FORT WORTH, Texas — It’s quite common to hear the Charles Schwab Challenge referred to by locals as Texas’ major. The PGA Tour’s annual stop at Colonial Country Club — colloquially known as Hogan’s Alley — is treated, at least among avid North Texas golf fans, with the same reverence received by the sport’s most coveted championships given the history of the long-running event.
Now played on the heels of an actual major after the PGA Championship was moved from August to May three years ago, Colonial throws the world’s best golfers into another test immediately at a time many are looking to recharge after giving their all on one of the sport’s biggest stages.
Though a par 70 playing at 7,209 yards, Colonial demands elite ball striking and strategic target golf, all while navigating its narrow tree-lined fairways and cozy bentgrass greens. The considerable winds that often accompany the PGA Tour’s traditional Memorial Day weekend visit to the club only adds to those challenges.
So, it was all the more reason for players to take advantage of Friday’s conditions — calm as Colonial will offer this time of year — with the normally persistent winds reduced to a negligible breeze, if even that. Three-time major champion Jordan Spieth considered that to be his saving grace on a day he wasn’t pleased with his ball striking but nevertheless posted a 4-under 66 to enter the weekend in contention sitting T11 at 5 under.
“I hit it worse [Friday than Thursday] and just made some more putts,” Spieth said of his bogey-free round. “But there wasn’t a breath of wind out there. It was a beautiful morning to play golf.”
Thursday saw inconsistent but strong winds hold the top of a crowded leaderboard to just 4 under as more than half of the field finished above par. Come Friday, scores in the mid 60s were common with winds subsiding. Scott Stallings, Beau Hossler and world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler…
Source : cbssports
