Steve Palmer's Charles Schwab Challenge predictions and free golf betting tips

Where to watch the Charles Schwab Challenge

Live on Sky Sports Main Event and Golf from 5.30pm on Thursday

Steve Palmer's Charles Schwab Challenge predictions

Collin Morikawa
3pts each-way 18-1 bet365

Rickie Fowler
2pts each-way 28-1 general

Christiaan Bezuidenhout
1pt each-way 80-1 bet365

Matthew NeSmith
0.5pt each-way 140-1 bet365

Scottie Scheffler came up just shy in his quest to win the US PGA Championship on Sunday and he is back in his adopted home state of Texas this week looking to go one better than the second place he managed at Oak Hill.

Scheffler shows great commitment to PGA Tour events in Texas, but playing three weeks on the spin from the AT&T Byron Nelson through to the Charles Schwab Challenge is a curious scheduling decision given how demanding this year has been for the elite.

Scheffler can be left alone at short odds, while Jordan Spieth makes no appeal either, even at one of his favourite venues. Spieth's left wrist issues are ongoing and it was heavily taped at the US PGA.

Steve Palmer's top tip

Collin Morikawa 18-1

Two-time Major champion Collin Morikawa is desperate to get back to winning ways – he has not triumphed on the PGA Tour since the 2021 Open – and that desire can help this class act to victory in the Charles Schwab Challenge.

Mental fatigue is becoming a factor in the middle of Majors season – two down, two to go – and eight elevated events have already been completed on the PGA Tour. Of all the elite, Morikawa may be the one carrying most motivation and focus at Colonial Country Club.

Morikawa knows this track is an ideal place to showcase his trademark accuracy. He nearly won at Colonial on his debut in 2020, losing a playoff, and has been 14th and 40th in subsequent visits.

This year, the Californian ace has finished second at Kapalua, third at Torrey Pines, sixth at Riviera, 13th at Sawgrass, tenth at Augusta and 26th at Oak Hill last week. This has been a solid campaign, featuring some stellar ball-striking, and it can become a winning one on Sunday.

Next best bet

Rickie Fowler 28-1

Keeping faith with Rickie Fowler seems likely to yield reward sooner rather than later. The former world number four has been churning out top-20 finishes this season, looking solid in all departments, and the last time he teed up in the Lone Star State he finished tenth in the Texas Open.

Fowler endured a nightmare on the Oak Hill greens last week, hitting a series of good putts which failed to drop, suffering a series of lip-outs over 36 holes which ended in him missing the US PGA cut by a shot.

That negative can be turned into a positive this week, as he is fresher for Colonial and on offer at a healthy price in a weak tournament. Fowler was fifth at Colonial in 2012 and can deliver a serious title challenge this time.

Other selections

Christiaan Bezuidenhout 80-1
Matthew NeSmith 140-1

Colonial sets up perfectly for accurate players who chip and putt well. Christiaan Bezuidenhout emphatically fits into that category and the three-time DP World Tour champion can threaten a PGA Tour breakthrough this week.

Bezuidenhout was 15th in last year's Charles Schwab. Since then, he has gone close in the John Deere Classic, finishing second, and this year the signs are positive, with 13th place in the Players Championship, 19th in the elevated RBC Heritage last month and 23rd on his last trip to Texas in the AT&T Byron Nelson. A missed cut on the mark in the US PGA means a juicy price for this event.

Complete a four-pronged attack with Matthew NeSmith, another accurate sort, who is one of the best iron-players in the business when in the groove. He won on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2019 and has come close in the higher grade, finishing third in last year's Valspar Championship, beaten by just a shot, and second in the Shriners Open.

NeSmith's last five tournaments have resulted in solid performances, including fourth place in the Zurich Classic pairs event alongside Taylor Moore. NeSmith got back into the world's top 100 by finishing 23rd in the US PGA on Sunday and he seems a lively Colonial outsider.

Colonial Country Club course guide

Course Colonial Country Club, Fort Worth, Texas
Prize money $8.7m ($1.566m to the winner)
Length 7,209 yards
Par 70 - two par-fives; 12 par-fours; four par-threes
Field 120 The cut Top 65 and ties qualify for round three
Highest-ranked players in field (world ranking in brackets) Scottie Scheffler (1), Viktor Hovland (6), Jordan Spieth (11), Tony Finau (12), Sam Burns (14)
Course records- 72 holes 259 Zach Johnson (2010) 18 holes 61 Keith Clearwater (1993), Lee Janzen (1993), Greg Kraft (1999), Justin Leonard (2003), Kenny Perry (2003), Chad Campbell (2004), Kevin Na (2018)

Course winners taking part Rory Sabbatini, Zach Johnson (twice), Chris Kirk, Jordan Spieth, Kevin Kisner, Justin Rose, Sam Burns

When to bet By 1.30pm on Thursday

When to watch Live on Sky Sports Main Event and Golf from 5.30pm on Thursday

Time difference Texas is six hours behind the UK and Ireland

Last week – US PGA Championship 1 B Koepka 20-1, T2 S Scheffler 15-2, V Hovland 28-1, T4 C Davis 175-1, K Kitayama 200-1, B DeChambeau 100-1, T7 S Straka 400-1, R McIlroy 12-1, T9 C Smith 33-1, P Cantlay 18-1, J Rose 100-1

Course type Parkland

Course overview The PGA Tour has held an event at Colonial since 1946 and the ancient track inevitably offers up plenty of birdie opportunities to the modern professional. The first two holes on the course are the easiest, immediately followed by the three most difficult. The third, fourth and fifth are known as the 'Horrible Horseshoe'. The layout has been lengthened over the years but remains more of a test of accuracy over power

Story of last year Sam Burns defeated his good friend Scottie Scheffler in a playoff

Weather forecast Sunny and warm, with light to moderate breezes

Type of player suited to the challenge An accurate sort with a behaving putter can destroy Colonial – it is a course that can be overwhelmed with straight-hitting rather than power-play

Key attribute Accuracy

Spotlight insight

None of the last 21 Colonial events has been won by a PGA Tour maiden.