2026 Charles Schwab Challenge leaderboard, grades: Russell Henley rallies late, wins playoff over Eric Cole

From out of nowhere to the winner’s circle, Russell Henley raced through the finish line Sunday at Colonial Country Club to capture his sixth career victory on the PGA Tour. Henley finished the 2026 Charles Schwab Challenge at 12 under thanks to birdies on his final three holes in regulation, defeating 54-hole leader Eric Cole on the first playoff hole courtesy of another birdie to claim the trophy in Fort Worth, Texas.

Henley found himself three strokes behind Cole when he stepped onto the 16th tee, and only then did he make his move. He converted birdie bids from 16 feet on No. 16, 16 feet on No. 17 and 18 feet on the par-4 finisher, which he played in 2 under in regulation throughout the course of the tournament.

In the playoff, Henley once again found the fairway, once again found the green in regulation and once again converted his opportunity, only this time, it was to seal the deal and claim the crown.

With the win, Henley jumps all the way up to No. 11 in the FedEx Cup standings. For just the second time in his PGA Tour career, Henley can say that he has won in back-to-back seasons, coupling this with his win at the 2025 Arnold Palmer Invitational. Henley has not accomplished such a feat since his rookie and sophomore campaigns back in 2013-14. He has captured three wins in the last four seasons as well.

After firing a 7-under 63 on Saturday to position himself atop the leaderboard with 18 holes to play, Cole (and the rest of the field) experienced a difficult scoring day at Colonial as birdies proved few and far between. Henley looked like the man up to the challenge early as he opened his final round with an eagle and a birdie to pull within one stroke of Cole.

The Horrible Horseshoe did him in as he followed up his start with three straight bogeys on Nos. 3-5. Henley exchanged a bogey on No. 9 for a birdie on No. 11 before biding his time.

During this time, Cole maintained his lead at 12 under, while a run was made by reigning champion Ben Griffin. He turned in 5-under 30 and posted the clubhouse lead at 11 under, where Henley stood as he walked up the final hole.

Henley’s birdie conversion on the par-4 finisher not only knocked out Griffin but set a date for extra holes with Cole, where on the first playoff hole, Henley picked up where he left off and, in doing so, completed a dramatic come-from-behind victory.
Grade: A+

Here are the rest of the notable names on the leaderboard at the 2026 Charles Schwab Challenge.

2. Eric Cole (-12): It was almost a fairytale type story for Cole, who has played everywhere around the U.S., from the minor league circuits to the big leagues. Cole put on a great show this weekend and steadied the ship after a bad double bogey on the par-4 9th with a birdie on the par-5 11th to return to 12 under. He parred in from there, missing scoring chances on Nos. 17-18, which he ultimately needed. Grade: A

T3. Ben Griffin (-11):  He was not at the forefront of minds for most of the week, but a Sunday surge put Griffin in a position to create history and join Ben Hogan as the only other player to successfully defend a title at Colonial. The three-time PGA Tour winner turned in 5 under and arrived at the par-5 11th with a chance to continue his momentum, but instead, slipped and carded his lone bogey of the afternoon. He bounced back with a 25-foot birdie bid on his penultimate hole, which was ultimately not enough. After a sluggish start to his year, Griffin is in gear for this summer with four top 15s in his last five tournaments. Grade: A

T6. J.J. Spaun (-10): The reigning U.S. Open champion had more than his fair share of chances to take control of this tournament. He sandwiched two bogeys around the turn after a fast start saw him put three birdies on his scorecard across his first eight holes and touch the lead. Spaun’s putter proved to be the main culprit as he missed three putts from inside 8 feet on his back nine alone, leaving him a couple of strokes off the eventual winning number. His game remains in sturdy shape following his win in San Antonio, and once the putter turns around slightly, a second win in 2026 will come with it. Grade: A-

T13. Justin Thomas (-8): It was a frustrating week for Thomas as he was simply brilliant from tee to green but could not find his stroke on the greens. Even with his new Scotty Cameron in the bag, which he has been wielding effectively in recent tournaments, Thomas’ week was upended by one too many scoring chances falling by the wayside. He played the par 5s in even par for the week, exchanging two birdies for two bogeys while manhandling the rest of the golf course. That is now four straight top-25 finishes for Thomas in his return from offseason back surgery. Grade: B+

T17. Ludvig Åberg (-6): Got his tournament to 8 under with a birdie on his first hole on Sunday, but then the slow bleed began. Åberg was the name in this field at the onset of the week as he faced an ideal opportunity to get off the schneid and reenter the winner’s circle for the first time in over a year. His new putter was cooperating early and often, but during a week where missed greens in regulation became, well, regular, his short game was too unreliable to make a final-round run. The result marks another quality one amid a string of contention runs. Grade: C+

MC. Rickie Fowler (–): After opening with a 70 on Thursday, Fowler looked to have found his stride Friday morning as he made four birdies in his first six holes to climb into red figures. Only then did he start going in the wrong direction as the former Players Championship winner closed with a 7-over 42, effectively ending his chances of grabbing his first win in a few years. The early exit may seem like a surprise given Fowler’s form this season, but it marks the third in his last seven tournaments. Grade: F