In a stunning display of skill and determination, Scottie Scheffler capped off a remarkable victory at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson with the lowest 72-hole score in PGA Tour history. Scheffler delivered an impressive 8-under 63 on Sunday at TPC Craig Ranch, finishing with a record-breaking total of 31-under 253. This score ties the previous low 72-hole mark, first established by Justin Thomas at the 2017 Sony Open and matched by Ludvig Åberg at the 2023 RSM Classic.
After a birdie-bogey start on the second and third holes, Scheffler quickly found his rhythm by recording four consecutive birdies. He capped off his front nine with a spectacular 20-foot eagle at the par-5 ninth hole. Continuing his streak, Scheffler also made birdies on the 11th, 14th, and 15th holes, all from within 8 feet, pushing his score to an impressive 32 under par. “I never really felt like my lead was too comfortable,” Scheffler explained. “I always tried to keep pushing, hitting good shots.”
Despite a momentary setback with a flubbed chip that resulted in a bogey at the par-3 17th, Scheffler closed his round with a par on the par-5 finishing hole, narrowly missing out on an even lower score of 252.
While Hideki Matsuyama set a PGA Tour record earlier this year with a score of 35 under at The Sentry, Scheffler's performance marks him as the ninth member of the exclusive 30-under club. Notably, he is only the second player to achieve this outside of Kapalua, with Dustin Johnson previously shooting 30 under at the 2020 Northern Trust. Therefore, Scheffler holds the record for the lowest relation-to-par score in the continental U.S.
Scheffler's record-setting week came on the heels of a $15 million renovation of the TPC layout, led by former major champion Lanny Wadkins. “The players love a good, solid test of golf; they don’t want it to be a putting contest,” Wadkins stated. “They want it to test every bit of their ability from driving in the fairway to quality iron play.” During a previous appearance on Golf Channel’s Golf Today, he expressed surprise if the winning score exceeded 15 under. Scheffler, however, shattered that expectation.
Erik van Rooyen finished in second place, trailing Scheffler by eight shots, while Sam Stevens took third, finishing 11 shots back. Local favorite Jordan Spieth secured solo fourth, losing by 12 strokes. Van Rooyen acknowledged the challenge of competing against the world’s top golfer. “Scottie was practically flawless, which is kind of what you expect from the world No. 1,” he remarked. “There’s nothing you can do. Absolute hat’s off to Scottie. He’s played fantastic golf.”
This victory marks Scheffler’s first official PGA Tour win since last June’s Travelers Championship, although he has since triumphed at the Olympics and the Hero World Challenge. Significantly, it is also his first title at the PGA Tour event held in his hometown, where he once watched his idols play. “When I think about this tournament, I think about a lot of different stuff,” Scheffler shared emotionally. “I grew up coming to watch it. This was my first start on the PGA Tour when I was in high school. My family was all able to be here, and it was just really, really special memories.”
