EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsThe CJ Cup Byron Nelson has basically been three different golf tournaments in three years, making course history less of a factor.In 2024, it was a wide-open target where guys could fire at flags all week and make birdies in bunches, a version of the course that no longer exists.Then last year, new tees got added, the course got longer and Scottie Scheffler showed up and completely overwhelmed the place with his irons. His approach play was so ridiculous that it almost broke the tournament.In 2026, this is a different setup.Designers rebuilt nearly every green, tightened fairways, repositioned bunkers, added waste areas and made the closing stretch play tougher into the wind. The course is clearly trying to move away from the "everybody gets to -25" version of Craig Ranch.So, this week, I still leaned more toward ball strikers who can control shots into the redesigned greens, but the wild card is the new bentgrass greens. No one has had reps on them yet, potentially creating more putting volatility than normal. While approach play still matters, there's a path where elite putters get hot and hang around.Odds by DraftKings Sportsbook (with ties) and subject to change.Best betsHow to bet Scottie Scheffler, if you want to bet Scottie SchefflerTop 5 -265To win +168You don't need strokes gained data to know that Scheffler is the best player in the field by miles. The price is expensive, but he's first in nearly every strokes gained metric, won this event by eight strokes last year and has the course record here. Scheffler's floor is absurdly high compared to everyone else, especially this week.Normally I'd say fire the top-5 finish with a favorite this dominant, but laying -265 in a golf tournament is tough to justify because variance still exists over 72 holes. If you want a Scottie bet, the only way to go is outright, a regular single-unit wager on the best player in the world at a course where everything data wise points in his direction again.Brooks Koepka top 20 (+102)Koepka is a high-ceiling, high-risk player. He's second in the field on approach and third from tee to green, both primary metrics for this version of Craig Ranch. He's coming into this tournament in solid form off a T11 at Myrtle Beach two weeks ago where he gained over five strokes with his irons. The putting is the known liability on new recontoured greens, which is essentially neutral, but manageable, for a top-20 finish, where he could leak shots on the greens but still make up ground with the rest of his game. The ceiling is there for Koepka, but we're still many tournaments away from finding out his true floor back on tour.Christiaan Bezuidenhout top 20 (+188)This is a "think outside the box" type of wager. Bezuidenhout leads the field in putting and he's actively in form with it, gaining over five strokes in two of his last four events and having truly lost strokes just once this season. If the new greens create more putting variance than normal, that could give the best putters in the field an even bigger edge than the ball-striking numbers normally would. Two events define his capabilities this year, a T6 at Myrtle Beach where he gained over six strokes with his irons, showing that he can get hot, and even the PGA Championship last week where he finished T35 but gained with his irons and around the greens at a major championship venue.Ryo Hisatsune top 20 (+142)Hisatsune has the kind of upside I want for a top-20 play. He finished T8 at Valero, striping his irons, showed positive numbers at the PGA Championship, and when the approach play heats up, the birdie chances come with it. The volatility is real, but that's also why I like him more for placement markets, capable of popping off for a top 10 or hanging around contention rather than sustaining it over 72 holes. That volatility also makes him interesting for a first-round leader if the irons show up early.Daily fantasy plays and fadesPlay daily fantasy golf at DraftKings.PlayAustin Eckroat, $7,500: This version of Craig Ranch could be more demanding than the old birdie-fest version. Eckroat's T10 at Valero stands out because TPC San Antonio already plays closer to the style of course Craig Ranch is trying to become. If scoring drops into the -14 range, Eckroat could grind out four steady rounds instead of relying on one perfect spike week with the irons. The accuracy is the concern, but if he's finding fairways, he could be a contender.Blades Brown, $7,800: The upside is there when the irons show up. Fantasy scoring rewards birdies and placement upside rather than consistency. Brown has a T3 at Puerto Rico and T9 at Myrtle Beach, along with strong approach spikes at Valspar and positive putting when he's rolling. The price is upside relative to salary, so I wouldn't trust his profile for top 10 or outright, but it's acceptable because a top 20 with birdies pay off the salary price.FadeWyndham Clark, $8,800: The approach upside is real, but his recent form collapsed with a missed cut at Houston and missed cut at the PGA Championship last week, losing strokes off the tee. His strokes gained numbers are being supported by early season results. He did finish T21 in the Masters, but losing strokes putting is a liability that hasn't gone away. The putting swings wildly from week to week, and with three missed cuts in his last six starts, that's too many for this salary tier. I'd rather spend $8,800 on a profile with less paths to failure.
