Scottie Scheffler, with his son Bennett in his arms, was overcome with emotion after winning the CJ Cup Byron Nelson. The world number one player couldn’t hold back the tears during the post-victory interview.
Scheffler, who led from the start, tied the tournament record with a score of 253, set by Justin Thomas at the 2017 Sony Open and replicated by Ludvig Åberg at the RSM Classic.
The victory came 11 years after his debut on the PGA Tour at the Nelson, and 22 years after a photo of Scheffler, then 6 years old, with the tournament’s namesake.
My family was able to be here, and they were very special memories. Sometimes, it all hits me at once.
Scottie Scheffler
Scheffler was close to breaking the tour record, but a bad shot led to a bogey on the 17th hole. He finished the tournament with a 63, finishing with a total of 31 under par.
Erik van Rooyen, with a 63, finished at 23 under par, followed by Sam Stevens and Jordan Spieth.
Scottie was practically impeccable, which is what you expect from the world’s number 1.
Erik van Rooyen
Spieth, friend of Scheffler, acknowledged his current superiority.
Not long ago I was better than him, and now I definitely am not.
Jordan Spieth
This is Scheffler’s first victory of the year, who had won 10 times before May in the previous three years.
Scheffler is the first wire-to-wire Nelson winner since Tom Watson 45 years ago.
Scheffler surpassed Nelson’s previous record of 259 set by Steven Bowditch in 2015.
The victory margin was the second largest in the Nelson, behind Sam Snead’s 10-stroke victory in 1957.
This is a golf course where you can get on a good streak, and I knew I couldn’t just get to the finish line today.
Scottie Scheffler
Due to the rain, players were allowed to lift, clean, and replace their balls on the fairway during the first three rounds, but not in the final round.
