The PGA Tour schedule seems to change regularly now.
New events arrive. Sponsorships shift. Courses come and go from the rotation.
Colonial Country Club simply remains.
And every May, when the Tour returns to Fort Worth for the Charles Schwab Challenge, the place still feels connected to a different era of golf.
One where precision mattered more than volume and where Ben Hogan’s presence somehow still lingers in the Texas air.
The Charles Schwab Challenge returns this week to Colonial Country Club for the tournament’s 80th playing at the historic venue, the longest-running host site for a non-major championship on the PGA Tour.
That kind of staying power says something.
In a sport increasingly dominated by distance, launch windows and power metrics, Colonial still asks players to think their way around the golf course. It rewards discipline. It punishes impatience. It demands positioning more than brute force.
And that is probably why Hogan’s influence never really disappears here.
By The Numbers: Colonial Country Club
80
Years Colonial has hosted this PGA Tour event, the longest-running non-major venue on TOUR.
5
Wins by Ben Hogan at Colonial, the most in tournament history.
70
Par at Colonial Country Club this week.
7,289
Yardage for this year’s setup.
Colonial Still Rewards The Kind Of Golf Hogan Mastered
No player shaped Colonial’s identity more than Hogan.
He won this tournament five times: 1946, 1947, 1952, 1953 and 1959. His statue overlooks the property. His name remains woven into the tournament’s identity. Even younger players who never saw Hogan swing a club understand what he represented here.
Control.
Precision.
Consistency under pressure.
Those qualities still matter at Colonial.
The course may measure 7,289 yards now, but it rarely turns into a putting contest disguised as a driving contest. Players still have to shape shots, manage angles and stay patient through stretches where pars feel valuable.
That old-school DNA gives Colonial a different feel than many modern PGA Tour venues.
The “Horrible Horseshoe” Still Defines The Week
Every year, players arrive talking about Colonial’s classic design features.
Every year, they eventually find themselves talking about Nos. 3 through 5.
The infamous “Horrible Horseshoe,” named by legendary Texas golf writer Dan Jenkins, remains one of the PGA Tour’s most respected and feared three-hole stretches.
It is not overwhelming in length.
It is overwhelming in demand.
Miss the wrong side of a fairway and approach angles disappear. Fail to control trajectory and spin and suddenly pars become difficult. Get impatient and Colonial tends to expose it quickly.
That is part of what has always made the tournament compelling. Different styles can win here, but almost every champion eventually embraces restraint.
Ben Griffin Returns Chasing Rare History
Defending champion Ben Griffin returns this week with a chance to do something almost nobody has done at Colonial.
Repeat.
Only Hogan has successfully defended the title here, doing so in both 1946-47 and 1952-53.
Griffin’s breakthrough victory a year ago came at 12-under-par, edging Matti Schmid by one shot. It was a fitting Colonial performance, built more on steadiness and timely execution than overpowering the golf course.
He arrives this week in solid form after finishing T14 at the PGA Championship and currently sits No. 36 in the FedExCup standings.
Colonial often rewards players who remain emotionally stable over four days. Griffin proved that last year.
A Strong Field Arrives In Fort Worth
This year’s field carries plenty of intrigue.
Seven of the top 20 players in the Official World Golf Ranking are teeing it up, including Ludvig Aberg, Hideki Matsuyama, Russell Henley, Robert MacIntyre and Justin Thomas.
Thomas remains one of the week’s most fascinating names after offseason surgery and a strong final-round 65 at the PGA Championship. Colonial’s emphasis on creativity and control feels like a natural fit for his game when healthy.
Alex Smalley also arrives carrying momentum after another close call at Quail Hollow, where he finished runner-up to Aaron Rai at the PGA Championship.
And then there is Ludvig Åberg, whose elite ball-striking and composure could make him especially dangerous on a course that still rewards players willing to stay patient.
Players To Watch At Colonial
Ben Griffin: Defending champion trying to become the first repeat winner here since Ben Hogan.
Justin Thomas: Trending upward again after a strong PGA Championship finish.
Alex Smalley: Continues knocking on the door after another close call at Quail Hollow.
Ludvig Åberg: One of the game’s elite young ball-strikers arrives with a game built for Colonial.
Why Colonial Still Matters
The PGA Tour has no shortage of big events now.
Bigger purses. Louder atmospheres. More celebrity attention.
But Colonial still occupies a different lane within professional golf.
Partly because of history.
Partly because the architecture still matters.
And partly because the tournament continues to feel connected to an older version of the game, one where precision and discipline still carried enormous value.
That connection becomes impossible to ignore when walking the property. Hogan’s presence is not treated like museum nostalgia here. It simply exists in the background, quietly shaping how people talk about the course and the kind of golf required to succeed on it.
That may be the most remarkable thing about Colonial in 2026.
The course still asks many of the same questions Hogan answered better than almost anyone ever has.
How To Watch The Charles Schwab Challenge
Dates: May 28-31, 2026
Venue: Colonial Country Club, Fort Worth, Texas
Thursday-Friday
Golf Channel
1-5 p.m. ET
Saturday-Sunday
Golf Channel
1-3 p.m. ET
CBS
3-6 p.m. ET
Streaming: ESPN+, Paramount+ and PGA Tour Live will provide featured group and hole coverage.
Online Coverage: Live scoring, highlights and player updates available through PGATour.com and the PGA Tour app.
PGA of America Golf Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer who serves as Athlon Sports Senior Golf Writer. Read his recent “The Starter” on R.org, where he is their Lead Golf Writer. To stay updated on all of his latest work, sign up for his newsletter or visit his MuckRack Profile.
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