Founded in 1946, the Charles Schwab Challenge has been a key fixture on the golfing calendar for almost 80 years. It started life as the Colonial National Invitation, a name it held until various sponsors began acquiring naming rights for the competition back in 1989. It is a rarity on the PGA Tour having been held at the same venue for the entirety of its lengthy history. Having won this competition a record 5 times at Colonial Country Club including the inaugural event – no other player has won it more than twice – golf legend and 9-time major winner Ben Hogan boasts a statue outside the clubhouse.
The tournament pays tribute to golfing tradition in other ways, too, by awarding champions a Scottish tartan plaid jacket, much like competitions such as The Masters, Arnold Palmer Invitational, and the RBC Heritage similarly provide items of clothing to their winners. Victors also find their names engraved on Colonial Country Club’s Wall of Champions, with each new addition cementing their place in the history of the golf club and this event.
The Charles Schwab Challenge has also forged its own unique tradition over the years, known as the Champion’s Choice invitation. Each year, former winners of this tournament extend invitations to 2 young players who would otherwise be ineligible to compete; among the players to debut in this competition as a Champion’s Choice are Davis Love III and Jordan Spieth, with the latter later returning to win here in 2016.
In 2003, Annika Sorenstam made history at this event by becoming the first woman to participate in a PGA Tour event since Babe Zaharias did so in 1945. The Charles Schwab Challenge also made less welcome history in 2020, when it became the first ever PGA Tour event to be held behind closed doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Spectators will be out in force when this competition returns in 2025, however, with adult general admission Grounds tickets starting from USD $62. All-inclusive hospitality starts from $393. To find out more about the 2025 Charles Schwab Challenge and the tickets available, click here.
