MCKINNEY, TEXAS - MAY 03: Scottie Scheffler of the United States plays his shot from the sixth tee during the third round of THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson 2025 at TPC Craig Ranch on May 03, 2025 in McKinney, Texas. (Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images)
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The PGA Tour is still coming back to level after Aaron Rai’s dramatic finish to the 2026 PGA Championship, but the tour schedule continues with the next event on the schedule. That event is The CJ Cup Byron Nelson tournament taking place at the TPC Craig Ranch. That course is a Par 71 which stretches at 7,385 yards in length.
The vast majority of the big name players are taking this tournament off, but it’s still important to take a look at the past winners of this event:
Keeping in mind players who have done well in this tournament, let’s take a look at the top five players, based on odds.
When it comes to picks for this event, I like to start with my favorite and long shot picks for the tournament. The favorite pick is the pick I like the most for an outright winner. For the long shot winner, that is a golfer who has over +2000 odds to win. It is a long shot pick for a reason, and finding those can be like finding a needle in a haystack.
Here are my favorite and long shot picks for the 2026 The CJ Cup Byron Nelson:
Favorite: Scottie Scheffler (+170)
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Long Shot: Keith Mitchell (+3750)
In a field that is as weak as this one, it is difficult to not take Scheffler to win back-to-back CJ Cup titles. What is astounding is how Scheffler is getting just +170 odds to win the tournament outright. Nonetheless, this is a tournament where Scheffler should dominate, and the fact it is in his home state of Texas absolutely matters.
As for long shot plays, which I’ve never hit once, Mitchell seems to be a player who is capable of shocking the golf world. He absolutely has the talent to do so, but can he put it all together? Long shot plays are viewed as a raffle ticket when it comes to having the pick come to fruition.
Now let’s take a look at the Top 5, Top 10, Top 20, and Bonus plays for the 2026 CJ Cup.
Scheffler getting -265 odds are not great. A $100 bet would win you just $38 dollars, but if Scheffler doesn’t win, I feel pretty confident about his chances of being in the Top 5.
As for Si Woo Kim, he is in the Top Tier of player in this watered down field, and has played well this season. Kim has all the talent in the world, and has won on the PGA Tour during his career. Can he rise up and beat Scheffler? He’s one of the few who can pull it off if he is playing well.
Spieth, another Texas resident, has been playing markedly better in 2026 compared to his previous injury-plagued seasons. Spieth is coming off a T18 finish at the PGA Championship, and I feel as if he is primed for a strong showing in the lone star state.
As for Koepka his T55 finish at the PGA Championship doesn’t instill a lot of confidence; however, in a field like this he should be able to not only make birdies, but also make a charge up the leaderboard. Koepka isn’t as far off as many think, and I see him being near the top of the leaderboard when all is said and done this weekend.
Mitchell is my long shot pick, but I also see him playing well enough to be in the Top 20. As stated earlier, Mitchell has the game to be in the Top 20, and in a field like this one it makes sense Mitchell should be a viable option for this Top 20 category heading into the weekend.
For Top 20 picks I typically have a “gut pick” where I go with someone who my gut tells me might surprise people. I’m going to go with Tony Finau in this category. He is getting good odds, despite him still searching for his game. Finau has started to miss majors due to a lack of success, and I think a field like the CJ Cup could be what he needs to get back on track.
For bonus plays, these are picks which I don’t necessarily hang my hat on, but still provide value for some who want more exotic plays outside of the aforementioned picks. Sometimes bonus plays are parlays, double chances, triple chances, and even some fun plays for that particular event.
Here are the Bonus plays for the 2026 the CJ Cup Byron Nelson:
Double Chance: Scottie Scheffler or Si Woo Kim (+130)
Top USA Golfer: Scottie Scheffler (+118)
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