2026 PGA Tour Picks
2026 The CJ Cup Byron Nelson Free Picks are front and center this week as the PGA Tour heads to TPC Craig Ranch in McKinney, Texas for another birdie-fest loaded with betting opportunities. CappersPicks.com has you covered all week long with PGA golf betting predictions, odds, and handicapping insight for bettors looking to attack another strong board before the Tour heads deeper into the summer schedule.
TPC Craig Ranch usually turns into a scoring contest quickly, which changes the way bettors should approach this tournament compared to a major championship setup.
This week feels much more about momentum, scoring ability, and taking advantage of a weaker overall field behind the favorites.
2026 The CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Where: TPC Craig Ranch; McKinney, Texas
- Date: May 21-24, 2026
- Format: Strokes
- Defending Champion: Scottie Scheffler
- TV Coverage: CBS, Golf Channel
2026 The CJ Cup Byron Nelson Free Picks
The PGA Tour heads to McKinney, Texas and TPC Craig Ranch this week for the 2026 CJ Cup Byron Nelson. Many players will be making the move here from Aronimink Golf Club near Philadelphia where Aaron Rai was the victor at this year’s PGA Championship.
With two major championships already in the books, this event arrives after a demanding stretch filled with signature events and elevated fields. That naturally led to several elite players taking this week off.
Scottie Scheffler won’t be one of them.
The World No. 1 returns home to Texas looking to defend the title he won in dominant fashion one year ago.
This Week on the PGA Tour
Joining Scheffler near the top of the odds board is fellow Dallas-area native Jordan Spieth.
Si Woo Kim also enters the week as one of the favorites despite representing South Korea internationally because he now calls Dallas home as well.
Kim continues trending toward another PGA Tour victory with four top-five finishes already this season, including a runner-up at the Farmers Insurance Open.
Meanwhile, Spieth returns to the event where he made his PGA Tour debut as a 16-year-old back in 2010.
He has produced three top-10 finishes since this tournament moved to TPC Craig Ranch and finished fourth here last season.
Pierceson Coody also deserves attention as another Texas native quietly putting together a strong season with seven top-25 finishes already in 2026.
TPC Craig Ranch Course Fit & Betting Edge
TPC Craig Ranch plays much differently than the difficult major championship setups players have been facing lately.
This course rewards aggressive scoring more than survival golf. Birdies come in bunches here, especially for players gaining strokes off the tee and generating consistent wedge opportunities.
That shifts the betting approach slightly because elite putters and aggressive scorers become much more dangerous in low-scoring tournaments.
Weather also matters in Texas. Wind can completely change how this course plays depending on the draw.
Why The CJ Cup Byron Nelson Creates Betting Value
This tournament usually creates one of the more interesting betting boards of the spring.
Scheffler deserves favorite status, but golf tournaments with winning scores pushing 20-under always carry volatility. One cold putting day can completely change the tournament.
That opens opportunities deeper down the board, especially for younger players comfortable making birdies in bunches.
Placement markets and matchup bets also become attractive because scoring variance tends to create separation quickly over four rounds.
Last Year
Making his sixth start at this event, Scheffler produced a dominant win while clearing the field by eight strokes — the second-largest margin of victory in tournament history behind only Sam Snead’s 10-shot victory back in 1957.
He was so sharp throughout the week that he tied the lowest 72-hole score in PGA Tour history, matching previous performances from Ludvig Aberg and Justin Thomas.
The victory also marked Scheffler’s second PGA Tour win in his home state of Texas.
How Scheffler Dominated TPC Craig Ranch
Scheffler never really gave the field much of a chance once he found rhythm with his irons.
His combination of distance, wedge play, and confidence on the greens completely separated him from the rest of the leaderboard.
The scary part for the rest of the field was how easy everything looked once he settled into the tournament.
When Scheffler starts gaining strokes with the putter on easier scoring setups, tournaments can get out of hand quickly.
Past The CJ Cup Byron Nelson Winners (2016–2025)
- 2025 — Scottie Scheffler
- 2024 — Taylor Pendrith
- 2023 — Jason Day
- 2022 — Lee Kyoung-hoon
- 2021 — Lee Kyoung-hoon
- 2020 — Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic
- 2019 — Kang Sung-hoon
- 2018 — Aaron Wise
- 2017 — Billy Horschel
- 2016 — Sergio Garcia
2026 The CJ Cup Byron Nelson Free Picks – PGA Golf
Current form and birdie-making ability matter more than usual this week because TPC Craig Ranch almost always turns into a low-scoring event.
Bettors chasing players with strong recent ball-striking numbers should feel much more comfortable here than blindly chasing longshot putting weeks.
2026 The CJ Cup Byron Nelson Free Picks & Golf Betting Odds: Scottie Scheffler +165
Scheffler returns to TPC Craig Ranch looking to bounce back from last weekend’s disappointing T14 finish at the PGA Championship.
Before that, he posted three consecutive runner-up finishes and still enters this week as the clear player to beat.
2026 The CJ Cup Byron Nelson Free Picks & Golf Betting Odds: Jordan Spieth +1500
Spieth continues looking for another breakthrough performance after finishing T18 at the PGA Championship.
His course history here remains excellent with three top-10 finishes since 2021, including a solo second and a fourth-place finish last season.
2026 The CJ Cup Byron Nelson Free Picks & Golf Betting Odds: Pierceson Coody +3500
Coody still searches for his first PGA Tour victory, but the upside remains obvious.
The Texas native continues producing quality finishes while gaining valuable experience in stronger PGA Tour fields.
2026 The CJ Cup Byron Nelson Free Picks & Golf Betting Odds: Michael Thorbjornsen +4000
Thorbjornsen has quietly become one of the more dangerous young players in weaker-field tournaments.
His ball-striking profile fits this course extremely well, especially if conditions stay soft and scoring remains low.
How to Bet PGA Birdie-Fest Events Like a Sharp Bettor
Betting low-scoring PGA tournaments requires a different approach than betting majors or difficult signature events.
Birdie-making becomes critical, which naturally puts more pressure on aggressive iron play and streaky putting performances.
That’s why players capable of going low over short stretches deserve extra attention this week.
PGA Betting Markets That Actually Matter
Outrights still attract the most attention, but placement bets and matchup markets often create more consistent value in weaker-field tournaments.
Golf bettors also need to stay flexible with live betting once scoring conditions become clear after Thursday’s opening round.
One hot putting performance can completely shift a leaderboard at TPC Craig Ranch.
The goal isn’t trying to predict every leaderboard move perfectly. It’s creating multiple ways to cash tickets over four rounds.
Full Handicapping Odds To Win The 2026 The CJ Cup Byron Nelson
Here are the latest odds to win the 2026 The CJ Cup Byron Nelson.
- Scottie Scheffler +165
- Si Woo Kim +1300
- Jordan Spieth +1500
- Brooks Koepka +2200
- Keith Mitchell +3300
- Pierceson Coody +3500
2026 The CJ Cup Byron Nelson – Mid-Tier Contenders
This range usually attracts bettors looking for upside without diving too deep into longshot territory.
- Michael Thorbjornsen +4000
- Rasmus Højgaard +4500
- Wyndham Clark +4500
- Ryo Hisatsune +4500
- Davis Thompson +4500
- Thorbjørn Olesen +5500
- Michael Brennan +6000
- Taylor Pendrith +6000
- Sungjae Im +6000
2026 The CJ Cup Byron Nelson – Darkhorse Bets
This section of the board gets volatile quickly, but there’s still plenty of upside if the right player catches a hot putter early.
- Christiaan Bezuidenhout +6500
- Stephan Jaeger +6500
- Haotong Li +6500
- Mac Meissner +6500
- Max Greyserman +7000
- Blades Brown +7000
- Richard Hoey +7000
- Zecheng Dou +8000
- Matti Schmid +8000
- Tom Kim +8000
- Jordan Smith +8000
- Kevin Roy +8000
- Eric Cole +8000
- Doug Ghim +8000
2026 The CJ Cup Byron Nelson – Longshots
Longshots at TPC Craig Ranch usually come down to hot putters, aggressive scoring, and catching momentum early in the tournament.
- Johnny Keefer +10000
- John Parry +10000
- William Mouw +10000
- Kris Ventura +10000
- Patrick Rodgers +10000
- Chris Kirk +10000
- Kevin Yu +10000
- Mackenzie Hughes +10000
- Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen +10000
- Seamus Power +10000
- Austin Eckroat +10000
- Beau Hossler +10000
- Adrien Dumont de Chassart +10000
- Max McGreevy +10000
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Why Serious Bettors Use MyBookie for PGA Golf
Golf betting has changed a lot over the last few years, and most casual bettors still attack tournaments the wrong way.
The real edge comes from understanding course fit, current form, weather conditions, and how sportsbooks price players compared to their actual win probability.
That’s where a sportsbook like MyBookie becomes valuable.
Golf Betting Strategy Starts With Course Fit
Golf betting isn’t like betting football where you’re dealing with one game and one point spread.
You’re working through massive fields, changing weather conditions, and markets that constantly move throughout the tournament.
At TPC Craig Ranch, birdie-making and aggressive scoring matter much more than simply grinding out pars.
Best PGA Golf Betting Markets at MyBookie
MyBookie gives bettors access to outright winners, top-10s, top-20s, matchup betting, live odds, and tournament props throughout the week.
One hot putting round can completely change a tournament at a course like this.
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PGA Tour on X
Defending champ Scottie Scheffler knows his way around @CJByronNelson 👏#TOURVault pic.twitter.com/xihrorZ3tf
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 19, 2026
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