When Scottie Scheffler teed it up at the 2014 CJ Cup Byron Nelson, he was virtually unknown.

That’s because he was a 17-year-old high school senior making his PGA Tour debut at his hometown event, which he attended growing up. 

Scheffler wasn’t fazed, though. He placed T22, showing tantalizing talent. 

Eleven years later, with those lofty expectations fulfilled as the world No. 1 and a two-time Masters champion, Scheffler won the tournament that gave him his first taste of Tour life—in historic and dominant fashion. 

Scheffler’s eight-stroke win at TPC Craig Ranch just outside of Dallas, Texas, tied the PGA Tour’s 72-hole scoring record. 

MORE: Final results, payouts from CJ Cup Byron Nelson

The 28-year-old finished at 31-under 253, tying the record held by Justin Thomas (2017 Sony Open) and Ludvig Åberg (2023 RSM Classic). 

Scheffler duffed a chip on the par-3 17th and needed birdie on the par-5 18th to break the record. He smashed his tee shot down the middle but hit his approach right. Then he chipped to 8 feet, but couldn’t convert his birdie putt. 

Nevertheless, he tapped in for his 14th Tour triumph—and was in tears moments afterward. 

Erik van Rooyen finished one spot below Scheffler on the leaderboard, albeit eight strokes behind. 

The triumph ends a mini-winless drought for Scheffler. After winning seven times in 2024, the most since Tiger Woods in 2007, he cut his right hand while making ravioli for Christmas dinner and needed surgery, requiring him to miss the first few weeks of the season. 

Since returning, Scheffler had five top 10s in nine starts. But his return to the winner’s circle was inevitable. 

Now, it has finally come. And it was a full-circle victory.


This article was originally published on www.si.com as Scottie Scheffler Ties PGA Tour Record With Full-Circle Win at CJ Cup Byron Nelson.

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