Scottie Scheffler Faces New-Look TPC Craig Ranch

MCKINNEY - Scottie Scheffler returns to THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson as the defending champion, but this won’t be the same TPC Craig Ranch he torched last year.

The McKinney, Texas, layout has been rebuilt, tightened and reimagined since Scheffler’s ridiculous 31-under-par runaway victory. That doesn’t mean the course has suddenly become a monster.

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This still isn’t Aronimink. But for the PGA TOUR players making the quick turn from the PGA Championship, the new-look TPC Craig Ranch is going to demand more homework than usual.

The biggest changes come around the greens. The putting surfaces and surrounding complexes have been redone, meaning approach shots, short-game decisions and putting reads won’t feel nearly as familiar.

New bunkers, reshaped hazards and tighter strategy points should give elite ball-strikers an edge early, especially before the field fully adjusts.

That brings the spotlight right back to Scheffler, who’s basically playing a home game. The Dallas-area star is built for this kind of test because his tee-to-green game travels anywhere. Even if scoring rises from past Byron Nelson shootouts, he’s still the obvious headliner.

Jordan Spieth is another huge local storyline. The Dallas native is still chasing that elusive win at this event, and he enters with 11 straight made cuts and six top-20 finishes in that stretch. After finishing T18 at the PGA Championship, Spieth now gets a chance to reset close to home.

Brooks Koepka adds serious juice to the field, even after a disappointing T55 at the PGA Championship. A renovated course with smaller targets could let his ball-striking show up in a bigger way.

Si Woo Kim, Austin Eckroat, Davis Thompson and Ryo Hisatsune also bring strong form into the week. Eckroat has gone T10, T6 and T19 in his last three starts, while Thompson has quietly stacked three straight quality finishes. Hisatsune has cashed in 13 straight starts, including five top-15 results.

The course itself is different underfoot, too. Fairways are now zoysia, while the rough has shifted to TifTuf Bermudagrass. The rough won’t be brutally long, but the new turf and green complexes should still create fresh challenges.

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Weather may become another factor, with north Texas storms and wind expected to influence the week.

TPC Craig Ranch probably won’t beat players up, but it won’t be the same birdie buffet either. For Scheffler, Spieth and a loaded Byron Nelson field, the old comfort zone is gone.

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