Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial winner riding off in restored Bandit-era classic
Winning a check for more than $1.5 million is nice and all, but how about the car?
The winner of the 2022 Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial in Fort Worth later this month will also drive off in a restored classic sports car.
A 1979 Firebird, customized and modernized by Steve Strope and Pure Vision Design, features a General Motors Crate LS3 Small-Block V-8 engine with 430 horsepower and 425 LB/FT of torque. Inside, the interior includes Porsche Panamera power seats, Dakota Digital gauges and a Kicker audio system.
It’s the type of ride that Burt Reynolds made famous in the 1977 film “Smokey and the Bandit.”
Intrigued? You can pretend to be Bandit via a custom-built augmented reality experience that will showcase the car’s innovative technology and one-of-a-kind details online.
Country singer Jake Owen even performed a cover of Jerry Reed’s class “East Bound and Down” from the film with a video that features him driving the 1979 Schwab Firebird.
The Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial in Fort Worth is scheduled for May 26-29.
The winner will take home a Colonial record $1.512 million. The $8.4 million total purse is also a Colonial record.
“We are honored, once again, to play a part in the tradition of this celebrated tournament in Fort Worth and its longstanding support from the Metroplex community,” said Jonathan Craig, a Charles Schwab executive, in a statement. “As we enter our fourth straight year as title sponsor, we wanted to find a special way to honor this iconic tournament in Dallas Fort-Worth and our company’s own heritage — and what better way to do so than with an iconic car, an iconic song, and a spotlight on the commitment to innovation that drives our firm.”
The Champion’s Prize continues the tradition that began with the fully-renovated and customized 1973 Dodge Challenger awarded to Kevin Na in 2019 and the 1946 Schwab Power Wagon awarded to Jason Kokrak in 2021.
Champions choices
Colonial announced its two “champion” choices for this year’s tournament this week — Stephan Jaeger and Min Woo Lee.
Previous winners of the tournament award two spots to rising players in the sport.
Lee is from Australia and plays mostly on the European and Australasian Tours. He made his presence felt at this year’s Masters, tying for 14th.
Jaeger is an up-and-comer after being the 2021 player of the year on the Korn Ferry Tour.
Among notable champions choices over the years include Jordan Spieth, Bryson DeChambeau, Paul Azinger, Mark O’Meara, Curtis Strange and Stewart Cink.
This story was originally published May 3, 2022 at 7:59 AM.
