2026 Charles Schwab Challenge pool picks: build for Colonial, not chaos

The Charles Schwab Challenge is next on the Golf Pools Pro schedule, with Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth hosting May 28-31. The PGA TOUR course page lists Colonial as a par 70 at 7,289 yards, which is a different pool puzzle than a wide-open birdie race.

For pool runners, the main point is simple: do not build entries like this is only a putting contest. Colonial usually rewards players who keep the ball in play, avoid the big number, and survive enough trouble to give you four counted weekend scores. If your pool uses OB or missed-cut stand-ins, one dead pick can hurt fast.

Start with made-cut safety. A golfer who gives you four usable rounds can beat a flashier name who misses Friday night. That matters even more in groups where everyone tends to chase the same favorites.

Then add course comfort. The PGA TOUR past-results page lists Ben Griffin, Davis Riley, Emiliano Grillo, Sam Burns, Jason Kokrak, Daniel Berger, and Kevin Na as recent Colonial winners. That does not mean you blindly pick former winners, but it does show the type of week this can become: tidy scoring, patience, and fewer throwaway holes.

Before Thursday, check whether recent Colonial names like Ben Griffin, Davis Riley, Emiliano Grillo, Sam Burns, Jason Kokrak, Daniel Berger, and Kevin Na are in the final field and healthy enough to trust. Some will be useful, some may be bad fits this year, and some may not be in the field at all.

That is the right way to use course history in a pool. Let it break ties. Do not let it override current form, final field status, or obvious injury/news risk.

For a 12-pick entry, I would build the card in layers. Start with two or three safer names from the final field, add four or five players who look likely to play the weekend, then use the remaining spots for upside or differentiation.

If your group has a lot of duplicate entries, one course-history play is fine. Two is probably enough. The goal is not to tell everyone to pick the last three winners. The goal is to keep enough scores alive so your entry still has a leaderboard chance on Sunday.

Create the pool early, send the invite link, and remind players when picks lock. If your group still runs pools by spreadsheet or group text, this is exactly the kind of week where a mobile pick form and live leaderboard saves headaches.

Make the rules clear before anyone joins: number of golfers, how many scores count, what happens to missed cuts or OB picks, and when entries lock. The fewer rule debates you have on Friday afternoon, the better the pool feels.