With the final chance to qualify for the Memorial Tournament, the PGA Tour heads to Fort Worth, Texas, with the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial Country Club.
While many of the world's best look to get into form this week, there are more ways to bet on the tournament than just who will emerge victorious on Sunday.
For more instant gratification, we turn to the first-round leader market to find value on who will sit atop the leaderboard when play comes to an end on Thursday.
Here are my favorite Charles Schwab Challenge first-round leader picks and PGA Tour predictions for Thursday's opening round.
Charles Schwab Challenge First-Round Leader Picks, Predictions
First-Round Leader Pick: Ludvig Aberg (+2350, DraftKings)
Mid-iron play is essential this week. The course is not particularly demanding in terms of distance, with nearly 50% of approach shots coming from the 125-175-yard range.
That distribution is well above the PGA Tour average.
This makes Ludvig Aberg a strong option, as he is one of the hottest golfers in the world. He has finished inside the top eight in six of his past seven tournaments, with the lone exception being a T21 finish at the Masters.
Aberg continues to contend for his third PGA Tour victory at age 26 and has shown consistent improvement. Entering this week, he ranks in the 99th percentile on the PGA Tour in strokes gained: approach from 100-150 yards and in the 97th percentile from 150-200 yards.
He is also a strong starter, ranking above the PGA Tour average in first-round scoring.
First-Round Leader Pick: Ben Griffin (+4100, DraftKings)
Another golfer worth targeting in Thursday’s opening round is Ben Griffin. Like Aberg, Griffin fits this course well.
Entering this week, he ranks in the 67th percentile on the PGA Tour in strokes gained: approach from 100-150 yards and in the 61st percentile from 150-200 yards.
Greens are difficult to hit at Colonial, making scrambling a key factor this week. That is arguably the strongest part of Griffin’s game, as he ranks in the 98th percentile on the PGA Tour in strokes gained: around the green.
He used that elite short game to win this event last year, and it would not be surprising if he contends for the first-round lead again this season.
