Brooks Koepka, Denny McCarthy and others exited Colonial, shaking up the Charles Schwab Challenge field before Ludvig Åberg’s favorite run.
The Charles Schwab Challenge didn’t even need a shot in the air to get messy.
Before Thursday’s opening round at Colonial Country Club, the field took several late hits, headlined by Brooks Koepka's withdrawal from the PGA TOUR event.
Koepka was joined by Denny McCarthy and David Ford on Sunday, May 24, creating more movement in a tournament that already had plenty of intrigue.
Jimmy Stanger and Brice Garnett gained entry after those withdrawals, while Koepka’s exit came with a twist.
Because of his special PGA TOUR status after returning from LIV Golf, his spot didn’t create a normal alternate opening.
When Koepka enters an event, the field expands to help maintain three-player groupings.
Koepka’s decision is still notable. The five-time major champion had previously said he wanted to play whenever possible, especially because his return status limited his schedule.
But after a run of starts, he opted out of Colonial, removing one of the week’s biggest names from the board.
He wasn’t the only one.
Wyndham Clark and Gordon Sargent also pulled out earlier in the week, allowing Lanto Griffin and Ben Kohles to land spots in the Charles Schwab Challenge field.
Then Bud Cauley, who had been getting attention from bettors as a potential sleeper, withdrew on Tuesday. Patrick Fishburn took that opening.
All of it leaves Colonial with a reshuffled field and a wide-open feel, even with Ludvig Åberg sitting as the clear favorite.
Åberg enters the week on a heater, finishing inside the top eight in six of his last seven tournaments.
His only miss in that stretch was a T21 at the Masters. Since then, he’s gone T4 at the RBC Heritage, T8 at the Truist Championship and T4 at the PGA Championship.
That’s elite form, and with Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy not in the field, Åberg has a real chance to turn opportunity into another statement.
Colonial is already tough enough with its narrow fairways, small greens and demanding shot shapes.
Now, with late withdrawals changing the field, the Charles Schwab Challenge has even more chaos baked in.
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