Wise Investment: Charles Schwab Challenge has top-ranked challengers and a longshot leading through 36 holes at Colonial 

The PGA pros are back in action this week at Colonial CC in Fort Worth, Texas, and the betting is brisk as players shoot for more pars and birdies into the weekend. The leaderboard shows longshot Harold Varner III (-11) on top through 36 holes with annual Colonial contender and past champion Jordan Spieth (-10) just one shot back along with Bryson DeChambeau. Spieth was a popular player to bet as noted in the tournament preview at Forbes. 

The leaderboard is stacked with top players as bookmakers adjust the odds to win the tournament and bettors reevaluate and fire for more green in match-ups and the outright market. 

-11: Varner 
-10: Spieth, DeChambeau 
-9: McIlroy, Morikawa, Schauffele 
-8: Thomas, Grace, Rose, Woodland, Berger 
-7: Dahman, Connors 

Here are the adjusted odds through 36 holes to win the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial at Bovada sportsbook. 

Pre-tournament odds showed some other top ranked players, contenders and brand names not fare so well while missing the cut line, which is -2 heading into the weekend. 

Missed cut: Kuchar, Garcia, Rahm, Na, Mickelson, Fowler, Day, Simpson, Leishman and Dustin Johnson. 

I reached out to Nick Bogdanovich, Director of Trading and sportsbook operations at William Hill for some thoughts and golf betting updates heading into the weekend. 

“The handle has been really good. Expecting live betting over the weekend to be heavily bet.” 

Bogdanovich said the biggest decisions for pre-tournament match-ups at William Hill that bettors supported were Knox (+6) over Watson (-6) and Fowler (+2) over Reed (-3). Chalk up birdies on the scorecard for the bookmaker and bogey’s for the bettors. 

“Match-ups figure to be heavily bet with such a star-studded leaderboard,” Bogdanovich added. 

Check back for single round match-ups at the leading online sportsbooks websites as posted and also follow Bovada on Twitter.

In the outright market, bookmakers are going to get hit hard if Jordan Spieth wins, as he was a popular player at odds as high as +5000 (50-1) at William Hill and between +3300 and +4000 at other leading online sportsbooks. 

“Spieth is a big loser for the house,” Bogdanovich said. A win by Varner, Rose or DeChambeau would be a small loser for William Hill. 

Varner overcame a triple bogey 7 on his opening hole at No. 10, as he finished with five birdies in his final six holes to hold the 36-hole lead. Spieth also had a hiccup as he three putted from three feet on No. 3, his back nine.

Bovada has taken action on McIlroy in the adjusted odds for the weekend at Colonial. McIlroy, who has never competed at Colonial on Tour, was the pre-tournament favorite near +800. 

Harold Varner III was a huge longshot, as high as 200-1 to start the tournament and now just 7-1 as he tries to hold off the top challengers.

Post Round 2 interviews of the contenders are here for fans and bettors looking for more golf news and updates from the players. As Varner said following his round, "I wish there was some fans tomorrow."

Varner will have plenty of onlookers and supporters watching online and on TV, but he might be better off without fans as local popular player Jordan Spieth would be receiving the loudest ovations and support. Spieth will also be the most popular winner for bettors, who supported him more than any other player in the outright market.

Any winner or golf is to be enjoyed, supported and something to be excited about as the PGA has returned.

And you can bet on it.