12 random acts of golfness

Colonial Week is our favorite time of year in Fort Worth, and not just because of the golf. Here are just a few reasons we’re grateful for another great week at the Charles Schwab Challenge.

  1. Ideal weather all week. Temperatures never topped 90. Hardly a drop of rain. Mild winds. Plenty of clouds. That’s a unicorn week in Texas. Thank you, Mother Nature!

  2. The Fort Worth Zoo iguana wearing plaid. He’s a dapper fella who knows tradition.
  3. A return visit from Annika. The best women’s player of all time, Annika Sorenstam, made history 20 years ago. On Tuesday, she came back to Fort Worth to mark the occasion and accept an honorary Colonial membership. She looks good in plaid, too.
  4. Rolling down the hills on No. 9. The hole gives players fits, but young golf fans not so much. Rolling in the moguls right of the fairway is a rite of passage.
  5. Michael Block blowing up and sticking around. His performance in the PGA Championship made Block a folk hero. His first two rounds at Colonial probably made him question ever playing golf. Yet after finishing dead last at 15-over, he stuck around for several hours to sign autographs and pose for photos with fans. What a mensch.
  6. Sundresses. So many sundresses. The fairway fashion show always gives Fort Worth that we’re-all-on-vacation feel.
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  7. Stopping at the LemonAid Stand. It’s a tradition of giving that you can’t pass up.
  8. Selfies with the Schwab Bronco. The open-top ’73 cruiser goes to the champion and it has probably posed for more pictures than he will.
  9. Getting a signed ball from Beau. Just after 10 a.m. Sunday, Beau Hossler walked off 18 after carding 10-over for the week. He spotted a dad and tossed him several signed golf balls for his two daughters, who were downright giddy. Good on ya, Beau.
  10. A golfer named Schenk. Yes, the final-round co-leader’s last name sounds like the dreaded S-word. But Adam Schenk is unbowed. Dude’s even got a dog named Bunker.
  11. Extra crispy greens: In the final tournament before a major renovation, Colonial’s firm and fast greens became a popular topic of conversation. “Crispy” was how they were described by patrons and pros alike. Colonel Sanders would be so proud.
  12. A moment of silence for the fallen: Sports stars are often hailed as “heroes,” but most would tell you that’s a misnomer. At 2:45 p.m. Sunday, the players and fans stop everything they’re doing to honor the real heroes. That’s followed by a Memorial Day flyover and a poignant reminder of why we should all be grateful.


2023 Tournament