Colonial National Invitation

(Redirected from Southwestern Bell Colonial)

The Colonial National Invitation, titled for sponsorship reasons as the Charles Schwab Challenge since 2019, is a professional golf tournament in Texas on the PGA Tour, played annually in May in Fort Worth at Colonial Country Club, which organizes the event. It is one of five invitational tournaments on the PGA Tour; the inaugural event was held 78 years ago in 1946.

Charles Schwab Challenge
Tournament information
LocationFort Worth, Texas
Established1946
Course(s)Colonial Country Club
Par70
Length7,209 yards (6,592 m)[1]
Tour(s)PGA Tour
FormatStroke play
Prize fundUS$8,700,000
Month playedMay
Tournament record score
Aggregate259 Zach Johnson (2010)
To par−21 as above
Current champion
United States Davis Riley
Location map
Colonial CC is located in the United States
Colonial CC
Colonial CC
Location in the United States
Colonial CC is located in Texas
Colonial CC
Colonial CC
Location in Texas

Overview

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The tournament was founded 78 years ago in 1946,[2] and honors the history of golf by using an official Scottish tartan plaid jacket for its champions and top committee chairmen. Another tradition feeding Colonial history is the Wall of Champions on the first tee, engraved with the name and score of each champion dating back to 1946, plus the 1975 Tournament Players Championship, 1941 U.S. Open, and 1991 U.S. Women's Open.

The tournament is unofficially associated with Ben Hogan (1912–1997), the long-time Fort Worth resident who won the tournament five times,[3] the most of any player. One of the top players in golf history, he won nine major titles, six after a near-fatal automobile collision in 1949 that kept him hospitalized for two months. Hogan's final three major wins were consecutive in 1953; a statue of him at swing completion is near the clubhouse.[4]

Annika Sörenstam played in the 2003 tournament and became the first woman to play in a PGA Tour event in 58 years, since Babe Zaharias made three cuts as an amateur in 1945.[5][6] Sörenstam's participation drew high media attention, but she shot 71 and 74 and missed the cut by four strokes.[7]

In 2020, the tournament was held June 11–14 as the first PGA Tour event staged since the interruption of the regular schedule in mid-March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In the interests of maximum health and safety, the event had no spectators, a PGA Tour first.

Sponsors

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The Charles Schwab Corporation, whose corporate headquarters relocated to the nearby suburb of Westlake in 2021,[8] became the title sponsor of the event for a four-year deal starting in 2019.[9]

Previous sponsors were Dean & Deluca (2016–2017), Crowne Plaza (2007–2015), Bank of America (2003–2006), MasterCard (1996–2002), and Southwestern Bell (1989–1994). There was no title sponsor in 1995 or 2018.[10]

The event name had "Colonial" in its title through 2015, when the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial was renamed the Dean & DeLuca Invitational. Even the unsponsored 2018 event used the name Fort Worth Invitational, as opposed to "Colonial National Invitation" which was used the last time the event was without a sponsor back in 1995.

The 2018 tournament, renamed the Fort Worth Invitational, was held through the support of four local corporate supporters that had stepped-in to provide financial support after Dean & DeLuca suddenly pulled-out of a six-year sponsorship agreement. American Airlines, AT&T, XTO Energy Inc. and Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway agreed to help fund the 2018 tournament to allow time for the PGA TOUR and Colonial Country Club to find a new sponsor.

Invitational status

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The Charles Schwab Challenge is one of only five tournaments given "invitational" status by the PGA Tour, and consequently it has a reduced field of approximately 132 players in 2024 (as opposed to most full-field open tournaments with a field of 144 or 156 players). The other four tournaments with invitational status are the Genesis Open, Arnold Palmer Invitational, the RBC Heritage, and the Memorial Tournament. However, the 2020 event was staged with 144 players to help make up for the loss of several tournaments canceled earlier in the year.

Invitational tournaments have smaller fields (between 69 and 132 players), and have more freedom than full-field open tournaments in determining which players are eligible to participate in their event, as invitational tournaments have slightly different criteria for player eligibility in the PGA Tour Priority Ranking System. Furthermore, unlike full-field open tournaments, invitational tournaments do not offer open qualifying (aka Monday qualifying).

Field

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The field consists of at least 120 players invited using the following criteria:[11][12]

  1. Colonial winners prior to 2000 and in the last five years
  2. Colonial Winners in top 150 of prior year FedEx Cup points list
  3. The Players Championship and major championship winners in the last five years
  4. The Tour Championship and World Golf Championships winners in the past three years
  5. Arnold Palmer Invitational and Memorial winners in the past three years
  6. PGA Tour tournament winners since the last Colonial tournament
  7. Playing members on the last named U.S. Ryder Cup team
  8. Current PGA Tour members who were playing members on the last named European Ryder Cup team, U.S. Presidents Cup team, and International President's Cup team
  9. Two players to be selected by the current and former champions of the Colonial tournament (Champions Choices)
  10. Top 15 finishers and ties from previous year's Colonial Tournament
  11. 12 sponsors exemptions -- 2 from among graduates of Web.com Tour finals, 6 members not otherwise exempt, and 4 unrestricted
  12. Top 50 Official World Golf Ranking through the Masters
  13. Top 80 from prior year's FedEx Cup points list
  14. Members in the top 125 non-member category whose non-WGC points for the previous season equal or exceed the points earned by the player finishing in 80th position on the prior year FedEx Cup points list
  15. Top 80 from current year's FedEx Cup points list through the tournament two weeks prior
  16. If necessary to complete a field of 120 players, any remaining positions are filled from current year's FedEx Cup points list

Colonial winners prior to 2000 that are not otherwise eligible are in addition to a field of 120.

Champion's Choice tradition

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Colonial has a unique PGA Tour tradition known as the Champion's Choice invitation. Each year, former Colonial champions select two deserving young players, who otherwise would be ineligible, to compete in the tournament.

Pros who made their first appearance at Colonial as a Champion's Choice include Al Geiberger, Tom Weiskopf, Craig Stadler, Curtis Strange, Mark O'Meara, Paul Azinger, Davis Love III, and Jordan Spieth. Five Champion's Choices have eventually won the Colonial; Dave Stockton is the only Champion's Choice to win the tournament in the year selected (1967).

Course layout

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Hole 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Out 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 In Total
Yards 565 389 483 247 481 406 440 199 407 3,617 408 635 445 190 464 430 192 387 441 3,592 7,209
Par 5 4 4 3 4 4 4 3 4 35 4 5 4 3 4 4 3 4 4 35 70

Source:[1]

Winners

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Year Winner Score To par Margin of
victory
Runner(s)-up Purse
(US$)
Winner's
share ($)
Ref.
Charles Schwab Challenge
2024   Davis Riley 266 −14 5 strokes   Keegan Bradley
  Scottie Scheffler
9,100,000 1,638,000
2023   Emiliano Grillo 272 −8 Playoff   Adam Schenk 8,700,000 1,566,000
2022   Sam Burns 271 −9 Playoff   Scottie Scheffler 8,400,000 1,512,000
2021   Jason Kokrak 266 −14 2 strokes   Jordan Spieth 7,500,000 1,350,000
2020   Daniel Berger 265 −15 Playoff   Collin Morikawa 7,500,000 1,350,000
2019   Kevin Na 267 −13 4 strokes   Tony Finau 7,300,000 1,314,000
Fort Worth Invitational
2018   Justin Rose 260 −20 3 strokes   Brooks Koepka 7,100,000 1,278,000
Dean & DeLuca Invitational
2017   Kevin Kisner 270 −10 1 stroke   Sean O'Hair
  Jon Rahm
  Jordan Spieth
6,900,000 1,242,000
2016   Jordan Spieth 263 −17 3 strokes   Harris English 6,700,000 1,206,000
Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial
2015   Chris Kirk 268 −12 1 stroke   Jason Bohn
  Brandt Snedeker
  Jordan Spieth
6,500,000 1,170,000
2014   Adam Scott 271 −9 Playoff   Jason Dufner 6,400,000 1,152,000
2013   Boo Weekley 266 −14 1 stroke   Matt Kuchar 6,400,000 1,152,000
2012   Zach Johnson (2) 268 −12 1 stroke   Jason Dufner 6,400,000 1,152,000
2011   David Toms 265 −15 1 stroke   Charlie Wi 6,200,000 1,116,000
2010   Zach Johnson 259 −21 3 strokes   Brian Davis 6,200,000 1,116,000
2009   Steve Stricker 263 −17 Playoff   Tim Clark
  Steve Marino
6,200,000 1,116,000
2008   Phil Mickelson (2) 266 −14 1 stroke   Tim Clark
  Rod Pampling
6,100,000 1,098,000
2007   Rory Sabbatini 266 −14 Playoff   Jim Furyk
  Bernhard Langer
6,000,000 1,080,000
Bank of America Colonial
2006   Tim Herron 268 −12 Playoff   Richard S. Johnson 6,000,000 1,080,000
2005   Kenny Perry (2) 261 −19 7 strokes   Billy Mayfair 5,600,000 1,008,000
2004   Steve Flesch 269 −11 1 stroke   Chad Campbell 5,300,000 954,000
2003   Kenny Perry 261 −19 6 strokes   Justin Leonard 5,000,000 900,000
MasterCard Colonial
2002   Nick Price (2) 267 −13 5 strokes   Kenny Perry
  David Toms
4,300,000 774,000
2001   Sergio García 267 −13 2 strokes   Brian Gay
  Phil Mickelson
4,000,000 720,000
2000   Phil Mickelson 268 −12 2 strokes   Stewart Cink
  Davis Love III
3,300,000 594,000
1999   Olin Browne 272 −8 1 stroke   Fred Funk
  Paul Goydos
  Tim Herron
  Greg Kraft
  Jeff Sluman
2,800,000 504,000
1998   Tom Watson 265 −15 2 strokes   Jim Furyk 2,300,000 414,000
1997   David Frost 265 −15 2 strokes   Brad Faxon
  David Ogrin
1,600,000 288,000
1996   Corey Pavin (2) 272 −8 2 strokes   Jeff Sluman 1,500,000 270,000
Colonial National Invitation
1995   Tom Lehman 271 −9 1 stroke   Craig Parry 1,400,000 252,000
Southwestern Bell Colonial
1994   Nick Price 266 −14 Playoff   Scott Simpson 1,400,000 252,000
1993   Fulton Allem 264 −16 1 stroke   Greg Norman 1,300,000 234,000
1992   Bruce Lietzke (2) 267 −13 Playoff   Corey Pavin 1,300,000 234,000
1991   Tom Purtzer 267 −13 3 strokes   David Edwards
  Scott Hoch
  Bob Lohr
1,200,000 216,000
1990   Ben Crenshaw (2) 272 −8 3 strokes   John Mahaffey
  Corey Pavin
  Nick Price
1,000,000 180,000
1989   Ian Baker-Finch 270 −10 4 strokes   David Edwards 1,000,000 180,000
Colonial National Invitation
1988   Lanny Wadkins 270 −10 1 stroke   Mark Calcavecchia
  Ben Crenshaw
  Joey Sindelar
750,000 135,000
1987   Keith Clearwater 266 −14 3 strokes   Davis Love III 600,000 108,000
1986   Dan Pohl 205[a] −5 Playoff   Payne Stewart 600,000 108,000
1985   Corey Pavin 266 −14 4 strokes   Bob Murphy 500,000 90,000
1984   Peter Jacobsen 270 −10 Playoff   Payne Stewart 500,000 90,000
1983   Jim Colbert 278 −2 Playoff   Fuzzy Zoeller 400,000 72,000
1982   Jack Nicklaus 273 −7 3 strokes   Andy North 350,000 63,000
1981   Fuzzy Zoeller 274 −6 4 strokes   Hale Irwin 300,000 54,000
1980   Bruce Lietzke 271 −9 1 stroke   Ben Crenshaw 300,000 54,000
1979   Al Geiberger 274 −6 1 stroke   Don January
  Gene Littler
300,000 54,000
1978   Lee Trevino (2) 268 −12 4 strokes   Jerry Heard
  Jerry Pate
200,000 40,000
1977   Ben Crenshaw 272 −8 1 stroke   John Schroeder 200,000 40,000
1976   Lee Trevino 273 −7 1 stroke   Mike Morley 200,000 40,000
1975: No tournament
1974   Rod Curl 276 −4 1 stroke   Jack Nicklaus 250,000 50,000
1973   Tom Weiskopf 276 −4 1 stroke   Bruce Crampton
  Jerry Heard
150,000 30,000
1972   Jerry Heard 275 −5 2 strokes   Fred Marti 125,500 25,000
1971   Gene Littler 283 +3 1 stroke   Bert Yancey 125,000 25,000
1970   Homero Blancas 273 −7 1 stroke   Gene Littler
  Lee Trevino
125,000 25,000
1969   Gardner Dickinson 278 −2 1 stroke   Gary Player 125,000 25,000
1968   Billy Casper (2) 275 −5 5 strokes   Gene Littler 125,000 25,000
1967   Dave Stockton 278 −2 2 strokes   Charles Coody 115,000 23,000
1966   Bruce Devlin 280 E 1 stroke   R. H. Sikes 110,000 22,000
1965   Bruce Crampton 276 −4 3 strokes   George Knudson 100,000 20,000
1964   Billy Casper 279 −1 4 strokes   Tommy Jacobs 75,000 14,000
1963   Julius Boros (2) 279 −1 4 strokes   Gary Player 60,000 12,000
1962   Arnold Palmer 281 +1 Playoff   Johnny Pott 40,000 7,000
1961   Doug Sanders 281 +1 1 stroke   Kel Nagle 40,000 7,000
1960   Julius Boros 280 E 1 stroke   Gene Littler
  Kel Nagle
30,000 5,000
1959   Ben Hogan (5) 285 +5 Playoff   Fred Hawkins 27,300 5,000
1958   Tommy Bolt 282 +2 1 stroke   Ken Venturi 25,000 5,000
1957   Roberto De Vicenzo 284 +4 1 stroke   Dick Mayer 25,000 5,000 [13]
1956   Mike Souchak 280 E 1 stroke   Tommy Bolt 25,000 5,000 [14]
1955   Chandler Harper 276 −4 8 strokes   Dow Finsterwald 25,000 5,000 [15]
1954   Johnny Palmer 280 E 2 strokes   Fred Haas 25,000 5,000 [16]
1953   Ben Hogan (4) 282 +2 5 strokes   Doug Ford
  Cary Middlecoff
25,000 5,000 [17]
1952   Ben Hogan (3) 279 −1 4 strokes   Lloyd Mangrum 20,000 4,000 [18]
1951   Cary Middlecoff 282 +2 1 stroke   Jack Burke Jr. 15,000 3,000 [19]
1950   Sam Snead 277 −3 3 strokes   Skip Alexander 15,000 3,000 [20]
1949 Cancelled due to flooding [21]
1948   Clayton Heafner 272 −8 6 strokes   Skip Alexander
  Ben Hogan
15,000 3,000 [22]
1947   Ben Hogan (2) 279 −1 1 stroke   Toney Penna 15,000 3,000 [23]
1946   Ben Hogan 279 −1 1 stroke   Harry Todd 15,000 3,000 [2]

Note: Green highlight indicates scoring records.
Sources:[24][25][26][27]

Multiple winners

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Eleven men have won this tournament more than once through 2019.

5 wins

2 wins

Notes

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  1. ^ Shortened to 54 holes due to rain.

References

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  1. ^ a b "2015 PGA Hole Statistics - Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial". ESPN. May 24, 2015. Archived from the original on December 28, 2015. Retrieved May 25, 2016.
  2. ^ a b "Little Ben Hogan takes Colonial golf match". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. (Florida). Associated Press. May 20, 1946. p. 10.
  3. ^ "Ben Hogan winner in Colonial playoff". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. May 5, 1959. p. 1C.
  4. ^ Sirak, Ron (May 17, 2011). "Spirit of Hogan remains at Colonial". Golf Digest. Retrieved May 27, 2014.
  5. ^ Ferguson, Doug (May 21, 2003). "Moment of proof". Times Daily. Florence, Alabama. Associated Press. p. 5C.
  6. ^ Lozano, Juan A. (May 18, 2003). "Babe was bigger than the game". Daily News. Bowling Green, Kentucky. Associated Press.
  7. ^ Ferguson, Doug (May 24, 2003). "Rough cut". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. p. B1.
  8. ^ Jones, Hannah (December 28, 2020). "Charles Schwab to Officially Move Headquarters to Denton County on Jan. 1". KXAS-TV.
  9. ^ "Charles Schwab taking over as Colonial Country Club PGA Tour event sponsor in 2019". CBS Sports.
  10. ^ "Dean & DeLuca announced as title sponsor of Colonial event". PGA Tour. February 15, 2016.
  11. ^ Colonial National Invitation Tournament - 2016 Eligibility
  12. ^ "2015–16 PGA Tour Player Handbook & Tournament Regulations" (PDF). October 5, 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 12, 2016.
  13. ^ "Vicenzo Wins Colonial Golf". St. Petersburg Times. St. Petersburg, Florida. Associated Press. May 6, 1957. p. 14A. Retrieved May 22, 2010.
  14. ^ "Souchak Wins Colonial Open". The Day. New London, Connecticut. Associated Press. May 7, 1956. p. 16. Retrieved May 22, 2010.
  15. ^ "Chandler Harper Wins Colonial Golf By Eight Strokes". The Palm Beach Post. West Palm Beach, Florida. Associated Press. May 9, 1955. p. 11. Retrieved May 22, 2010.
  16. ^ "Palmer Captures Colonial Golf". Reading Eagle. Reading, Pennsylvania. United Press. May 31, 1954. p. 10. Retrieved May 22, 2010.
  17. ^ "Ben Hogan Wins $5000 First in Colonial Golf". Nashua Telegraph. Nashua, New Hampshire. Associated Press. May 25, 1953. p. 10. Retrieved May 22, 2010.
  18. ^ "Hogan's Hot Finish Wins Colonial Golf". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Associated Press. May 26, 1952. p. 21. Retrieved May 22, 2010.
  19. ^ "Middlecoff Wins Colonial Golf Title". The Pittsburgh Press. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. United Press. May 28, 1951. p. 22. Retrieved May 22, 2010.
  20. ^ "Snead Wins Colonial Golf". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Associated Press. May 29, 1950. p. 15. Retrieved May 22, 2010.
  21. ^ "Flood Washes Out Colonial Golf Date". The Lewiston Daily Sun. Lewiston, Maine. Associated Press. May 27, 1949. p. 21. Retrieved May 22, 2010.
  22. ^ "Heafner Cops Colonial Golf". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Associated Press. May 31, 1948. p. 27. Retrieved May 22, 2010.
  23. ^ "Hogan Wins in Colonial National". The Deseret News. Salt Lake City, Utah. Associated Press. May 17, 1947. p. 11. Retrieved May 22, 2010.
  24. ^ 2010 Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial Media Guide - p. 114
  25. ^ Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial – Winners – at www.pgatour.com
  26. ^ Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial – Winners Archived 2014-05-22 at the Wayback Machine – at golfobserver.com (1970–2009)
  27. ^ Johnson, Sal; Seanor, Dave, eds. (2009). The USA Today Golfers Encyclopedia. New York, New York: Skyhorse Publishing. ISBN 978-1-60239-302-8.
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32°43′01″N 97°22′22″W / 32.7170°N 97.3728°W / 32.7170; -97.3728