka and Dustin Johnson. But I said I could only make one of them one of my three picks, since I limit myself when it comes to chalk. Both were around 10-1, which is a good investment for one of the faves. Naturally, I chose DJ. And I wrote that I’d probably regret it. Which I did, when he finished second, two behind Koepka. I just hope you either went the other way or at least took Johnson to place as well.

Yes, it’s easy to second guess yourself.

Now it’s on to the Charles Schwab Challenge in Fort Worth, played at Colonial. You used to know it as Ben Hogan’s tournament. But that no longer works in today’s corporate world. A shame, but life moves along. Just saying.

Defending champion Justin Rose is the fave, at 10-1. Next, at 12-1, are Jon Rahm, Rickie Fowler and Jordan Spieth. Spieth hasn’t won in 22 months. But he did win this thing in 2016, and tied for second in ’15 and ’17. So there is that, even though he’s been struggling to get back to what he was not that long ago.

Xander Schaufeele is 16-1, as is Francesco Molinari. Tony Finau and Paul Casey are 25-1. Casey’s two most recent non-major events were a win at Valspar in February and a fourth at the Wells Fargo earlier this month. Bryson DeChambeau and Kevin Kisner are also 25-1. Kisner was the 2017 winner, and has a tie for fifth and a tie for 10th as well.

Louis Oosthuizen is 30-1. Ditto Ian Poulter. Brandt Snedeker is 50-1. So is Scott Piercy, who in the last four weeks has a tie for second and a tie for third. Emiliano Grillo is 40-1. He was third here last May. Zach Johnson, a two-time champ, is 60-1. Jim Furyk, at 49, has three top 10s this season, including a runner-up at the Players in March. He’s 80-1, but remember this is one of the shortest courses these guys play.

I have Fowler in my yearlong pool. You know how that often goes. I had Tiger Woods last week. One major too late. Story of my existence.

I’m so tempted to take Spieth, but I’m just having trouble pulling that trigger. I might not even go with any of the faves. In that spirit, I’ll take the noted law firm of Casey, Kisner and Piercy and hope for a much bigger payday. Hey, you never know. Just in case, I’d also put a little on Furyk just because. You could probably do a lot worse.