Cover Story – 2024 Charles Schwab Champ Davis Riley
Former Alabama golf star and Dallas resident Davis Riley felt right at home at the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial last year. Facing a newly renovated Colonial golf course and a field that included World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, Riley came out on top on a sunny Sunday afternoon at the storied tournament. Now preparing for his title defense, Riley talked with AVIDGOLFER writer Art Stricklin about his win, the historic layout and where he plays his golf in the Dallas area.
AVIDGOLFER: Colonial had done some major changes to the golf course before the 2024 event. What did you think?
Davis Riley: When I stepped on property last year, this is the first time I’d seen the new changes. Wow!
AG: What did you see as the biggest differences between the old and the new?
DR: Yeah, the collars were flattened out around the greens, with not as many big slope runoffs. And then, obviously all the par 3s were dramatically different. No. 13 is a different green; obviously 16 is a different green. I think that was the biggest adjustment … just kind of the sight lines and figuring out the lines into the greens and stuff.
AG: Players like to say a course fits their eye. Was it better for you … or about the same from the past in what’s traditionally been a good tournament for you?
DR: I’ve had a couple previous good finishes, especially in my rookie year. I had a good chance to win there, and finished fourth. I think the course fits my eye. I think off the tee is very similar. I mean, it was just more so into the greens and second shots that played a little bit differently. So I was keeping the same visuals off the tees, keeping the same sight lines, and having familiarity there was certainly a help. But it was certainly a lot of homework to do early in the week.
AG: The PGA TOUR doesn’t have a lot of old-school courses. So when you play an old-school course like Colonial or Harbor Town in Hilton Head, what do you have to do on a course that has been there for such a long time?
DR: Yeah, like you said, it’s one of the few courses that’s stood the test of time. So I think it just goes to show you that a course doesn’t have to be 8,000 yards to play hard. Precision and long, rough and firm greens will make a golf course as hard as you need it to be. Harbor Town is another one of those, so not many like that. The golfing world needs to take a look at that, because that’s just a perfect example of a golf course that’s not 8,000 yards where precision plays a very big key. If you’re not precise, then you can shoot over par very easily on a course that’s not very long on paper.
AG: Did you know much about Ben Hogan? He’s got that trophy room in the clubhouse and there’s so much memorabilia about him.
DR: Obviously, you see the granite wall there on the right side of the first tee with all the names on it, which is pretty cool. And then the champions locker room. I haven’t dug too much into it, but obviously it’s about Ben Hogan. He’s on the Mount Rushmore of golf, with one of the best swings to ever do it. His name has certainly stood the test of time, and it’s pretty cool to be a part of a tournament like that.
AG: When did you start to think on Sunday that it could be your day, that this could really be your tournament?
DR: Yeah, you never know. I slept on a couple of shots lead, so I had a little cushion there. But it’s never easy when the No. 1 player in the world is breathing down your neck, so, um yeah, I don’t know. I just felt good all week, and I think a lot of the battle is kind of settling yourself in and continuing doing your process that got you into that final group. I felt comfortable, and when you’re in the last group on Sunday, you’re like, okay, I’ve got a really realistic chance, you know? There’s a lot of work to be done, but it’s all right now in front of me.
AG: You received a red plaid jacket for winning. I know you you’re loving college football, so could that plaid jacket work for an Alabama tailgate?
DR: It would look pretty good at a Crimson Tide football game, so I might have to sport it around and especially around Christmas time. Who knows? I might have to whip it out during the holidays.
AG: What did you do to celebrate your Colonial win?
DR: I had that whole week off afterwards. It was a lot of fun and we did some good celebrating. Obviously, living in Dallas and being so close to Fort Worth, I had a good friend group out there and family, which made for an awesome week.
AG: How long have you been in Dallas?
DR: Five years now. My wife took a job out of college there, and it’s very central. It’s also starting to become a big golf town where you see a lot of professional golfers, and it’s a good breeding ground for good players.
AG: Do you get a chance to play some with Scottie or Jordan or Will or some other guys?
DR: I play a lot of golf with Will (Zalatoris) and Taylor Moore. I play every now and then with Scottie and Jordan (Spieth). But, yeah, I’m certainly around them a decent amount. Being able to play with guys that you respect is massive, so there’s a lot of fun being there.
AG: Where do you play most of your golf?
DR: The Maridoe Club, a little north of the city. It’s just a tough course to get you ready for the Tour. When you know you’re scoring well there, you can score well anywhere. So that’s part of the reasons that brought me to play there. I choose that as my own course, just for the players and the level of difficulty of the golf course. I feel like it would just keep my game sharp and when I came out here (on the Tour), it just felt like it was another day. It’s no birdie-fest out there; it is very tough. So they put it with that Texas land, and it never plays easy.
AG: You said you met your wife in college?
DR: Yeah, she took a corporate job with Deliotte in Dallas, and we’ve been married for a little over two years. Someone’s got to have a real job somewhere, right?