There are bigger tournaments and there are more prestigious championships, aka the four major titles on the PGA Tour each year.
But there is no cooler prize than that awarded annually to the winner of the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial Country Club right here in Fort Worth. Each year the tournament champion drives away in one of the sleekest, eye-popping vintage vehicles one imagine.
This year’s prize is a fully restored 1992 Schwab Defender. The one-of-a-kind vehicle will be awarded to the winner of the PGA Tour event held at the Colonial Country Club over Memorial Day Weekend, May 19-25.
And, if you’ll pardon the pun, I “challenge” anyone to try and give a better prize. And, if you’ll forgive me for another pun, the Charles Schwab Challenge has once again out-driven the competition even before the tournament has started.
Full disclosure. My accountant is a Schwab guy, but I don’t have to sell this tournament. It has long been among PGA royalty before the folks at Schwab took over, dating to 1946, in fact – that’s the oldest tournament on the tour.
It’s also a tradition the Schwab people have thankfully continued and even grown.
In fact, even rescued. Let’s not forget when the tournament was close to being on life support – some even said it was already – and locals salvaged it in 2018, it was the gang from Schwab who came riding in to the rescue the next year in a 1973 Schwab Challenger awarded to tourney champion Kevin Na.
Of course, we all know the tournament was scaled down greatly with no fans allowed in 2020, but since returning in full force in 2021, they awarded the following vehicles:
2021: A 1946 Schwab Power Wagon awarded to Jason Kokrak.
2022: A 1979 Schwab Firebird awarded to Sam Burns.
2023: A 1973 Schwab Bronco awarded to Emiliano Grillo.
2024: A 1975 Schwab Stingray awarded to Davis Riley.
“This year’s Champion’s Prize celebrates pivotal moments that transform the status quo,” said Stacy Hammond, Managing Director and Chief Marketing Officer of Charles Schwab & Co., Inc. “In 1992, Schwab launched Mutual Fund OneSource to remove barriers and make it easier to diversify their portfolios. It’s an innovation that continued Schwab’s mission to transform our industry and offer investors more choice. “
In honoring that milestone, the firm worked with Winslow Bent, founder of Legacy Classic Trucks, to fully restore the 1992 Schwab Defender. Key features of the vehicle include:
● Modern 430 horsepower Chevrolet LS3 Conversion with a 6L80 six-speed automatic transmission.
● Bespoke axe and shovel.
● L.L. Bean fly rods and custom mounts.
● One-of-a-kind Schwab badging on the car.
● Custom leather interior with Colonial plaid inserts.
The vehicle will be awarded alongside Colonial’s Leonard Trophy and the iconic Scottish Royal Tartan Plaid jacket, uniting classic tournament traditions with Schwab’s spirit of innovation and empowerment.
And, as always, it will be on display for all attending the tournament to see. Don’t have tickets yet? Visit https://www.charlesschwabchallenge.com/tickets.
