Sunday at Colonial is shaping up to be a heavyweight showdown—not just for a title, but potentially a career-defining moment. Ben Griffin and Matti Schmid will enter the final round of the Charles Schwab Challenge tied at 13-under par, having posted identical scores for three straight days.
But with world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler charging and Rickie Fowler resurgent, the leaderboard has the tension and talent to make this one of the season’s most dramatic finishes.
Griffin & Schmid: Still Locked, Still Leading
Griffin and Schmid came out hot on Saturday, both birdieing the first three holes to separate themselves early. Griffin rolled in short putts while Schmid canned a bomb from 40 feet at No. 3. But the fireworks fizzled. Griffin went out of bounds at No. 5 and bogeyed No. 6. Schmid stumbled at the long par-5 11th after finding rough and sand.
Yet both held steady enough to post matching 2-under 68s, leaving them at 13-under 197. Griffin, chasing his first solo PGA Tour win after a team victory in New Orleans, and Schmid, still looking for his first Tour title altogether, are facing the biggest round of their young careers.
They’ll be joined in Sunday’s final group by Rickie Fowler, who carded a 67 to reach nine under. Once a staple in the world’s top 25, Fowler has fallen to 127th. He’s shown flashes of form but hasn’t hoisted a trophy since the 2023 Rocket Mortgage Classic.
Scheffler Looms — Again
Fresh off his PGA Championship win, Scottie Scheffler started Saturday a whopping 10 strokes back. Then he went scorched earth on the front nine—eagle at 11, birdies at 9, 10, 16, and 17—and turned in a 6-under 64. He could be breathing down the leaders’ necks if not for a trio of back-nine bogeys. Even so, he’s just six back at seven under, and no one on the board has his closing pedigree.
We’ve seen this movie before. Scheffler was burned at Colonial in 2021 when Sam Burns erased a seven-shot deficit and won in a playoff. Could Scheffler flip the script this time?
If he does, he’ll be the first player since Dustin Johnson back in 2017 to win in three consecutive starts—and the first since Ben Hogan in 1946 to win both the Byron Nelson and Colonial in the same season. Let’s not forget, he matched the 72-hole PGA Tour scoring record just two weeks ago at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson.
What to Watch Sunday
- Can Griffin or Schmid handle the moment? Neither has won solo on the PGA Tour. Schmid hasn’t won at all. Sunday pressure is different, and Colonial is no pushover.
- Will Scheffler go nuclear again? If his putter heats up and he avoids mistakes, 64 might look modest by sundown.
- Could Fowler sneak in? He’s got experience, fan support, and nothing to lose. If the leaders falter, he could be the last man standing.
It’s all set. Colonial. Sunday. Stakes high. Griffin and Schmid may lead, but with Scheffler storming and Fowler lurking, they’ll need more than matching scorecards to walk away with the win.
