Three-time major champion and 12-time winner on Tour Jordan Spieth is definitely back after a three-year slump, but his chances for a second victory in 2021 were derailed by Jason Kokrak, who shot a final-round even-par 70 on Sunday to win the Charles Schwab Challenge, defeating Spieth by two shots. It was Kokrak’s second career win, both coming in the 2020-2021 season, and the 36 year old picked up $1,350,000 and 500 FedEx Cup points for the win.
Kokrak became the fourth multiple tournament winner on Tour this season, benefitting from two back-nine bogeys by Spieth, including one on the closing hole, to stun the hometown favorite at the par 70 Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas. After taking the lead with a birdie on the par-five 11th hole and extending it to two shots with another birdie on the par-three 13th, Kokrak matched Spieth’s bogeys to make it interesting coming down the stretch.
Spieth, the betting favorite with odds of +1000 to secure his 13th Tour win, shot an opening-round 63 to take a two-shot lead over Kokrak and followed it up with a 66, but the eventual winner hung with him with a second consecutive 65 to trail by a shot. Both players fired third round 66’s, with Spieth remaining a stroke in front and Kokrak six shots clear of third place.
The two went into Sunday’s final round in a virtual match-play situation, with both players responding poorly to the pressure, with Kokrak taking two bogeys and Spieth three of his own on the first four holes. Both righted their respective ships, going two under par on the next five holes to set up the dramatic back nine.
Kokrak was a +4700 underdog, but he was still a top 20 betting choice in pre-tournament wagering.
Betting Odds Results
Kokrak was a +4700 underdog, but he was still a top 20 betting choice in pre-tournament wagering. Second, in the futures odds was 2020 PGA Champion and fight ranked player in the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR) Collin Morikawa at +1200, tied for 14th with a five-under-par total of 275 after a final round of two-under-par 68.
Justin Thomas, the second-ranked player in the OWGR who was at +1300, in the midst of a brief slump and at one point found himself in danger of missing the cut, but rebounded for a Friday 66 and finished in a tie for 40th. Defending champion Daniel Berger had odds of +1900 to repeat and had a solid tournament, finishing in a tie for 20th.
PGA Champion Phil Mickelson, coming off last week’s historic win, came in with odds of +4300 but bogeyed two of his last three holes in Friday’s second round to miss the cut by a stroke after rounds of 73 and 69 left him at two-over par for the tournament. He was joined in the same position by Patrick Reed and Scottie Scheffler, both of whom were in the top ten in betting odds at +2300.
