{"id":21431,"date":"2026-05-20T17:19:28","date_gmt":"2026-05-20T17:19:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/api.betspertsgolf.com\/raw-forum\/?post_type=article&p=21431"},"modified":"2026-05-20T17:21:04","modified_gmt":"2026-05-20T17:21:04","slug":"2026-cj-cup-byron-nelson-one-and-done","status":"publish","type":"article","link":"https:\/\/api.betspertsgolf.com\/raw-forum\/article\/2026-cj-cup-byron-nelson-one-and-done\/","title":{"rendered":"2026 CJ Cup Byron Nelson One and Done Picks: A New Look for Craig Ranch"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you had the winner last week in any one and done contests, I’d love to shake your hand.\u00a0 Never easy, but even tougher when we get a surprise winner at a major.<\/p>\n

The PGA Championship is in the books with Aaron Rai<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span> grabbing his first major at Aronimink, and the Tour heads to McKinney for the third leg of the Texas Swing. The CJ Cup Byron Nelson<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span> at TPC Craig Ranch is normally a sleepy spot on the calendar, but this week has a real wrinkle. The course just underwent a $25 million renovation and reopened in December, and nobody in the field has played it competitively yet.<\/p>\n

Purse size this week: small. The purse is $10.3 million, with the winner taking home $1.854 million and 500 FedExCup points.<\/p>\n

That, plus the fact that Scottie Scheffler<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a> is the +150 favorite as the defending champion in his hometown, makes for an interesting one-and-done puzzle.<\/p>\n

Not a Betsperts Golf member yet? Use promo code BSG26<\/strong> at checkout for 25 percent off any plan.<\/p>\n

Why This Week Plays Differently<\/h2>\n

Craig Ranch is now a par 71 at 7,385 yards. The fairways were rebuilt with Stadium Zoysia, the greens are now 777 Bentgrass, and the closing par-5 18th was converted into a 480-yard par 4. The 4th hole has a new biarritz green, and the par-5 5th now stretches 624 yards with a massive waste bunker dividing the landing zones.<\/p>\n

The fairways were also pinched to 25 to 28 yards wide, which is closer to a Quail Hollow setup than the old Craig Ranch most players remember. Five years of past course history exists, but treat it with skepticism. The greens were not bentgrass before.<\/p>\n

Some data worth looking into this week:<\/p>\n

Strokes Gained Approach<\/h2>\n

This was the cleanest predictor here before the renovation, and it still should be. The course (all courses) rewards iron play above all else, and proximity from the 125 to 175-yard range is where most birdies happen at Craig Ranch.\u00a0 To score (and you need to score lots), you’ll need to throw darts.\u00a0 I looked at<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Bentgrass Putting<\/h2>\n

The most significant change. The old surface is gone, and 777 Bentgrass rewards speed control and precision. Bentgrass putting history over the last 12 to 18 months is the move, not Craig Ranch-specific putting numbers.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Bogey Avoidance<\/h2>\n

The renovation added real card-wreckers. Hell\u2019s Full Acre on the 5th, the biarritz 4th, and the new tighter fairways all punish a sloppy stretch in a way the old Craig Ranch never did. Bogey avoidance numbers from the last six months give a cleaner read on who handles tightened-up venues without giving strokes back.\u00a0 Scoring will be low, and to keep up, golfers will have to avoid big numbers to go with the gobs of birdies.\u00a0 So, I looked at Bogey Avoidance but only at easy scoring courses.<\/p>\n

\"one<\/p>\n

One and Done Targets<\/h2>\n

Scheffler at +150 is one of the wildest prices we have seen all year, and it\u2019s justified.\u00a0 But it’s a small purse, and using him here kind of feels like a waste.\u00a0 Plus if you really want to use him at a “gimme” and aren’t worried about not cashing in on a big check, he’s likely to be an even bigger favorite at the 3M<\/p>\n

The value is likely in that next tier of golfers.\u00a0 Finding someone with a high floor that can compete in a birdie fest\/putting contests.\u00a0 As we said on the show this week, I am a bit worried about guys who have struggled with the short game lately.\u00a0 It may be a place where they can get back on their feet on the greens, but counting on it is tough.<\/p>\n

The Short List<\/h2>\n

Jordan Spieth<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Michael Thorbjornsen<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Keith Mitchell<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Ryo Hisatsune<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2014\u2013<\/p>\n

For more golf content, course breakdowns, and one-and-done help on every tournament, visit betspertsgolf.com and apply code BSG26<\/strong> for 25 percent off any plan. 21+. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER<\/a>. Responsible Gaming Resources<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":16733,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":""},"bs_types":[14,15],"bs_tags":[113],"class_list":["post-21431","article","type-article","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","bs_type-betting","bs_type-fantasy","bs_tag-att-byron-nelson"],"acf":false,"featured_image":"https:\/\/api.betspertsgolf.com\/raw-forum\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/USATSI_23693273_168403787_lowres.jpg","tags_list":[{"id":113,"name":"Byron Nelson","slug":"att-byron-nelson"}],"types_list":[{"id":14,"name":"Betting"},{"id":15,"name":"Fantasy"}],"bs_author":{"name":"Andy Molitor","profile_image":"https:\/\/api.betspertsgolf.com\/raw-forum\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/Andy-Molitor-150x150.jpg"},"bs_term_name":null,"is_paid":"false","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/api.betspertsgolf.com\/raw-forum\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/article\/21431","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/api.betspertsgolf.com\/raw-forum\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/article"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/api.betspertsgolf.com\/raw-forum\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/article"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/api.betspertsgolf.com\/raw-forum\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/api.betspertsgolf.com\/raw-forum\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16733"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/api.betspertsgolf.com\/raw-forum\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21431"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"bs_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/api.betspertsgolf.com\/raw-forum\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bs_types?post=21431"},{"taxonomy":"bs_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/api.betspertsgolf.com\/raw-forum\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bs_tags?post=21431"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}