⛳️ Scottie’s Texas Takeover, Bigwin Island FOMO, and Your Next Winning Bet

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Good morning. This is your Happy Valley Golf Team newsletter. Let’s get it!

Here’s what we’ve got for you today:

• Scheffler’s Texas-Sized Streak: Fresh off a PGA win, Scottie’s rolling into Colonial like Thanos with a lob wedge. Can anyone stop him?

• Colonial Country Club Gets a Glow-Up: Historic “Horrible Horseshoe” still ruins rounds, but the course’s facelift means new drama for 2025.

• Bigwin Island: The Golf Course You’ll Brag About (If You Ever Get On): Private island, ferry access, and more FOMO than a Taylor Swift ticket drop.

• Betting Board: Spieth’s local magic, Rai’s laser accuracy, and our top sleeper picks—plus where to find the best promos, all in one spot.

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Unsolicited Golf Tips

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Plaid Jacket Pursuit: 2025 Charles Schwab Challenge Preview

Scottie's steamrolling toward Fort Worth, and Colonial Country Club is bracing for impact.

Fresh off hoisting the Wanamaker Trophy at Quail Hollow last weekend, world #1 Scottie Scheffler rolls into the 2025 Charles Schwab Challenge looking absolutely unstoppable. The Texas native is gunning for his third consecutive victory and has become golf's equivalent of Thanos – inevitable.

The Basics

When: Tee times start Thursday at 7 a.m. CT with a split-tee format
Where: Colonial Country Club, Fort Worth, Texas – a 7,209-yard par-70 layout with enough history to fill a Ken Burns documentary
Purse: $9.5 million with $1.71 million going to Sunday's champion

The Storylines

Scheffler's Supremacy: After demolishing the field at the PGA Championship, Scheffler enters as the overwhelming favorite. He's finished in the top three at Colonial three straight years, because apparently being merely "good" isn't in his vocabulary.

Riley's Defense: Last year's champ Davis Riley delivered a five-stroke beatdown to claim his first individual PGA Tour victory. The timing is poetic – Riley just finished T2 at the PGA Championship, five strokes behind... you guessed it... Scheffler.

Colonial's Facelift: The course underwent a complete restoration since last year's tournament, but its notorious "Horrible Horseshoe" (holes 3-5) remains the most challenging three-hole stretch on the course. It's where good rounds go to die.

Spieth's Stomping Ground: Three-time major winner Jordan Spieth has a love affair with Colonial – one victory (2016) and three runner-up finishes. But his recent form has been shakier than a caffeinated chihuahua.

The Field

While Scheffler casts a long shadow, several contenders are worth watching:

• Jordan Spieth: Past champion with course history that would make a real estate agent drool

• Daniel Berger: 2020 champion looking to recapture Colonial magic

• Tommy Fleetwood: Still hunting for that elusive first PGA Tour win

• Hideki Matsuyama: Masters champ bringing his silky-smooth tempo to Texas

• Aaron Rai: Looking to follow up his breakthrough at the 2024 Wyndham Championship

The Course

Colonial Country Club is golf architecture's equivalent of vinyl records – old-school, classic, and beloved by purists. Designed by John Bredemus and Perry Maxwell in 1936, it was Ben Hogan's home course and has hosted a PGA Tour event since 1946 – the longest running non-major at the same venue.

At 7,209 yards, it's not a bombers' paradise. Instead, it rewards precision, strategy, and the ability to shape shots like you're playing with a remote control. The course record of 61 is shared by seven different pros, which seems less like coincidence and more like Colonial politely saying "this far and no further."

💰 Poeches Corner

The Sure Thing (That Isn't): Scheffler is the runaway favourite at +250. Betting him is like buying Apple stock – sensible but not exactly a hidden gem. At such a low number we aren’t touching this. Championship hangover anyone?

Here is who we are on:

Winner: Jordan Spieth +2700

Despite mixed recent results, Spieth has exceptional history at Colonial with a win in 2016 and multiple top-10 finishes. In fact, he's played the weekend in 11 of 12 tournaments here, with half of his eight top-10 results being either first or second place. His course knowledge could be invaluable.

Winner: Aaron Rai +3200

Rai currently ranks first in driving accuracy (73.13%) on the PGA Tour, which is critical at Colonial's narrow fairways. He's coming off a T19 at the PGA Championship last week where he ranked third in Strokes Gained: Approach and fourth for Driving Accuracy. His game perfectly suits Colonial's demands for precision.

Top 10: Si Woo Kim +400

Kim has been on a hot streak for a month, finishing T15 at the Byron Nelson, T17 at the Truist Championship, and T8 at the PGA Championship. This consistency makes him a strong candidate to continue his good form.

Top 10: Lucas Glover +600

Glover is described as "one of the best ball-strikers in the field". While his putting can be inconsistent, he's capable of having "splash weeks" with the putter. He's gained at least three strokes putting in four of his last 14 events and has top-25 finishes in three of his last four trips to Colonial.

Top 40: Henrik Norlander +125

A surprising statistical standout who ranks second in this field in Strokes Gained: Approach over the last 24 rounds. His accuracy should compensate for his lack of distance at Colonial, making this plus-money bet for a Top 40 finish quite attractive.

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News You Need to Know

👉 ‘They don’t care!’ Brandel Chamblee fires (more) shots at LIV Golf as stars crumble on major stage

👉 Sergio Garcia dealt huge Ryder Cup blow as streak comes to an end

👉 Amanda Balionis takes dig at Rory McIlroy over cranky PGA Championship move

👉 TGL announces Motor City Golf Club as first expansion team – an intriguing sign for league’s growth potential

Golf Courses We Want To Play

The Private Island Golf Course That’s Harder to Book Than a Taylor Swift Concert

You haven’t truly golfed in Canada until you’ve bribed a deer to move off the fairway on a Muskoka island accessible only by boat. Bigwin Island Golf Club – the “Hogwarts of Canadian golf” – requires more planning than a SpaceX launch but delivers a round so magical you’ll forgive the 18-month waitlist for weekend tee times.

Why Everyone’s Obsessed

This 7,166-yard Doug Carrick redesign sits on a 520-acre private island where Stanley Thompson’s original 1920s course once hosted Clark Gable and Duke Ellington. Today, it’s where tech bros helicopter in to:

• Putt on greens surrounded by 360° Lake of Bays views

• Lose balls in bunkers bigger than Toronto condo units

• Pretend they’re James Bond boarding the ferry from Port Cunnington Lodge

Pro tip: The sixth hole’s 165-yard island green isn’t the real challenge – it’s resisting the urge to Instagram every. Single. Shot.

The VIP Matrix

Getting in requires:

1. Booking stays at partner lodges ($350+/night)

2. Securing Monday-Thursday afternoon tee times ($285-$350+tax)

3. Not crying when Saturday slots get lottery-released Wednesdays at 3pm

The payoff? A course where:

• Deer photobomb your backswing at dawn

• Every cart comes with accidental millionaire sightings

• The “Marine Dining Room” serves burgers in a 1930s ballroom

Pro Shop Confidential

“It’s basically Fight Club with sand wedges” – local who’s played 7 times
2025 Hot Move: Book September rounds when leaves turn the course into a Bob Ross painting and rates drop to $285.

Bottom line: Bigwin Island is the crypto of golf courses – impossible to explain rationally, life-changing if you get in early, and guaranteed to make your golf buddies seethe with jealousy.

Meme of the Week

Thanks for reading!

Enjoy the rest of your week,

Cody.