CJ Cup Byron Nelson at TPC Craig Ranch – 2025 Preview

The PGA Tour heads back to the Lone Star State for the CJ Cup Byron Nelson and one of the final tune-ups before the season’s second major, the PGA Championship. Located within the community of Craig Ranch in the Dallas suburb of McKinney, Texas, TPC Craig Ranch is the host course for the fifth consecutive year. The event dates back to 1944 and has moved all over the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex in recent years, with both Trinity Forest and the TPC Four Seasons Resort courses also hosting.

Featuring easy scoring conditions, few hazards, wide-open fairways, and large receptive greens, Craig Ranch is a prototypical TPC course. With an average winning score of 25-under par, it is a birdie-maker’s paradise that inevitably boils down to a putting contest. Along with “spike putting” ability,  approach play from 200+ yards will be a key “separator” when determining golfers to target this week.

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The Field

Traditionally, the Byron Nelson has had a relatively weak strength of field. That continues to be amplified this year with the tournament being in the midst of a six-week stretch that includes two “Signature” events and two majors. That being said, after skipping last year, the number one player in the world, Scottie Scheffler, makes his return to Craig Ranch. Sungjae Im is the only other top-35 player in the field.

Some of the other favorites, who are also Dallas-area residents, include Jordan Spieth, Will Zalatoris, Tom Kim, and Si Woo Kim. Other notables in the field include Sam Burns, Byeong Hun An, Stephan Jaeger, the Hojgaard brothers, Zurich Open winner Ben Griffin, and last year’s defending champion, Taylor Pendrith.

Finish Position and Strokes Gained History at TPC Craig Ranch (2021-2024)

This includes the average finish position and Strokes Gained per round since 2015 for each of the categories. Players are sorted by SG: Total. TPC Craig Ranch is the 9th least predictive annual course on Tour.

Course Features

Featuring gently rolling hills, mature woods, and the ever-present Rowlett Creek, which crisscrosses the course 14 different times, TPC Craig Ranch is a par 71 course that can now be stretched out to 7,569 from the championship tees. In the first two editions of the Byron Nelson, it played as a par 72. Attempting to make the course less scoreable, in 2023, the 12th hole was shortened from 547 yards to 493 yards and turned into a par 4 instead of a par 5.

Numerous changes have been made to the course since last year. New tee boxes were added on six holes (5, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14), which have lengthened the course 155 yards. TPC Craig Ranch is now the third-longest annual PGA Tour course. Another huge change is the switch from 2.5″ Bermuda rough to 3.25″ ryegrass rough. While the greens remain bentgrass, the zoysia fairways have also been replaced with rye. Along with these alterations is the upcoming summer renovation to the course by Lanny Wadkins, which is intended to transform TPC Craig Ranch into a much tougher layout.

Designed by Tom Weiskopf in 2004, it has sprawling fairways (the 8th widest on Tour), few hazards, and benign, flat greens. The first four events at TPC Craig Ranch have been the definition of a birdie-fest. K.H. Lee bettered his 25-under winning score from 2021 with a 26-under mark in 2022. The last two years saw both Jason Day and Taylor Pendrith winning at 23-under. Overall, the course has played as one of the easiest on Tour at -2.30 per round. It put up such little defense that only five holes average over par, and it contains the highest birdie-to-bogey ratio at 2.2. TPC Craig Ranch is a scorer’s paradise that will come down to ball striking and a putting contest on the greens. 

TPC Craig Ranch puts up very little resistance in any area. While Rowlett Creek is present on many holes, it does not threaten players unless they hit a wildly errant tee shot. The only other real threat to hinder scoring would be the gusty winds that courses in Texas have a reputation for. Looking at the early weather forecast, heavy rains are supposed to pound the area on Wednesday, which will only soften the greens and allow for target practice on approach. 

Hole Preview

From the routing of the holes to the bunkering and green complexes, TPC Craig Ranch is as bland a course as there is on the PGA Tour. Designer Tom Weiskopf has a reputation for building uniform courses that are straightforward and without nuance. TPC Craig Ranch fits this exact mold. It lacks any memorable or strategic holes with the exception, perhaps, of the drivable par-4 14th.

Weiskopf loved incorporating at least one drivable par-4 in each of his designs. Measuring around 340 yards for some rounds, the 14th hole forces players to hit a downhill tee shot with water on the left and multiple bunkers surrounding the green. Reaching the green on the tee shot is a challenge, and it should at least provide some excitement during the week. Through the first four years of play, it has a birdie or better rate of 41%.

The front nine is adjacent to the Sam Rayburn Highway, while the back nine is located in a residential setting. There are several lengthy par 4s where distance off the tee is an advantage, including seven holes that play over 465 yards. As part of the added distance to the course, two of the par 5s have been lengthened, including the fifth hole, which is now 635 yards. They have a BoB rate of 54%, with this number jumping to 62.4% when players go for the green on their second shot.

The par-3s are the most challenging section of holes at TPC Craig Ranch. Three of them play over 215 yards, with each averaging over par. They play as four of the toughest eight holes on the course.

Strokes Gained Analysis

Off the Tee

Every important metric off the tee at TPC Craig Ranch is easier when compared to the average PGA course. With the lack of hazards and non-penal rough players are free to bomb away with driver. Most of the fairways are routed around the meandering Rowlett Creek, and players have little fear of any danger. With the eighth widest fairways on Tour at 37 yards on average, this course is the seventh easiest to gain strokes off the tee. Because wayward tee shots are rarely penalized, it becomes second-shot target practice into these soft greens.

While distance off the tee is an advantage simply because it allows for shorter approach shots with higher lofted clubs and closer proximity to the hole, accurate drivers who are not bombers have had plenty of high finishes on the leaderboard. Two-time winner K.H. Lee has ranked in the middle of the pack in driving distance, while other shorter hitters like Seamus Power, Matt Kuchar, and Christiaan Bezuidenhout have also had high finishes. In 2022, seven of the top 14 on the leaderboard lost to the field in driving distance.

Approach

Last year, 39% of approaches came from 200+ yards. That is 10% more than the Tour average from that range. Not only is the Greens in Regulation rate 4.4% easier than average, but the GIR rate when missing the fairway is one of the highest on Tour at 59%. With the 15th largest greens, proximity to the hole numbers is a little further than normal, but the ease of putting on these greens cancels out that slight difficulty.

Because gaining strokes off the tee is so easy, it’s the definition of a second-shot course. Last year, TPC Craig Ranch was the second-easiest course to gain strokes on approach. Last year, half of the top 30 players on the leaderboard gained at least three strokes on approach. 

Around the Green and Putting

With players hitting the greens at a 70% clip, even those missing have little to worry about when scrambling for par. These are not difficult green complexes by any means. They have minimal contour, and the new ryegrass rough surrounding them should make chipping even easier compared to the unpredictable bermuda from years past . Scrambling and around the green play rate among the easiest on Tour.

Similar to around-the-green play, putting on these smooth bentgrass greens was the third easiest to gain strokes on Tour. Everything from one-putt percentage to three-putt avoidance ranks as very easy. With everyone hitting greens at a high rate, this will ultimately turn into a putting contest. Targeting players who can spike with their flat stick, especially on bentgrass greens, is something to strongly consider this week.

Most Important Stats For Success at TPC Craig Ranch

*In order of importance

• SG: APP
• Birdie or Better %
• Proximity 200+
• SG: Putting (Bent)
• Par 4 BoB%
• Par 5 BoB%
• Driving Distance
• SG: Easy Scoring Conditions
• SG: Weak Field Events
• SG: Long Courses

Key Rabbit Hole Filters

• Region: Texas
• Scoring Conditions: Very Easy
• Course Length: Long
• Field Strength: Weak
• Greens Surface: Bentgrass
• OTT Club: Driver Heavy
• Missed Fwy Penalty: Low
• Gain OTT/APP/ARG/PUTT: Very Easy

Weather Forecast – McKinney, Texas

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