Scottie Scheffler leads hometown CJ Cup Byron Nelson after 10-under 61

The world No. 1 showed off for the hometown faithful.

Scottie Scheffler eagled the ninth hole to shoot 29 on the front nine at TPC Craig Ranch en route to shooting a bogey-free 10-under 61 on Thursday in McKinney, Texas, to take a two-stroke lead over Rico Hoey and Jhonattan Vegas after the first round of the CJ Cup Byron Nelson.

“Yeah, it’s a ton of fun for us to be able to play in front of the fans here at home,” said Scheffler, who was grouped with fellow Dallas residents Jordan Spieth and South Korea’s Si Woo Kim, who is a member at Scheffler’s home club, Royal Oaks Country Club. “Jordan and I love playing here this week. This tournament has meant a lot to us over the years, and so it’s really good to be here this week playing again.”

Scheffler is back in the field after a one-year absence, skipping to wait for the birth of his first child, son Bennett. Since missing time in January due to surgery on hand after cutting himself while making ravioli on Christmas, Scheffler hasn’t played poorly but hasn’t been playing the transcendent golf that became commonplace during a seven-victory season in 2024. Scheffler hasn’t finished outside the top 25 in eight starts this season but he’s winless so far.

That may change this week at the tournament where he made his Tour debut as a high school student.

Scheffler was dialed in on a course softened by more than two inches of rain on Wednesday. His iron game was as sharp as that of the tournament namesake, who was nicknamed Iron Byron. Scheffler stuffed his approach at the third hole to 5 feet for the first of four straight birdies in a row. That was the longest birdie putt during that stretch. He rolled in a 16-footer at No. 8 before drilling a 3-wood at at the par-5 ninth hole to 4 feet to set up eagle and play the last seven holes of the front nine in 7 under. Asked to name his shot of the day, Scheffler had many candidates but settled on the 3-wood from 244 yards at the ninth, saying, “I was kind of in between clubs and I choked up on a 3-wood and hit a really nice shot in there. Yeah, that would probably be the best.”

Forget 59 watch – there was talk of 57. But Scheffler cooled off on the second nine, making three straight pars before breaking the spell with a 12-foot birdie at No. 13 to tie for the lead. Scheffler wasn’t done yet, sticking his tee shot at the par-3 17^th to 2 feet. “We were actually in between clubs on that hole so I tried to trap a 9-iron in there and was able to hit a nice one through the wind and get in there close,” he said. “I hit a lot of irons shots like that to give myself good looks, like that one, being a putt from 2 feet where I could just brush it in. Those type of birdies are always nice,” At 18, he had another of the tap-in variety after missing a 26-foot eagle putt from just off the green for 60.

Rico Hoey and Jhonattan Vegas were tied for second. Vegas summed up the challenge of seeing Scheffler’s name at the top of the leaderboard: “You got to keep the pedal down, right? I mean, trying to chase world No. 1 is never easy.” 

In shooting 61, Scheffler looked his old self – the one who dominated the Tour, winning the Masters, FedEx Cup and Player of the Year honors for a third straight year. Eager to win again? Anxious to do so? Scheffler wouldn’t take the bait.

“I wouldn’t say anxious or eager. I got off to a good start today, and there is three more days of the tournament,” he said. “I’m just focused on going home, getting some rest, and getting ready for tomorrow.”

There’s no place like home to win for the first time this season.