Charles Schwab Challenge Preview: Field, Course, History, Tee Times, How to Watch

The Charles Schwab Challenge is the longest-running non-major at the same venue: Colonial Country Club. Here's what you need to know for this week's event.

The winner of Charles Schwab Challenge receives a vintage car. | Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

It’s time to head to a PGA Tour staple.

Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas, has hosted the Charles Schwab Challenge since 1946, making it the longest-running non-major held at the same venue. This year, a field of 132 players will duel for part of the $9.9 million purse, with the winner collecting $1,782,000. 

From its field, course, history, tee times and how to watch, here’s everything you need to know for the 2026 Charles Schwab Challenge. 

The field: Seven of the OWGR’s top 20

Scottie Scheffler and Jordan Spieth aren’t playing at Colonial for the first time in years. Brooks Koepka and last week’s winner, Wyndham Clark, aren’t either. 

No need to fret, though. Seven of the top 20 players in the world are teeing it up this week: No. 9 J.J. Spaun, No. 12 Russell Henley, No. 13 Ludvig Åberg, No. 15 Robert MacIntyre, No. 16 Justin Thomas, No. 17 Ben Griffin and No. 20 Hideki Matsuyama. 

There are also five past champions: Chris Kirk (2015), Kevin Kisner (2017), Emiliano Grillo (2023), Davis Riley (2024) and Griffin (2025). 

Sponsor exemptions include: Zac Blair, Albert Hansson, Nick Hardy, Charley Hoffman, Kisner and Matt Kuchar. Also, Nick Dunlap and reigning U.S. Amateur winner Mason Howell are the Champions’ Choice selections. 

View the full field here.

Course: Colonial Country Club

This year marks 80 years at Colonial. And ahead of the 2024 tournament, Colonial underwent a Gil Hanse-led restoration. 

In 2025, Colonial, a 7,289-yard par-70, was the 15th hardest course on Tour, yielding a scoring average of 70.26 (0.262 strokes over par). 

Its 476-yard par-4 5th hole was its toughest last year, with a scoring average of 4.342, making it the 15th hardest hole on Tour. That makes sense, because Colonial’s difficult three-hole stretch of Nos. 3-5 was dubbed the “Horrible Horseshoe” by the late, great golf writer and Texas native Dan Jenkins.

Colonial’s easiest hole, meanwhile, was the 581-yard par-5 1st, playing 0.415 strokes under par in last year, making it the 73rd easiest hole on Tour (out of 882). 

“Not the longest golf course, but it doesn’t have to be,” Alex Smalley said. “You have to be a really good driver of the golf ball around here because even if you miss a fairway you still have a shot to the green, but the Bermuda rough presents its own challenge. It can be tricky to control spin and ball flight coming out of the rough. And then another added factor that you typically have here is wind. So when you add firmness and wind together it can present a good challenge.”

History: Breaking barriers 

In 2003, Annika Sorenstam made history at Colonial. 

It was the first time a female golfer teed it up in a PGA Tour event alongside the men since Babe Didrikson Zaharias in 1945 — and all eyes were on the event. 

Sorenstam greatly enhanced the amount of media coverage on-site, and in her pre-tournament presser she admitted that she “must have been very naive” in what she was getting herself into. 

The 72-time LPGA winner was also met with a wave of vitriol.  Nick Price said Sorenstam’s presence “reeks of publicity.” Scott Hoch added, “Most guys hope she plays well, and what comes out of this is that she realizes she can’t compete against the men. And Vijay Singh called her appearance “ridiculous.”

Sorenstam went on to shoot 71-74 and missed the cut by four shots. But it was still an unforgettable week. 

“I’ve had some guys that have said less positive things come up and tell me that they were proud of me,” she said afterward. “And for them to come up and say that, I admire them for doing that.”

And 23 years later, Sorenstam’s 36 holes at Colonial remain one of the most famous aspects of her Hall of Fame career. 

“Looking back at this, I’m sure some people will say what was the purpose,” Sorenstam said in 2023, “but I think in the big picture, it was good for women’s sports and for young girls to be able to share that story.”

How to watch (all times EST)

• Thursday: 4-7 p.m. (Golf Channel)
• Friday: 4-7 p.m. (Golf Channel)
• Saturday: 1-3:30 p.m. (Golf Channel); 3-6:30 p.m. (CBS)
• Sunday: 1-3 p.m. (Golf Channel); 3-6 p.m. (CBS)

ESPN+ will also have coverage during each round. 

First- and second-round tee times

Tee times for the first and second round of the Charles Schwab Challenge pic.twitter.com/9WijGS2mGw

— PGA TOUR Communications (@PGATOURComms) May 26, 2026

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