Local Star Puts on a Show for Texas Fans

McKINNEY, Texas — If there was ever a perfect place for Scottie Scheffler to make a statement this season, it’s at TPC Craig Ranch.

The world No. 1 delivered a performance for the ages at The CJ Cup Byron Nelson, posting a stunning 31-under total after closing with a brilliant 8-under 63 on Sunday. The hometown hero finished a full eight shots clear of his nearest competitor, Erik van Rooyen, who claimed solo second at 23-under.

“This tournament means a lot to me,” an emotional Scheffler said while holding his son Bennett during the CBS broadcast. “It’s my first start as a pro, 11 years ago, I had my sister caddying for me…. It feels like a lifetime of hard work and sacrifice for little moments like these. They’re pretty special.”

Full Circle Moment

The victory holds special significance for Scheffler, who made his PGA Tour debut at the Byron Nelson in 2014 as a 17-year-old amateur. He now becomes the first golfer from a Dallas-area high school to win the tournament since Scott Verplank did it in 2007.

His dominance was evident from the opening tee shot on Thursday. Scheffler began with a scorching 10-under 61, followed by an 8-under 63 on Friday to establish a tournament-record six-shot lead at the halfway point. When he maintained his margin with a solid 66 on Saturday, Sunday became little more than a victory lap.

The final round featured more spectacular golf, including an eagle at the par-5 ninth where Scheffler masterfully escaped a fairway bunker. He briefly pushed his lead to 10 shots before settling for the eight-shot triumph, matching the largest margin of victory in tournament history.

History Made

Scheffler’s 31-under total of 253 ties the PGA Tour’s all-time scoring record, matching marks set by Justin Thomas and Ludvig Åberg. He had a chance to break the record with a birdie on the 72nd hole but settled for par after narrowly missing his putt.

His wire-to-wire victory makes him just the third player to lead after every round at the Byron Nelson, joining Mark Hayes (1976) and Tom Watson (1980).

Fellow Texan Jordan Spieth made a Sunday charge with a 9-under 62, his lowest round of the season, to finish fourth. Afterward, Spieth offered high praise for his Longhorn colleague.

“What he’s been doing is inspiring, given — I mean, it wasn’t that long ago I was definitely better than him, and now I’m definitely not right now,” Spieth said. “I hate admitting that about anybody, but I just watched it in those first two rounds, and like, I’ve got to get better. It’s very inspiring.”

The victory caps a consistent start to 2025 for Scheffler, who had five top-10 finishes in nine starts following a delayed season debut due to a hand procedure stemming from a cooking incident over Christmas break. With this performance, Scheffler claimed the 14th PGA Tour title of his already remarkable career.