McKINNEY, Texas: 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.
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.
