Scottie Scheffler matches PGA Tour
72-hole scoring record in 8-shot win at the Byron Nelson
[May 05, 2025]
By SCHUYLER DIXON
McKINNEY, Texas (AP) — Scottie Scheffler cradled his year-old son
Bennett — the reason he missed his beloved hometown CJ Cup Byron
Nelson in 2024 — and struggled to keep his emotions in check for a
TV interview, just as he did a few minutes later during the victory
speech.
The top-ranked player had time to prepare for the moment because of
the giant lead he took into Sunday's final round, and he even added
a little drama by chasing the PGA Tour's 72-hole scoring record.
Scheffler matched that mark of 253 set by Justin Thomas at the 2017
Sony Open and equaled six years later by Ludvig Aberg at the RSM
Classic, closing with a 63 to finish at 31 under par.
The runaway victory came 11 years after his PGA Tour debut at the
Nelson as a high school senior, and 22 years after a photo was taken
of then-6-year-old Scheffler with the tournament namesake.
Scheffler couldn't help but think about that day in 2014, when his
now-wife, Meredith, was his girlfriend — not yet the mother of their
first child — and sister Callie, now a mother of two, was his
caddie.
“My family was all able to be here, and it was just really, really
special memories, and I think at times it all comes crashing down to
me at once,” Scheffler said. “We have a lot of great memories as
kids coming to watch this tournament. I just dreamed to be able to
play in it, and it’s more of a dream to be able to win it.”
Scheffler was in position to break the tour scoring record before a
flubbed chip that led to bogey on the par-3 17th hole and a par from
a greenside bunker on the par-5 closing hole. His 8-foot putt for
birdie and the record slid by the left side of the hole.
Hideki Matsuyama has the lowest score in relation to par this
season, 35 under on the par-73 Plantation Course at Kapalua.
Scheffler tied the 54-hole Nelson record with an eight-shot lead,
and nobody got closer than six during the final round. Erik van
Rooyen of South Africa matched Scheffler’s 8-under 63 to finish at
23 under, three shots ahead of Sam Stevens and four ahead of another
hometown favorite, Jordan Spieth.
“We spoke last night, and I told you it was going to be a steep
mountain to climb, and it was,” van Rooyen said. “Scottie was
practically flawless, which is kind of what you expect from the
world No. 1. Really proud with the golf I played.”
Scheffler and Spieth finished with the two lowest rounds of the
tournament. Scheffler opened with a 10-under 61 on Thursday at the
defenseless par-71 TPC Craig Ranch in a suburban community about 30
miles north of Dallas.
Spieth shot 62 in the final round, knowing his friend and fellow
Texas alum was about to become the first of the pair to win the
event they both cherish.
Spieth was the first to make his tour debut at the Nelson, four
years before Scheffler. On top of that, Spieth contended as a
16-year-old in 2010, leading many to believe that surely he would
have won it by now.
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Scottie Scheffler, right, has a moment with Peggy Nelson, left, the
wife of the late Byron Nelson, after Scheffler won the CJ Cup Byron
Nelson golf tournament in McKinney, Texas, Sunday, May 4, 2025. (AP
Photo/LM Otero)
Scheffler stole those bragging rights.
“I think I’ll take it easy on him,” Scheffler said with a chuckle.
Spieth played with Scheffler the first two days and
was 12 shots behind him going into the weekend, so he understands
how things have changed. They started the tournament with 13 PGA
Tour wins apiece. Now Spieth trails for the first time.
“It wasn’t that long ago I was definitely better than him, and now
I’m definitely not right now,” said Spieth, a three-time major
champion. “I hate admitting that about anybody, but I just watched
it those first two rounds, and, like, I’ve got to get better. It’s
very inspiring.”
It was the first victory this year for Scheffler after he won a
total of 10 times before May in the previous three years combined,
including two Masters victories.
Scheffler’s previous best Nelson finish was a tie for fifth in his
most recent appearance two years ago. Now he's the first
wire-to-wire Nelson winner since Tom Watson 45 years ago.
“I’m not jealous of him winning this event over any other,” Spieth
said. “I’m jealous of anyone that wins any week. When Scottie wins,
I’m happy. It doesn’t matter where it is. If I’m not going to win, I
like when he wins.”
Scheffler shattered the previous Nelson scoring record of 259 set by
Steven Bowditch in 2015. That tournament was played at the TPC Four
Seasons. Normally a par 70, that course had a par-69 layout the
final three days when heavy rain forced officials to convert a par 4
into a par 3. Bowditch finished 18 under.
The margin of victory was the second-largest at the Nelson behind
Sam Snead’s 10-shot win in 1957, when it was known as the Dallas
Open Invitational.
“This is a golf course where you can kind of make a run, and I knew
that I couldn’t just coast to the finish line today,” Scheffler
said. “I knew I had to put together a good round.”
Because of heavy rain Wednesday and Friday, players were allowed to
lift, clean and replace their golf balls in the fairway for the
first three rounds, but not in the final round. Aberg had so-called
preferred lies during the first rounds at the 2023 RSM Classic.
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