The TPC Craig Ranch in McKinney, Texas, north of Dallas, is the setting this weekend for the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, a PGA Tour tournament offering nearly ten million dollars in prize money and featuring a very special guest this edition. The world Number One, Scottie Scheffler, will participate in the event for the sixth time in his career and for the first time since 2023. A return with a very special connection as it was where the Ridgewood native made his PGA Tour debut.
“I have very fond memories of this tournament. It has always treated me very well. I was lucky enough to receive an invitation when I was in my senior year of high school. It was my first PGA Tour tournament. I have many great memories of this event. It’s good to be back. I definitely missed playing here last year. I’m very excited to be back,” Scottie confessed this Wednesday at his official press conference ahead of this calendar event.
Scheffler flashes a cheeky smile when asked about the changes to the course for this edition of the CJ Cup. It has become more challenging, and for a talented player like him, the more complex the challenge, the better: “I think narrowing the fairways is very good. One of the weaknesses of this course was that in the last two years it was a bit… too easy. There wasn’t much rough, and the fairways were very generous. So having reseeded rough and narrower fairways adds a challenge to the course. I think it’s a positive thing. Putting more emphasis on placing the ball well in play, rather than just hitting it as far as possible, is good for the course. We’ll see how it plays this week.”
The Number One also revealed an interesting friendship. He will play with Jordan Spieth and other golfers residing in Dallas, but what probably few people knew is his closeness with Si Woo Kim: “Jordan and I played here a couple of years ago. I think we also played with Willie Z. It was a lot of fun. The crowd was great. Si Woo and I play at the same club here at home. This week we’ll be three players from Dallas competing together. So it will be a lot of fun.”
Asked about the 25th anniversary since K.J. Choi became the first Korean to join the PGA Tour and the emergence of more golfers from the Asian country on the tour, like Tom Kim, he said: “Saying I’m friends with Tom would be a bit generous (laughs). No, just kidding. Yes, K.J. has done a lot for Korean golf. There are many Korean players on the circuit now, and many are playing very well. Several Koreans beat me in the Presidents Cup a couple of years ago. Si Woo beat me. Who else? I remember Si Woo in particular because he beat me again this year. It’s good to see. As you said, I have a good relationship with Tom. I’m also very good friends with Si Woo.”
“Playing with Jordan here will be a lot of fun. Jordan is a very important figure in this community, for his success on the course and his impact off it. He’s very well-liked here. It’s always fun when he and I play together in this event. Si Woo and I are members of the same club here in Dallas. We play together on weekends in money games. It’s a lot of fun being with him. I’m really looking forward to this week. I’m sure a lot of people from Royal Oaks will come to support Si Woo and me, and also a lot of people from Dallas to support the three of us. It’s going to be a lot of fun,” insisted Scottie, revealing that surprising friendship with the Korean.
Finally, Scheffler referred to the selection of Brandt Snedeker as the new captain of the U.S. team for the 2026 Presidents Cup: “I’m fine with it. Brandt was an assistant at the Presidents Cup last year. He’s a good guy. He’ll be a great leader. It’s a lot of fun having him in the team locker room. I’m looking forward to seeing how he’ll be as a captain. We’ll probably see a bit more of his serious side, no doubt, but Brandt is a great guy, and I think he’ll do a great job.”
Before saying goodbye, the Number One recalled when he first played with Will Zalatoris and Jordan Spieth at Bear Creek when he was just nine years old: “I was going to say that my long-term memory is surprisingly bad. But I do have some memories of playing with them. Will and I were the same age, so we played many tournaments against each other. Jordan was three years older and obviously very good. I’d say he was always a benchmark for us when we were young. Let’s say I was 13 or 14 years old and playing PGA team tournaments here, and Jordan was already playing the Byron Nelson. He was a role model, someone we wanted to emulate on the course. It’s quite incredible that three guys from the same area have had the success we’ve had. A lot of that is due to competition. We always looked up to Jordan because he was a bit older, a bit better. Will and I watched each other because we were both good. He’s a very competitive guy, so we always tried to outdo each other. We’ve had a great friendship for years, and golf has always been a big part of that. It’s very nice to look back and see the path we’ve taken. Being able to live our dream and play on the PGA Tour is something really special.”
