After another thriller of a Major that saw Aaron Rai steam away late on Sunday to win his first PGA Championship, the regular PGA Tour season continues as the field heads to Texas for the CJ Cup Byron Nelson. We will look at this week’s golf from a betting angle and lay down a few suggested bets.
The Course
This week’s PGA Tour stop takes the players to TPC Craig Ranch in McKinney, Texas, just outside Dallas, where the course will present a noticeably different challenge following a major renovation ahead of the 2026 edition of the CJ Cup Byron Nelson.
The Tom Weiskopf-designed layout is a par 71 measuring 7,385 yards (6,752 metres), but significant work has been carried out since last year after Scottie Scheffler tore the course apart with a remarkable 31-under-par winning score. A $25 million redesign overseen by Lanny Wadkins has introduced several important changes aimed at adding more strategic difficulty to the venue.
A number of greens, including those on holes 3, 4, 5 and 7, have been completely rebuilt, while the par-5 fifth has been lengthened dramatically to 624 yards and now features an enormous waste area known as “Hell’s Full Acre”, creating a much tougher decision-making hole for players trying to attack in two. The course has also been resurfaced with Stadium Zoysia fairways and bentgrass greens, giving it a fresher and firmer overall feel.
Despite the added difficulty, TPC Craig Ranch should still produce plenty of birdies. Historically, the course has featured some of the widest fairways on the PGA Tour and ranked among the easier venues for greens in regulation. Winning scores have regularly pushed well beyond 20-under par, and while the renovations may tighten things slightly, this should still favour aggressive players capable of taking advantage of scoring opportunities.
Strong iron play remains crucial, particularly from the 175–225 yard range, where a large percentage of approaches originate. Players who combine quality long-iron play with a confident bentgrass putting stroke are likely to have the best chance of contending this week.
Market Leaders
Usually in the weeks after a major we see some of the top players sitting out certain events, but this week we have a stacked field. World Number One Scottie Scheffler is favourite to defend his title, trading at 2.40, while the bookies have Si Woo Kim at 17.00. Jordan Spieth comes into this week at 19.00 and Brooks Koepka at 29.00, all at the time of writing and subject to change.
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Betting (2026 CJ Cup Byron Nelson) – Click here to bet
Scottie Scheffler 2.40
Si Woo Kim 17.00
Jordan Spieth 19.00
Brooks Koepka 29.00
Davis Thompson 41.00
Pierceson Coody 41.00
Previous winners
2025 Scottie Scheffler (United States) -31 (8 strokes)
2024 Taylor Pendrith (Canada) -23 (1 stroke)
2023 Jason Day (Australia) -23 (1 stroke)
2022 Kyoung-Hoon Lee (South Korea) −26 (1 stroke)
2021 Kyoung-Hoon Lee (South Korea) −25 (3 strokes)
Selections:
Davis Thompson at 41.00
Thompson already knows what it takes to win on the PGA Tour after his dominant victory at the 2024 John Deere Classic, where he broke the tournament scoring record at 28-under par. He heads into this week in solid form, having finished inside the top 15 in each of his last three starts, namely 13th at the Myrtle Beach Classic, sixth at the Zurich Classic, and 14th at the Texas Open.
His underlying statistics are equally encouraging. Thompson ranked third in strokes gained tee-to-green at the Texas Open and followed that up by ranking 10th in the same category at Myrtle Beach last week. On a course that rewards aggressive iron play and confident scoring, he looks well capable of producing another strong performance and could easily contend if the putter heats up.
Suggested bet: Davis Thompson each way at 41.00
Jordan Spieth at 19.00
Spieth arrived at last week’s PGA Championship hoping to complete the career Grand Slam and made a promising start before a pair of disappointing middle rounds derailed his challenge. Despite that, his recent form remains solid. In his last five starts he has recorded three top-20 finishes, including strong performances at the Masters and Miami Championship.
Returning to Texas should suit him perfectly. Spieth traditionally raises his level in front of home crowds and has an impressive record at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, with two top-five finishes in his last three appearances. With the pressure of the major now behind him, this looks like an ideal bounce-back opportunity.
Suggested bet: Jordan Spieth each way at 19.00.
Scottie Scheffler at 2.40
The bookmakers have Scheffler at very short odds again this week, but it is difficult to argue against him given both his form and his record at this tournament. He finished runner-up in three consecutive events prior to last week and even in a relatively quiet week by his standards still managed another top-15 finish at the PGA Championship.
Scheffler is also the defending champion here after producing one of the most dominant performances of the season last year, shooting an astonishing 31-under par to win by eight shots. Statistically, he continues to lead the PGA Tour in almost every meaningful category, including total strokes gained, greens in regulation percentage, scoring average, par-4 scoring and birdie average.
On a course where low scoring is essential, Scheffler’s combination of elite ball-striking and relentless consistency makes him extremely difficult to oppose and a his short odds a win only play seems logical.
Suggested bet: Scottie Scheffler to win at 2.40.
Christiaan Bezuidenhout at 71.00
Bezuidenhout looks a very solid each-way option this week, especially if the changes to TPC Craig Ranch make the course play tougher than it has historically. While previous editions often turned into pure birdie-fests, the redesign should place more emphasis on precision iron play, course management and scrambling, all areas that suit Bezuidenhout’s game perfectly.
His recent form has also been encouraging. He recorded a top-10 finish in his penultimate start and followed that up with a respectable 35th-place finish at the PGA Championship against one of the strongest fields of the year.
Although he has not played this event for the last two seasons, his previous results at TPC Craig Ranch were encouraging, finishing 23rd and 12th in his two appearances. If the course now rewards accuracy and patience more than outright aggression, I think that brings Bezuidenhout firmly into the conversation at a very attractive price.
Suggested bet: Christiaan Bezuidenhout each way at 71.00
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Note: All prices are correct at the time of writing but are subject to change.
