CJ Cup Byron Nelson 2026 Odds, Preview & Picks
Written by: Danny Burke
Published: Wed May 20, 2026, 11:58 am ET
Read Time: 10 minutes
golf
Following an unsuspecting yet exciting finish to golf's second major championship of the season, the PGA Tour heads back to the Lone Star State and TPC Craig Ranch for the 2026 CJ Cup Byron Nelson.
This course will be a significant shift from what we've seen over the past month, both in terms of the field and scoring conditions. I'll break all of it down below with our 2026 CJ Cup Byron Nelson odds, preview and picks.
CJ Cup Byron Nelson 2026 Odds
Scottie Scheffler (+185)
Si Woo Kim (+1400)
Jordan Spieth (+1600)
Brooks Koepka (+2200)
Michael Thorbjornsen (+3500)
Davis Thompson (+4000)
Keith Mitchell (+4000)
Ryo Hisatsune (+4000)
Taylor Pendrith (+4000)
Pierceson Coody (+4500)
Rasmus Hojgaard (+5500)
Sungjae Im (+5500)
Wyndham Clark (+5500)
Austin Eckroat (+6000)
Eric Cole (+6000)
CJ Cup Byron Nelson Preview
Par: 71
Yards: 7385 (17th longest)
Difficulty: 5th easiest
Bunkers: 83 (15th most)
Water Danger Holes: 8 (11th most)
Fairways: Zoysia (12th widest)
Rough: Bermuda (2.5 inches, average)
Greens: Bentgrass (15th largest, average speed)
Since moving to TPC Craig Ranch in 2021, the CJ Cup Byron Nelson has consistently been one of the easiest stops on the PGA Tour. Players have averaged nearly two strokes under par per round here, while the winning score has hovered around 25-under par.
Last year, Scottie Scheffler took things to another level, winning at 31-under and tying the PGA Tour's all-time 72-hole scoring record. However, this course did undergo major renovations over the past year, so there's at least some hope scoring won't get completely out of control again.
The changes included rebuilt greens, tighter fairways, repositioned bunkers and additional water features. Nearly every bunker on the course was reshaped to make it more penal, while several greens were entirely redone. The goal was to make Craig Ranch more challenging for PGA Tour players, while still keeping it playable for members.
Even with the changes, though, this should still be a week where birdies are flying. The three Par 5s remain extremely attackable and have historically produced birdie-or-better rates around 54%. If players are going to separate themselves, they'll likely need to dominate those holes.
Funny enough, the toughest part of the course has usually been the Par 3s. Three of the four measure over 215 yards and consistently play over par.
That's why Strokes Gained: Approach should once again be one of the biggest stats to focus on this week, especially with how important long iron play is at TPC Craig Ranch. Proximity from 200-plus yards, Birdie or Better percentage overall, and Birdie or Better rates specifically on Par 4s and Par 5s in easier scoring conditions all deserve extra attention.
Off the tee, this is a course where players can stay aggressive with driver. TPC Craig Ranch is one of the longer setups on Tour, but it also features some of the widest fairways players will see all season, giving bombers plenty of freedom to attack.
And if this once again turns into a race to 20-under or better, Bentgrass putting will likely be what separates the winner from the rest of the pack.
CJ Cup Byron Nelson Picks
Pierceson Coody: To Win (48/1) | Top 30 (-102)
No better way to start our betting card than with an actual Texas native, and one who has flashed serious upside throughout the 2026 season.
Sure, Pierceson Coody hasn't lifted a trophy yet this year, but the results have absolutely been there. He opened the season with a T-13 at the Sony Open, followed that with a T-18 at The American Express, finished runner-up at the Farmers Insurance Open and later added a T-10 at the Phoenix Open. He's also posted a pair of T-16 finishes, continuing to show he can compete against the big dogs.
The good news for Coody is this won't be one of those elite-level fields, which only boosts the appeal for a player who ranks second overall in my model this week.
Statistically, the fit makes a lot of sense too. Coody ranks first in this field in SG: Putting on Bentgrass greens over the past couple of years, fourth in Par 5 Birdie or Better percentage, 10th in driving distance and 13th in SG: OTT on driver-heavy courses.
Everything lines up for Coody to have a big week at TPC Craig Ranch.
Michael Thorbjornsen (48/1) | Top 30 (-110)
Next, we have a 24-year-old who's shown a bit of volatility, but also some potential this season.
Michael Thorbjornsen has five top-30 finishes this year, including a T-3 at the Phoenix Open and a T-14 at the Houston Open. He's coming off a T-53 at the Cadillac Championship and a missed cut at the PGA Championship, but this feels like a much softer spot for him to bounce back.
His game lines up well for a course like TPC Craig Ranch too. Thorbjornsen ranks sixth in this field in proximity from 200-plus yards, while also sitting ninth in SG: Off-the-Tee, 13th in driving distance and 19th in Birdie or Better percentage.
If the putter cooperates, he has the tools to hang around the top of the leaderboard this week.
Keith Mitchell: To Win (50/1) | Top 30 (-110)
We are back on the Keith Mitchell train this week at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson. Look, I get it – it's not necessarily the flashiest selection with the 34-year-old, but he's only missed one cut across 13 tournaments this season and, more importantly, he ranks third in this week's model.
He's second in SG: TOT in the Texas region over the past three years, he's also fifth in both SG: OTT and driving distance and 11th in Birdie or Better percentage.
He has 12 rounds of experience at TPC Craig Ranch, most recently finishing T-20 here in 2024. Perhaps he doesn't have what it take to clear the rest of the field, but he most definitely has the skillset to finish in the top 30.
Wyndham Clark (61/1) | Top 30 (+106)
Clark is quite the interesting character, and it seems like plenty of people in the golfing world love to pick him apart, but I'm going to be showing my support for the 2023 U.S. Open champion this week.
Wyndham Clark hasn't exactly lit the world on fire this season, still searching for his first top-10 finish, but he does have four finishes of 21st or better, with three coming across his past four tournaments. He finished T-21 at the Masters, followed that with a T-16 at RBC Heritage and later added a T-20 in the duo format at the Zurich Classic.
Sure, he missed the cut last week at Aronimink, but this feels like a much better spot for him given the weakness of the field and how scoreable TPC Craig Ranch tends to play.
Clark sits 10th in my model this week, and the biggest thing that stands out is his birdie-making ability. He ranks sixth in overall Birdie or Better percentage, fourth on Par 4s and 24th on Par 5s. He's also been solid in the Texas region, ranking 11th in SG: Total on those tracks.
Kevin Roy: To Win: (132/1) | Top 40 (+115)
For this week's dark-horse selection, we're riding with 36-year-old Kevin Roy. He is coming off a T-3 finish at the Myrtle Beach Classic and has put together a solid resume this season, including a T-13 at the Phoenix Open, a T-13 at the Sony Open, a T-23 at the Cognizant Classic, and a T-30 at the Valero Texas Open.
His tournament debut at TPC Craig Ranch didn't go well, resulting in a missed cut in 2023. However, he bounced back last season to finish T-15, and his outlook is even more compelling this week with a sixth-place ranking in my model.
Roy ranks seventh in SG: TOT over the past few years on longer courses with easier scoring conditions. He is also 11th in SG: TOT this season specifically, 13th in SG: PUTT on bentgrass and 19th in approach shots from 200-plus yards out over the past couple of seasons.
Roy is a name to watch this week.
Top 40 Finishers:
- Rasmus Hojgaard: Top 40 (-128)
- Rico Hoey: Top 40 (-122)
- Max Greyserman: Top 40 (-112)
I have a few more bets that I'll be sweating out, though these wagers are on players to finish inside the top 40 rather than win outright.
Rasmus Hojgaard stands out after checking in ninth in my model this week. The 24-year-old can absolutely bomb it off the tee, ranking sixth in driving distance, while also doing a strong job of capitalizing on Par 4 scoring chances, where he ranks eighth in Birdie or Better percentage.
His form has cooled off a bit over the past month and a half, but he's still consistently finding ways to play the weekend. This feels like the type of setup where he could take advantage of a weaker field and easier scoring conditions.
Additionally, even though Rico Hoey hasn't produced great results at TPC Craig Ranch, missing the cut in 2024 before finishing T-52 last season, he still grades out fairly well across the board statistically. He also posted a T-28 at the Houston Open and T-39 at the Valero Texas Open this season, so he should be eager to get back to the Lone Star State.
He hasn't shown enough for me to believe he can truly contend for the trophy, but a top-40 finish at -122 feels very reasonable.
And finally, Max Greyserman will get a look this week. He checks in 12th in my model, specifically ranking second in Birdie or Better percentage, 10th in SG: Putting on Bentgrass greens and 14th in driving distance.
He's also coming off a quality showing at Aronimink, where he finished T-14 at the PGA Championship. Let's hope he carries that momentum with him as he heads to the Southwest.
CJ Cup Bryon Nelson Picks:
- Pierceson Coody: To Win (48/1) | Top 30 (-102)
- Michael Thorbjornsen (48/1) | Top 30 (-110)
- Keith Mitchell: To Win (50/1) | Top 30 (-110)
- Wyndham Clark (61/1) | Top 30 (+106)
- Kevin Roy: To Win: (132/1) | Top 40 (+115)
- Rasmus Hojgaard: Top 40 (-128)
- Rico Hoey: Top 40 (-122)
- Max Greyserman: Top 40 (-112)
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Danny Burke is a betting analyst with a decade of sports media experience. He got his start at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, sharing picks on the local ESPN affiliate. After college, he hosted shows for VSiN in Las Vegas before returning to Chicago to launch 'Rush Hour', the first daily sports betting show from an Illinois casino. He also co-hosted 'Props and Locks' on Fox32’s Bears pregame show and ran 'Bet On, Chicago' on WLS-AM 890.
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