Before the PGA Tour heads to Quail Hollow for the sixth signature event of the season next week, a solid field is in McKinney, Texas, for the CJ Cup Byron Nelson at TPC Craig Ranch.
Jason Day returns to the Lone Star State as the defending champion and will be joined Thursday morning by Jordan Spieth, Will Zalatoris, Adam Scott, Tom Kim and Min Woo Lee, among others. Day’s win here last season ended the Aussie’s winless drought that dated back to the 2018 Wells Fargo Championship. As for the Texas favorite, Spieth finished second (’22) and ninth (’21) in two previous appearances at TPC Craig Ranch.
Zalatoris, another Texas resident, missed the cut at last week’s Zurich Classic of New Orleans alongside Sahith Theegala.
Golf course
TPC Craig Ranch | Par 71 | 7,414 yards | Tom Weiskopf design
Course history
Betting odds
| Player | Odds | Player | Odds |
| Jordan Spieth | +1400 | Tom Hoge | +2800 |
| Si Woo Kim | +1600 | Sungjae Im | +2800 |
| Jason Day | +2000 | Keith Mitchell | +3500 |
| Will Zalatoris | +2200 | Adam Schenk | +3500 |
| Adam Scott | +2200 | Thomas Detry | +4000 |
| Stephan Jaeger | +2500 | Mackenzie Hughes | +4000 |
| Min Woo Lee | +2500 | Maverick McNealy | +5000 |
| Ben An | +2500 | Mark Hubbard | +5000 |
| Alex Noren | +2500 | K.H. Lee | +5000 |
| Tom Kim | +2800 | Seamus Power | +5500 |
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Picks to win
Alex Noren (25/1)
Alex Noren of Sweden watches his shot from the 12th tee during the first round of the Texas Children’s Houston Open at Memorial Park Golf Course on March 28, 2024 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Logan Riely/Getty Images)
It feels weird to say, but Noren is still looking for his first PGA Tour win.
The Swede has made it to the weekend in all nine of his starts this season and performed well a month ago at back-to-back events in Texas: T-11 (Texas Children’s Houston Open) and T-14 (Valero Texas Open).
In two appearances at TPC Craig Ranch, Noren finished 21st in 2021 and 12th in 2022.
Byeong Hun An (25/1)
Byeong Hun An on the 16th hole during the third round of the Sony Open in Hawaii golf tournament at Waialae Country Club. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
After missing back-to-back cuts at the Players and Valero Texas Open, An came back and tied for 16th at the Masters. Then, a week later at the RBC Heritage, An opened with rounds of 68-66-72 before a final-round 80 sent him tumbling down the board.
This is a great bounce-back spot for the 32-year-old as he returns to a course where he finished 14th last season.
Tom Kim (28/1)
Tom Kim plays his shot from the fourth tee during the first round of the Masters Tournament. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Kim’s game is starting to come around. After a WD from the Players and a missed cut at the Valero Texas Open, Kim tied for 30th at the Masters and for 18th at the RBC Heritage.
In two previous appearances at Craig Ranch, Kim finished 34th in 2023 and 17th in 2022.
Mackenzie Hughes (40/1)
Mackenzie Hughes plays his shot from the third tee during the third round of the Valspar Championship golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports
Hughes has played consistent golf since the calendar flipped to 2024. He’s made nine cuts in 10 starts tied for third at the Valspar Championship and for 14th at the Texas Children’s Houston Open at the end of March. The Canadian opened with back-to-back 66s at the RBC Heritage a few weeks ago, but stalled over the weekend with a 75 on Saturday.
As for his course history at TPC Craig Ranch, Hughes finished 14th in 2023.
Seamus Power (55/1)
Seamus Power of Ireland hits a tee shot on the first hole during the first round of the Valero Texas Open golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports
The forecast for the week in McKinney doesn’t look great — rain and wind expected all four days.
If that’s the case, why not take an Irishman who’s played in those kinds of conditions all his life?
Power is coming off a T-12 performance at the RBC Heritage and has played well at TPC Craig Ranch over the last few seasons, finishing ninth in 2021, 17th in 2022 and 19th in 2023.
Addition note: his latest Tour win came at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship in 2022. It blows like crazy around that track, so Power should be comfortable in Texas this week.
