TPC Craig Ranch is set to host the 2026 CJ Cup Byron Nelson following an extensive renovation under the oversight of Lanny Wadkins. It’s a par 71 that runs 7,385 yards, featuring much smaller greens than Aronimink during the PGA Championship this past week.
Green speeds hover around 11.5 feet via Stimpmeter, while fairways are comprised of zoysia grass. Rough is trimmed down to two inches with TifTuf Bermudagrass, so errant play tee-to-green won’t be overly punished. New bunker locations and water hazards abound, in addition to winds that will play as a primary defense.
Following last year’s dominant win, which set the 72-hole course record, Dallas native Scottie Scheffler returns as a massive betting favorite this week. The World No. 1 golfer is an extremely short +180 favorite in the outright betting market, followed by Si Woo Kim at +1500 and Jordan Spieth at +1800.
My PGA Championship Best Bets settled 1-2 during Aaron Rai’s improbable victory at Aronimink Golf Club. We cashed Ludvig Åberg’s Top 20 Finish prop at -130 with a strong T4 effort. Patrick Cantlay had a chance to cash a Top 20 prop at +130, but a few missed putts inside of six feet led to a loss with a T35 finish. Alex Fitzpatrick finally cooled off with a pedestrian T75 finish (+8), never giving us a chance to cash his Top 20 prop at +280 odds.
I’ve found three more best bets, each worth one unit, to tail ahead of Round 1 at the 2026 CJ Cup Byron Nelson. Follow me on X at Matt_MacKay_ for more free picks and analysis throughout the remainder of the PGA Tour season.
2026 CJ Cup Byron Nelson Picks: Best Bets
(Odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook)
Top 20 Finishing Position
One of the names synonymous with this tournament is undoubtedly Jordan Spieth. The Dallas native made his debut at this event, and now, he’s coming off his sixth top 20 finish of the season with a T18 at Aronimink.
Spieth is a volatile golfer, so there are certainly a lot of variables to consider laying juice on his top 20 finish prop. However, in his last four appearances at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, Spieth has carded three top 10 finishes and a missed cut.
In 2026, Spieth ranks 39th in total strokes gained. This includes 42nd in SG: Putting, 35th in total driving, 26th in scrambling, and 50th in scoring average.
Let’s start our betting card with a top 20 finish prop on a veteran golfer who will garner a ton of crowd support this week.
Pick: Jordan Speith (-125)
Top 20 Finishing Position
We move on from a veteran golfer to a young talent in Davis Thompson. The 26-year-old has three straight top 20 finishes this season, while ranking 17th in SG: Approach.
Thompson has had time off to rest and practice for his third outing at TPC Craig Ranch. The previous two outings were not good, going T70-MC. However, Thompson’s form is trending up right now, with strong approach play and sitting 15th for greens in regulation hit and 21st in proximity.
While putting has been a glaring issue, Thompson counters that weakness with his irons and short game, ranked sixth in scrambling and top-20 in sand save percentage. As a result, he sits 23rd in par 4s and 49th in scoring average.
Let’s bet on Davis Thompson to finally crack a top 20 finish at the newly renovated TPC Craig Ranch, which is available at +145 odds on FanDuel.
Pick: Davis Thompson (+145)
Top 20 Finishing Position
Wyndham Clark has three PGA Tour wins under his belt, but it’s been a slow start for him in 2026. He’s still lacking a top 10 finish this season, however, Clark did manage a T16 finish at the RBC Heritage signature event in mid-April.
The former major champion sits 33rd in SG: Approach. Clark is also 38th in total driving, 35th in proximity, and 25th for 200+ yard approach shots.
The putter is a weapon for Clark right now. He’s 22nd in putting average, leading to a top-20 mark in birdie average at 4.24 per round.
Shockingly, Clark is making his debut at TPC Craig Ranch. It tends to be a birdie fest, which aligns with Clark’s skill set.
Let’s place one final top 20 wager on Wyndham Clark at a robust +170 price.
Pick: Wyndham Clark (+170)
