2024 Charles Schwab Challenge Fantasy Sleeper Report

A matter of millimetres can be the making or the breaking of a sportsperson.

For Xander Schauffele, his putt at the 72nd hole of the PGA Championship had all those hallmarks. It found the left edge of the hole, circled….and then dropped, much to the Californian’s delight.

It struck a line through the notion that he’s a choker once and for all, because even for the length of his drought – no win on TOUR since June 2022 – and that hapless final round at the Wells Fargo, Schauffele is too good a player to be denied for too long.

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Victory at Valhalla wasn’t gifted to him either, with Bryson DeChambeau and Viktor Hovland – both major-worthy talents – pushing him hard down the back nine. But Schauffele stood tall and made a stack of birdies….including that crucial one at the final hole that would see him win by a single shot from DeChambeau.

A short stint in jail probably cost Scottie Scheffler a chance of even more silverware, but the world number one is set to be back – providing he doesn’t withdraw in advance – at it in the Charles Schwab Challenge this week.

He’ll be joined in the field by the likes of Collin Morikawa, Max Homa, Jordan Spieth, Tony Finau, and Brian Harman, who will all be looking to parlay their mixed experiences at the PGA into something more substantial at the Colonial Country Club this week.

The defending champion, Emiliano Grillo, will be looking to defend his honor, while the player he vanquished in a playoff 12 months ago – Adam Schenk – will be looking to go one better.

They, and the rest of the field, will be looking to defeat a Colonial layout that continues to offer a decent test to the players nearly a century after it first opened its gates.

The reason for that is not extravagant length – it plays to around 7,200 yards for its Par 70 – but its tightness, with narrow fairways flanked by thick tree lines, and with 12 of the holes doglegging, there’s few opportunities for the bombers to make their advantage count.

Instead, the shortness of Colonial means that this becomes something of a wedge and short-iron shootout, with so many approaches from inside 150 yards struck into small, often elevated Bentgrass greens.

This is not the highest GIR layout either, and so quality chipping around the greens, and getting up and down, will also prove vital – particularly if the wind gets up as suggested. 

About that forecast. Type Fort Worth into your chosen weather app and you’ll get the general idea this week. There’s thunderstorms, rain, winds of around 15mph, and even temperatures of up to 95 degrees in the offing. Winning the Charles Schwab this week could be a test of patience, as much as anything else.

Grillo was an 80/1 winner here 12 months ago, following the likes of Jason Kokrak (60/1, 2021), Daniel Berger (66/1, 2020), and Kevin Na (70/1, 2019) into the winners’ circle at Colonial at long odds.

Could we see history repeating this week? Let’s take a look in our 2024 Charles Schwab Challenge sleeper shortlist.

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Fantasy Golf Predictions This Season (2024)

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