Welcome to Crush & Fade. This article series delivers a weekly look at the current PGA Tour event, plus a brief glance back at the previous tournament.
Last Week Recap: The Ode to Scottie
Do you remember The Shining, when Jack Nicholson’s character Jack Torrance loses his mind and just types “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy” over and over again? That’s how I feel writing about Scottie Scheffler at this point. I could just type:
Crush drives. Flush irons. Drain putts. Rinse and repeat.
Scottie Scheffler wins again.
I’m a fan of Scottie for a lot of reasons. He’s the best golfer on the planet right now. He’s unorthodox. He’s a man of faith. A family man. A husband. A new father. He’s competitive. Fiery. And most of all, he’s ridiculously good at golf.
Crush drives. Flush irons. Drain putts. Rinse and repeat.
Scottie Scheffler wins his third major.
While Wyndham Clark is throwing drivers and Shane Lowry is raging over embedded ball rulings, Scottie just keeps grinding. He’s stacking wins and historic stats like we haven’t seen since Tiger was doing Tiger things. And beyond the golf, it’s how he carries himself as a person that impresses many of us even more.
Since the birth of his son, Bennett Scheffler, on May 8, 2024, look at this run:
Bennett’s entire life so far has basically been a highlight reel of celebrating with Dad on the 18th green.
Scheffler is now favored at both the U.S. Open and The Open Championship. A Grand Slam in 2025 isn’t out of the question.
Let’s give the man his due. He’s an all-time talent. And if you need statistical proof, here’s why he’s the undisputed World No. 1:
This Week: Charles Schwab Challenge
The Tour heads to Dallas for the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial Country Club. It’s still the Scottie Scheffler show, now on a newly renovated stage. The Gil Hanse redesign debuted last year, transforming Colonial into a fresh but familiar Par 70 stretching to 7,289 yards. New greens are still settling, which could challenge approach and putting consistency. Add Texas heat, and we’ve got a worthy test.
Defending Champion
Davis Riley, who played well at Quail Hollow last week. Let’s see how he holds up in the title defense.
Top Bets (CRUSH)
Scottie Scheffler WIN +230
Yes, that’s extremely short odds for a PGA Tour win. And yes, we’re still playing it. He’s that dominant.
Daniel Berger Top 10 +250
Berger is trending in the right direction. If your book offers a “Without Scottie” market, Berger at +1600 to Win is worth a sprinkle.
Harris English Top 10 +375
In strong form and playing confident golf. I love his game this week at Colonial.
CRUSH Plays
Scottie Scheffler WIN +230
Daniel Berger Top 10 +250
Daniel Berger WIN w/o Scottie +1600
Harris English Top 10 +375
FADE
Picking fades is trickier since you’re not making a specific bet, just identifying popular players who may underperform.
This week’s FADE: Hideki Matsuyama
There was some intense footage of him grinding on the range after missing the cut at Quail Hollow. That might be a good sign, or a red flag. His recent inconsistency tee-to-green has me cautious.
FADE Plays
Hideki Matsuyama WIN +2800
Hideki Matsuyama Top 10 +290
Hideki Matsuyama Top 20 +140
Good luck this week – The Sandman
