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Find your Sport Nation frequencyLightning start gives Scheffler huge lead in Texas
Schuyler Dixon • May 3rd, 2025 3:21 pm
Photo: AP
Scottie Scheffler and Jordan Spieth share a strong desire to win their hometown event, the CJ Cup Byron Nelson.
The top-ranked Scheffler has a great chance to do it first.
Playing with his good friend, who is also a fellow Dallas resident and Texas alum, Scheffler padded his lead on Friday (Saturday NZST), shooting an eight-under 63 to reach 18 under through 36 holes as one of the early finishers in a weather-delayed second round.
About half the field didn't get to complete the round after a six-hour delay, the last of the players not teeing off until about 15 minutes before sunset at soggy TPC Craig Ranch in a Dallas suburb.
They all figure to be chasing Scheffler on the weekend, with Spieth probably too far back to be among the contenders.
Play was suspended for darkness with Scheffler leading Sam Stevens by six shots. Stevens shot 65 on Friday.
"This tournament definitely means a lot to me," said Scheffler, who made his PGA Tour debut at the Byron Nelson in 2014 - four years after Spieth made himself an instant home-town favourite by contending on Sunday as a 16-year-old high school junior.
"It's going to be a lot of fun to play here and have a chance to win."
TPC Craig Ranch, which yields low scores even without pillow-soft conditions, was no match for Scheffler. He opened with a 61 on Thursday (Friday NZST), and his total of 124 beat the previous 36-hole best at the Nelson by two shots.
The two-time Masters champion missed Justin Thomas's 36-hole PGA Tour record from 2017 by one stroke.
Spieth couldn't keep up, although he figures to be safely inside the cut line following a 67 that put him at six under.
Jordan Spieth was in a tie for 26th place after the second round of the CJ Cup | Photo: AP
Jhonattan Vegas, a Venezuelan who also played for the Longhorns, finished his 69 and was eight shots behind Scheffler after starting the day two back. Ricky Castillo was 10 under in the 18th fairway when play was suspended.
Scheffler, bogey-free through two rounds, started on the back nine and parred his first eight holes before an eagle at the par-5 18th just before play was suspended.
Lightning started the delay, and several hours of rain followed - for the second time in three days. When the players returned, water sprayed from most of the shots in the fairway.
None of it bothered Scheffler, who hit 12 of 14 fairways and had six birdies over his final nine holes.
"There were some fairways that were pretty wet, but other than that I think the golf course held up pretty well," Scheffler said.
Defending champion Taylor Pendrith shot 71 and was four under, possibly in danger of missing the cut.
Stevens birdied four of his final six holes, including two par-3s, and played the first two rounds without a bogey. The 28-year-old, seeking his first PGA Tour victory, was second at the Farmers Insurance Open in January.
"There's so many birdies out here and there's so much golf to be played, I need to keep my head down," Stevens said.
- AP
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