2022 Charles Schwab Challenge leaderboard: Scheffler well positioned for fifth win of the season after Round 2
Remember when Scottie Scheffler missed his chance at the PGA Championship? That was the same as it was years ago, as Scheffler returned to his normal self on Friday. The world No. 1 found himself in a three-hand position for the lead after registering for another ghost-free round halfway through the 2022 Charles Schwab Challenge. Beat nine birds With no bogey at Colonial this week, the four-time winner this season looks determined to add a fifth win to an impressive streak.
“I like that stat [zero bogeys]”, said Scheffler. It’s fun. Today, I have relieved myself of the stress for the most part. My lag is really good, and the only long put that I made was in 7th place, and other than that, I really don’t put too much stress on myself, which is fine. . Having a day where I can de-stress, especially when the conditions are going to be very difficult for the next two days is important. “
Saturdays often push Scheffler to win this season, with efforts from behind at the WM Phoenix Open and Arnold Palmer Invitational. Although he has held the record lead at the 2022 Masters, it will still be interesting to see how the Texans perform amid a tight leaderboard.
Leaders
T1. Scottie Scheffler, Beau Hossler and Scott Stallings (-9): We could go on to world No 1, but after the traffic jam in Round 1, it was nice to see a bit of separation on the leaderboard and shine for one of Scheffler’s co-leaders.
Hossler finished quickly to catch the Stallings in the early wave, but no matter what happens in the second half of this tournament, the Stallings will go home to a happy camper. The 37-year-old successfully qualified for the section on Monday and will be in the US Open for the first time since 2018 after a few weeks at The Country Club.
“That’s a big goal,” Stallings said. “Probably my biggest goal for the year is to play in the Open there, probably the only time in my career I’ve had the chance to play a major championship in New England, where at least half of my family is a part of the world. my family lives, my sister lives. just hit the street. I was born about 45 minutes from there.”
Other candidates
4. Patrick Reed (-8)
T5. Pat Perez and Chris Kirk (-7)
T7. Viktor Hovland, Davis Riley and two others (-6)
This is an extraordinary track record, which could make room for this tournament to go in a number of directions. First-time winners, breakout veterans or game elites reclaiming their places among the world’s best are all on the table. Reed and Hovland are the clear leads, but seeing Simpson in bottom 5 and playing well is always encouraging.
Nearly a decade out of winning the US Open, the 36-year-old is finally looking 100% after battling neck and shoulder injuries over the last year. He played meager in 2022, but beat the match of the day in Round 3 of the PGA Championship by an impressive 5 under 65 before finishing in 20th place.
Spieth’s pitch finally shows signs of life
There wasn’t a breeze whistling around Colonial’s Friday morning, and Jordan Spieth made the most of it. Registering at 4-under 66 with no magic, the Texans’ second half wasn’t as volatile as the first half and was even more effective. The reason is: his pitch.
Speith hit nearly three with a flat stick in hand, a welcome sight for someone who has struggled strongly this season on grass. The 28-year-old is currently 5th in the bottom after two days of play and enters the weekend just four strokes behind the leader. If the pitcher continues to be an ally, Spieth will have a realistic chance of adding another Charles Schwab Challenge trophy to his mantle.
“I was just trying to believe that the shot was going to work,” Spieth said. “I came across the kind of the left side of the hole the first time… and all of a sudden, now I go to the 12th hole and it’s like, wow, the ball doesn’t have to go in the middle; it can go all the way in. the edges. It’s beautifully decorated today.”
Thomas and Zalatoris sent the package early
The two went head-to-head in a playoff last week at the 2022 PGA Championship and made short trips to the Dallas-Fort Worth area, but Justin Thomas and Will Zalatoris won’t make it to the Colonial weekend, as They each played two rounds of cards. total 3 out of 143.
Thomas’s iron game has never been able to catch up to its historic baseline, as he combined his career-ending approaching year achievement on Thursday. Zalatoris was on a similar boat, and combined with his pitch back to earth after a great week in the Southern Hills, neither of them went smoothly.
This isn’t a complete surprise, but it does mark the end of the longest streak ever made on the PGA Tour. Thomas connected for the 21st in a row with his last miss that came just over a year ago at the 2021 PGA Championship at Kiawah Island.
Updated odds and selections
Here are the new odds after 36 holes, via Caesars Sportsbook.
- Scottie Scheffler: 7/4
- Patrick Reed: 8-1
- Viktor Hovland: 10-1
- Beau Hossler: 10-1
- Scott Stallings: 10-1
- Jordan Spieth: 12-1
- Chris Kirk: 12-1
- Harold Varner III: 20-1
- Davis Riley: 20-1
- Webb Simpson: 25-1
- Pat Perez: 28-1
It’s hard to pick anyone without the name Scottie Scheffler at the moment, but if a choice were to be made, it would be nowhere near the top of the odds. The juice is simply not worth the squeeze. Instead, a player like Mito Pereira with a 60-1 scoreline attracts some interest. The fight at the Southern Hills is still fresh in his memory, but that hasn’t stopped the Chilean from once again in contention. In fourth place, he is just five strokes from the lead and has yet to find his own goals on the pitch. If he can hit the shot like he did at certain points in the PGA Championship, Pereira has a big chance of coming back in a big way.
