The 2020 Charles Schwab Challenge tees off Thursday, when the PGA Tour finally gets back on course at Colonial Country Club. World No. 1 Rory McIlroy is the 15-2 favorite to win the event, according to William Hill. Before you make any of your 2020 Charles Schwab Challenge picks, you NEED to see who Sal Johnson is backing. 

The golf media legend had a very strong 2019 season. He featured Tiger Woods in his best bets for the Masters and backed Brooks Koepka in his picks for the PGA Championship, and both players pulled off major victories. He completely nailed the season-ending Tour Championship. He predicted that McIlroy, Brooks Koepka or Xander Schauffele could come out on top, and McIlroy won the event for the second time, with Schauffele coming in second and Koepka tied for third. Anyone who followed Johnson's advice saw HUGE returns.

He also knows what it takes to win at Colonial. He totally called it in 2018, expecting Justin Rose to finally break through again on "a perfect course for his game," and the Englishman won by three strokes. In 2017, he pegged Kevin Kisner as one of the players to watch, noting his history in the event and his performance in the key stats, and he got his second PGA win. At the last full event before the break, Johnson named Tyrrell Hatton as a player who could surprise at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, and the 28-year-old pulled off his first PGA Tour victory.

Now, Johnson, the first producer of "Inside the PGA Tour," a longtime ABC Sports golf producer and the founder of the world's biggest golf stats database, has issued his highly confident picks for the 2020 Charles Schwab Challenge. They WILL surprise you.

We can tell you Johnson is fading Dustin Johnson this week, even though the veteran is one of the most talented players on Tour. The 35-year-old is fifth in the world, but his power game doesn't fit the course. Johnson has 23 professional wins, but the rust and inconsistency he has been showing all season make him tough to back, even at 28-1.

Instead, Johnson is all over a MONSTER long shot who is one of the shortest hitters in the field! His playing style and course conditions could put him in line for a shocking victory! Anyone who backs this underdog could hit it BIG!

Who wins the Charles Schwab Challenge? Where do Gary Woodland and Kevin Na finish? And which MONSTER long shot is a MUST-BACK? ... Join SportsLine now to see Sal Johnson's full leaderboard and picks for the Charles Schwab Challenge, all from the insider who nailed the Tour Championship and knows what it takes to win at Colonial!