Charles Schwab Challenge First-Round Leader Tips: Side with Cink

Dave Tindall
25 May 2022
3:00 min read

Stewart Cink can get off to a flyer

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After landing full places at 100/1 and 80/1 last week, Dave Tindall has three picks to be First-Round leader at Colonial Country Club...

"In his last three starts, Cink was 10th after day one of this year's Heritage, eighth after 18 holes at the Wells Fargo and 16th on Thursday's closing leaderboard at the US PGA."

Back Stewart Cink each-way at 67.066/1

Weather forecast for Thursday: The forecast says sunshine all day, with temperatures hitting the early 90s by mid afternoon. Winds are around 15mph for the early starters but are predicted to gradually drop to 8mph towards the end of the golfing day. I'll run with that and take three afternoon starters.

Cink can swim

It's the week after a major and hence I've backed Stewart Cink in the outrights.

And I'll ride the Cink train in the First-Round Leader market too.

When Cink landed the RBC Heritage at Hilton Head last year - remarkably, his sixth win the week after a major - he opened with a 63 to sit second.

Although that was then, he's also been making fast starts in recent weeks.

In his last three outings, Cink was 10th after day one of this year's Heritage, eighth after 18 holes at the Wells Fargo and 16th on Thursday's closing leaderboard at the US PGA.

Let's bring in some Colonial history and a trawl through the records shows that Cink has held the first-round leader here before, even if it was several moons ago.

He's been first, third and fourth after the opening lap at Colonial and has shot numerous low rounds on the par 70.

Cink, who was tied seventh after 54 holes at Southern Hills before finishing tied 23rd, has an afternoon tee-time of 12.23pm from the 1st so it's encouraging to see him sat 21st on the PGA Tour's Late Round 1 Scoring Average charts.

Back him to lead the way at 66/1.

Rai can fly

My second afternoon pick is Aaron Rai at 80/1.

Despite seeing lots of courses for the very first time, Rai is proving a fast learner.

That can be seen in his recent first-round leader positions: he was third after day one at both the Texas Open (67) and Wells Fargo Championship (65) and seventh after 18 holes of the Mexico Open (65).

The Englishman ranks 26th in that Late Round 1 Scoring Average list and will be raring to go again having had to sit out the action at Southern Hills last week.

Rai hits it straight (26th Driving Accuracy) rather than long (144th Driving Distance) so should enjoy Colonial and maybe he can watch the morning wave on TV and pick up a few tips.

He heads out at 1.07pm.

Home in on Haas

I'll go down the betting to back another veteran and add in Bill Haas at 100/1.

After some years in the wilderness, he's been plugging away this season and, without making headlines, has made nine of his last 10 cuts.

They've all been midfield finishes but often he's done his best work on day one.

Haas has been inside the top 10 after 18 holes five times this season, the latest at the RBC Heritage: an event, like this one, played the week after a major.

At Colonial Country Club, he's been a strong first-round performer, averaging 68.45 (his best day of the four) and three times ending Thursday in the top 10.

Once more, he's an afternoon starter at 12.12pm and 20th in Late Round 1 Scoring Average bodes well.