Scottie Scheffler capped a dominant victory at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson with the lowest 72-hole score in PGA Tour history.
Scheffler fired an 8-under 63 on Sunday at TPC Craig Ranch to finish at 31-under 253, tying the low 72-hole mark, first recorded by Justin Thomas at the 2017 Sony Open and again by Ludvig Åberg at the 2023 RSM Classic.
After going birdie-bogey on Nos. 2 and 3, Scheffler rattled off four straight birdies and then capped his front nine with a 20-foot eagle make at the par-5 ninth. He birdies Nos. 11, 14 and 15, too, all from inside 8 feet to reach 32 under.
“I never really felt like my lead was too comfortable,” Scheffler said. “I always tried to keep pushing, hitting good shots.”
A flubbed chip that rolled back to his feet at the par-3 17th led to bogey, and Scheffler closed with par at the par-5 finishing hole, otherwise he would’ve shot 252.
Hideki Matsuyama won The Sentry earlier this year at 35 under, a PGA Tour record for relation to par. Scheffler is now the ninth member of the 30-under club, though only the second player who didn’t accomplish the feat at Kapalua. Dustin Johnson shot 30 under in winning the 2020 Northern Trust, so Scheffler has the relation-to-par record in the continental U.S.
Scheffler’s low-scoring week, which included a best-ball score of 17-under 54 over four days, comes right before a $15 million renovation to the TPC layout led by former major winner Lanny Wadkins.
“The players love a good, solid test of golf; they don’t want it to be a putting contest,” Wadkins said. “They want it to be something to test every bit of their ability from driving in the fairway and quality iron play and everything else that goes into shooting a round of golf. They want that, and that’s what we intend to give them.”
Even prior to starting the work, Wadkins said during last week’s appearance on Golf Channel’s Golf Today that he’d be “shocked” if the winning score was lower than 15 under.
Well, Scheffler obliterated that.
Erik van Rooyen finished second, eight shots behind. Third-place Sam Stevens was 11 back and Jordan Spieth, solo fourth, lost by 12.
“I told you it was going to be a steep mountain to climb, and it was,” said van Rooyen, who also closed in 63. “Scottie was practically flawless, which is kind of what you expect from the world No. 1. But, yeah, really proud with the golf I played. ... I don’t play with the world No. 1 too often, and you’re almost flabbergasted in a way because I’d fire in like that 5-iron on 9 comes to mind. I hit it to whatever it was, 5 feet, and he just makes the eagle. There’s nothing you can do. Absolute hat’s off to Scottie. He’s played fantastic golf.”
Added Scheffler: “It was going to take something special for him today in order to catch me. I think he did his best to put up a special round. I just played really well as well.”
This is Scheffler’s first official PGA Tour victory since last June’s Travelers Championship. He’s more recently won the Olympics and Hero World Challenge.
It’s also his maiden title at his hometown PGA Tour event, which he grew up attending, usually watching his idols for hours on the driving range, and first played in 2014 when he was a senior at Highland Park High in Dallas.
“When I think about this tournament, I think about a lot of different stuff,” Scheffler said. “I grew up coming to watch it. This was my first start on the PGA Tour when I was in high school. The girl I was dating at the time is now my wife. We have one son. My sister was caddieing for me at the time. She was here today. She has two kids. My family was all able to be here, and it was just really, really special memories, and I think at times it all comes crashing down to me at once. We have a lot of great memories as kids coming to watch this tournament.
“I just dreamed to be able to play in it, and it’s more of a dream to be able to win it.”
