2020 Charles Schwab Challenge Picks and Predictions

The PGA Tour is finally back! This is the first competitive golf match that's not an exhibition since The Players Championship was interrupted due to the coronavirus pandemic on March 11. Three months later, the Charles Schwab Challenge will emanate from Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas.

There are several options to bet on golf and it starts with the money line. The favorite to win this event is Rory McIlroy at +750 (from Mybookie.ag). Jon Rahm is +1200 and Justin Thomas is +1600.

Most of these golfers have practiced some, but very few have been in competition. McIlroy and Dustin Johnson competed in a charity match about three weeks ago in Florida. They competed against Rickie Fowler and Matthew Wolff and won the match. Does that give them a leg up on the rest of the field?

It does, but Johnson (+2800) and Fowler (+3300) are possible contenders with decent odds. Johnson is not reliable right now. He's very long, but not very accurate. After undergoing a scope on his knee last September, he only played in four events since then.

Brooks Koepka (+2500) is one of those long bombers, who can dominate majors, but doesn't seem to get pumped for every other event. He might be a good pick here, though I wouldn't touch him based on his motivation.

Kevin Na (+5000) won the event last season and Justin Rose (+4500) won it in 2018. Rose appears to be the best value here as he won it when it was known as the Fort Worth Invitational. Rose struggled earlier in the year, missing the cut at three tournaments, so I would lay off of him.

Top Pick: Justin Thomas (+1600). Thomas was one of the hottest golfers in the world before the hiatus. He ranked 8th in approach to the green and 5th in tee-to-green. I would also take Thomas in the 72 Hole Group Betting -Group A at +360 over Rory McIlroy (+180), Jon Rahm (+280), Webb Simpson (+500) and Sungiae Im (+750) and at +2500 to lead after the first round.

Top value pick: Jason Day (+6000). Day hasn't won since winning twice in 2018, but the three months off should help him rest his lingering injuries. He's an excellent putter and that's huge as players are trying to get back in form.

This will be a fun event and it will be great to see live, competitive golf for the first time in three months. If you are betting this event, start out slow and remember that these guys may be a bit rusty, no matter how much they've practiced. Playing in front of no fans (just the media) might also take a while getting used to.