Charles Schwab Challenge hits the weekend at Colonial. Here's what to know

Jordan Smith leads the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth after firing back-to-back rounds of 5-under 65 to reach 10-under through 36 holes. The tournament has also featured two aces, a thinner-than-usual field and a custom Jeep waiting for the winner.

Here are key takeaways:

— Jordan Smith sits alone atop the leaderboard at 10-under after a late surge in Friday’s second round, as he chases his first career PGA Tour victory. Ryan Gerard, Michael Thorbjornsen, Brian Harman and Hideki Matsuyama are tied for second at 9-under, one stroke behind Smith heading into the weekend. Reporting from Lawrence Dow.

— PGA Tour rookie A.J. Ewart made a hole-in-one on the par-3 16th in Friday’s second round, shooting 7-under 63 to climb into a tie for 11th at 7-under. Brandt Snedeker kicked off the aces a day earlier with a “slam dunk” hole-in-one on the same 181-yard 16th hole, his tee shot appearing to hit the flagstick and drop straight in without bouncing.

— The field is missing major star power this year, with Dallas-area favorites Scottie Scheffler and Jordan Spieth among four major winners — combining for 13 titles — who are skipping the event.

A crowded stretch of the PGA Tour schedule between the PGA Championship, The Memorial and the U.S. Open is the main reason top players opted out, columnist Mac Engel writes, with Brooks Koepka withdrawing at the last minute despite his post-LIV requirement to play a minimum of 15 PGA Tour events.

The field still includes seven of the world’s top 20 players, headlined by No. 9 J.J. Spaun, Justin Thomas, Ludvig Åberg and defending champion Ben Griffin, who won last year by one shot over Matti Schmid.

— This year’s winner will take home a custom restored 1982 Jeep Scrambler — the seventh custom car given to a Colonial champion — built by Johnson City-based Vigilante 4x4, run by Daniel and Rachel van Doveren.

— The 80th annual tournament runs through Sunday’s final round, with Kincaid’s Burgers, Heim BBQ, Salsa Limon and Buffalo Bros serving fans in the Food Truck Fairway, according to this fan guide.

There are no planned road closures, but fans should expect heavier traffic along North University Drive and Colonial Parkway, with tickets, parking and Will Call info available through the tournament website, Ella Gonzales writes.

The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The source reporting referenced above was written and edited entirely by journalists.