This isn't your father's Charles Schwab Challenge.
Everything about the PGA TOUR's back-to-play tournament feels grander. Not only is it the first full-field event in three months, but the 2020 Charles Schwab Challenge features a star-studded field and the ratings — and betting handle — are expected to be akin to that of a Major Championship.
Bookmakers are certainly trying to take advantage of the hoopla by offering what feels like an Augusta-style menu of prop-betting opportunities.
These are our favorites…
Odds as of Tuesday evening.
SPECIAL PROMOS FOR GOLF'S RETURN! Bet $1, Win $50 if Rory makes just ONE birdie … Win $50 if ANY PLAYER makes a birdie on Colonial's first hole … and more!
2020 Charles Schwab Challenge Prop Bets
Jason Sobel
Matt Kuchar: Low Georgia Tech player -137 ($13.70 wins $10)
Due to the fact that 1) There are very few sports to bet on right now; and 2) People like to bet on sports, many books have ramped up wagering options to the extent of a major championship, with more to bet than a usual PGA Tour event. If we dig deep, we can unearth some hidden gems — and this one is my favorite.
Now, -137 doesn’t seem like a great number for group betting like this, but let’s break it down further.
First, there’s the fact that Kuchar owns a nice track record here, with five top-25 results in 11 career starts. Second, there are only three other Yellow Jackets in the mix: Andy Ogletree, the reigning U.S. Amateur champion, who is making his first career PGA Tour start; Chesson Hadley, who’s missed the cut in four of seven starts this year; and Richy Werenski, who similarly hasn’t reached many weekends.
This one feels like a smash play in favor of Kuch, who could cash it for you by Friday afternoon.
Josh Perry
Kevin Na Top-20 +240 ($10 wins $24)
I’m going to take a shot here with the defending champ to come up with a solid result this week. Na has finished inside the top 20 in five of his last nine starts at Colonial, including three of the previous four.
It’s a course that fits his precision style of play and even with the stronger field this year, I think his game should hold up well.
Bryan Mears
Dustin Johnson to miss the cut +235
DJ didn’t look particularly sharp in the TaylorMade Driving Relief, and while it’s hard to penalize him too much in a one-round charity event, it fits a trend. He wasn’t great even before the layoff, finishing outside the top-40 at the WGC-Mexico Championship.
He’s been down in general over the last year after being the world No. 1 prior to that. Honestly, he just hasn’t looked completely healthy after knee surgery back in September.
I think in general the market is overpricing a lot of the top golfers; it’s suggesting this is any old tournament when in reality there’s a lot of uncertainty. Some of them will be awesome and dialed in certainly, but others might be quite rusty — or in DJ’s case not completely back from the knee issues.
At +235, I think it’s worth betting him to miss the cut. Colonial is a really tough course that requires incredible precise shots given the small greens, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see DJ just not be 100% sharp in the first tournament back.
A bonus bet: Sungjae Im -145 to finish in the top 40. Im missed the cut last year, but it did give him a chance to see the course.
Prior to the layoff, he was as hot as any golfer, winning the Honda Classic and finishing third at the API. His short game was really on, which is especially important at Colonial. But really, this is just a bet on Im and his talent. He’s apparently one of the biggest grinders on tour, and those are the type of golfers I want to bet on following a long layoff.
More Charles Schwab Challenge Betting Coverage
- Sobel: Kisner, Palmer Could Fly Under the Radar
- Perry: Should You Fade the Chalk This Weekend?
- Mears: Why Colonial Is Perfect for Longshots
