Byron Nelson champion K.H. Lee among latest additions to Colonial field

K.H. Lee, fresh off winning the AT&T Byron Nelson on Sunday, ranked among the notable additions for the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial Country Club in two weeks.

Lee won the Nelson in impressive fashion, posting a 25-under par over four rounds to win the first event at TPC Craig Ranch in McKinney. It marked Lee’s first victory on the PGA Tour and pushed him up to No. 59 in the world golf rankings.

Lee has played in the past two Colonials, finishing tied for 64th in 2019 and missing the cut in 2020.

Along with Lee, other additions of late include veteran Matt Kuchar, who is ranked No. 49 in the world, and 2010 British Open champion Louis Oosthuizen, who is No. 31 in the world.

Kuchar’s best finish was as the runner-up in 2013, finishing one shot back of winner Boo Weekley. Oosthuizen, meanwhile, finished tied for fifth in 2018.

As of now, 119 players are committed to the event. Tournament rounds are scheduled May 27-30.

The tournament has seen a few notable Europeans enter the field. Justin Rose, the 2018 champion, is expected to make his fourth straight appearance. Fellow Englishman Ian Poulter will be playing his third straight Colonial, and Swede Henrik Stenson, best known for winning the 2016 British Open, will be making his first appearance since 2013.

South African Charl Schwartzel, the 2011 Masters champion, is another international player of note. He last played Colonial in 2016.

Of course, the headliner for the event remains Justin Thomas, the No. 2-ranked player in the world. Thomas is expected to be the highest-ranked player in the field and will be a favorite given his 10th place finish last year in his Colonial debut.

Another favorite will be Collin Morikawa, the No. 6 player in the world who lost in a playoff to Daniel Berger last year. Morikawa went on to win the PGA Championship a few weeks later.

Berger returns as defending champ and is currently ranked No. 16 in the world. Other former champions in the field include Jordan Spieth, Kevin Kisner, Kevin Na, Zach Johnson and Chris Kirk.

Past major champions of note in the field include U.S. Open champions in Lucas Glover (2009), Graeme McDowell (2010), Spieth (2015) and Gary Woodland (2019), and 2013 PGA Championship winner Jason Dufner.

Tickets are available through the tournament’s website. Every ticket is all-inclusive ranging in price from $175 to $575 a day. The “first release” of the $175 premium grounds tickets for Friday and Saturday have sold out with the price now raised to $250 for those days.