CJ Cup Byron Nelson Predictions: Austin Can Win in Texas

Scottie Scheffler’s defense of his PGA Championship crown came up well short as he finished 14th, seven back from winner Aaron Rai.

But the World No.1 will have home advantage this week as he seeks to pull off the same feat.

Texas resident Scheffler romped to an eight-shot win in last year’s CJ CUP Byron Nelson, his 31-under total a record score.

That was held before the PGA which is one wrinkle.

The other, likely more impactful difference, is that this week’s course, TPC Craig Ranch, has undergone a major renovation ahead of this year’s edition.

Perhaps the change that will take most adjusting to is the relaying of the greens with Triple Seven bentgrass.

New putting surfaces tend to play firmer and need bedding in time so it’s unlikely that Scheffler’s tally from last year will be threatened.

We should still expect a birdie-fest though and the forecast rain throughout the week will soften the course.

Most of the top names who contested the PGA Championship sit this one out but Texas residents Scheffler, Si Woo Kim and Jordan Spieth do line up in their home state.

Scheffler was the first United States player to win this event at the new course after an international set of winners in the first four editions of the tournament which moved to TPC Craig Ranch in 2021.

• The PGA Tour is back in Texas again  

• TPC Craig Ranch hosts for the sixth year running

• World No.1 Scottie Scheffler is the hot favorite  

CJ Cup Byron Nelson 2026 Odds

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CJ CUP Byron Nelson 2026 Predictions

• Austin Eckroat each-way at +5500 (1/5, 1-2-3-4-5-6) with BetMGM

• Max Greyserman to beat Rico Hoey over 72 holes at -115 with Caesars Sportsbook

• Blades Brown for Top 10 at +600 with Caesars Sportsbook

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Last 5 Winners of the the CJ CUP Byron Nelson

Course Notes

• TPC Craig Ranch is a par 71 that measures 7,385 yards from the tips

• The course was originally designed by former Open winner Tom Weiskopf

• Texas resident Lanny Wadkins has revamped the layout for the 2026 edition

• Rain could be a factor on all four days 

• Scottie Scheffler hold the 72-hole record of 253  

• Sebastian Munoz and SY Noh have both shot 60s at this course

Favorites to Win the CJ CUP Byron Nelson 2026

Scottie Scheffler (+175) at BetMGM

To back any golfer in a field of 147 at +175 you need to be pretty sure that everything is in their favor. We can’t really say that about Scheffler right now. He’s winless in nine starts, this course has had a revamp which throws in an element of uncertainty and last year the event wasn’t held the week after a Major. Even the weather forecast threatens to throw a spanner in the works. Perhaps Scheffler’s biggest benefit to punters this week is the short price which creates bigger odds and opportunities elsewhere.

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Si Woo Kim (+1200) at BetMGM

The Korean is a local resident and that’s why he’s been a constant supporter of this event. Kim was runner-up in 2023 and has also made the top 15 in each of the last two years. He’s pieced together five top six finishes this season and was also 10th at the nearby Texas Open so it’s easy to see why he’s regarded as the biggest threat to Scheffler. The slight negative would be his very latest performances: 65th at the Truist and 35th in the PGA Championship.

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Jordan Spieth (+1400) at BetMGM

Spieth will be a popular pick this week. He’s a two-time winner in his native Texas and has numerous other big finishes in the Lone Star state including second (2022) and fourth (2025) here. He was also ninth in 2021. The three-time major champion ranked 3rd Tee To Green when 18th at last week’s PGA Championship. That was his sixth top 20 of the season but the fact that none of those are top 10s reinforces the nagging feeling that he can’t quite string everything together at the moment.

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Eckroat to Star in Texas  

With Scheffler not the winning machine of the last few years, there’s scope to look further down the odds board.

Given that Spieth hasn’t won since 2022 and Kim and Koepka haven’t tasted success on the PGA Tour since 2023, the search can go lower down still.

One player of interest has to be Austin Eckroat at attractive odds of +5500 (1/5 1-2-3-4-5-6) with BetMGM. 

A two-time PGA Tour winner in 2024, Eckroat was runner-up here at TPC Craig Ranch in 2023.

He said that week that he’d played a lot of golf in Texas growing up and plenty of friends and family had come to support him (he lives about three hours away).

Eckroat again showed his liking for the Lone Star State with 10th in last month’s Texas Open and he’s followed that with sixth in the Zurich Classic pairs event and 19th at Myrtle Beach. 

With impressive recent SG: Tee To Green numbers - the most reliable metric at this venue - Eckroat definitely appeals at the odds. 

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Greyserman to Beat Hoey

Our streak of 72-hole match bet winners came to an end at the PGA Championship on Sunday as Sam Burns tied with Hideki Matsuyama. Okay, let’s build another one.

This week, let’s back Max Greyserman to beat Rico Hoey in a -115 pick’ em with Caesars Sportsbook.

Greyserman has really found his form again in May, the bounce back highlighted by a top 14 in the PGA Championship at Aronimink.

And although he missed the cut on his only start here, his first two rounds included a 66.

Hoey hasn’t managed a top 20 in 14 starts this season and the putter just won’t show any reliability. He hasn’t made the top 50 in two visits to TPC Craig Ranch.

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Brown for Top 10

Teenager Blades Brown looks set to be a future superstar.

The 18-year-old has banked four top 10s in his last eight starts across the PGA Tour and Korn Ferry (two in each).

He looks like a value wager at +600 to rack up another one here.

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How to Watch THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson 2026

• Tournament: THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson

• Location: McKinney, TX

• Date: Thursday, May 21 - Sunday, May 24

• How to watch: Thursday-Friday 3 p.m.-6 p.m. ET (Golf Channel), Saturday-Sunday 1 p.m-3 p.m (Golf Channel), 3 p.m.-6 p.m. (CBS). And all four days on Sky Sports.