I, for one, welcome a reprieve from the PGA Tour's onslaught of Signature Events.
This week's odds are much more wide open (if we look past Scottie Scheffler as the +175 outright betting favorite). It's the perfect situation for our CJ CUP Byron Nelson long-shot predictions and sleeper picks, as we look to complement our CJ CUP Byron Nelson predictions and golf picks.
And, yeah, just please ignore the fact that Scheffler set the tournament scoring record at TPC Craig Ranch at 31-under par.
🎯 Best CJ CUP Byron Nelson long shots
| Golfer |  |
Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Eric Cole | +5000 | 2nd in field in SG: Approach (last 12 rounds) |
| Davis Thompson | +4000 | Back-to-back top-15 finishes |
| Max Greyserman | +5000 | 30th in proximity from 200+ yards |
CJ Cup Byron Nelson sleeper picks made on May 19 at 3:45 p.m. ET.
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💤 CJ CUP Byron Nelson sleeper picks
Best long-shot bet: Eric Cole (+5000 at BetMGM)
Eric Cole comes off a T6 finish in the Myrtle Beach Classic, with that following a T14 in the Valero Texas Open. The 118th-ranked golfer in the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) has been a victim of the PGA Tour schedule.
I believe he's in position for his first PGA Tour victory due to an average of 0.87 strokes gained: approach across his last 12 rounds that ranks second in this week's weaker field.
- Course fit: T5 finish in this event last year
- Recent form: Coming off his best two results since the fall swing
- Key stat: 28th on Tour in birdie-or-better percentage
Sleeper pick #2: Davis Thompson (+4000 at BetMGM)
Don't look at Davis Thompson's birdie-or-better percentage or approaches from 200-plus yards, but he's third in this field in strokes gained: approach (0.82 strokes per round).
- Course fit: Will make his third appearance at TPC Craig Ranch, without success to date
- Recent form: Back-to-back top-15 finishes entering this week
- Key stat: Third in field with 1.30 strokes gained: tee-to-green per round
Sleeper pick #3: Max Greyserman (+5000 at BetMGM)
Max Greyserman averages a birdie or better on 22.81% of holes to rank 41st in this field. He's averaged 0.46 SG: around-the-green per round.
- Course fit: Missed the cut in his 2024 tournament debut
- Recent form: T14 finish in the PGA Championship as his best major finish to date
- Key stat: 30th in proximity from 200-plus and 41st in birdie-or-better percentage
🔍 What I'm looking for in CJ CUP Byron Nelson long shots
There hasn't been a winner of the annual PGA Tour tournament at TPC Craig Ranch finish worse than -23 since the course first hosted in 2021. Scottie Scheffler set the tournament scoring record at -31 in an eight-stroke victory last year. Notably, the second-place finisher was -23.
This can turn into a putting competition, but long approach shots and play around the greens are key to success.
Key stats
- Strokes gained: approach
- SG: around-the-green
- Proximity from 200-plus yards
- Birdie or better percentage
📜 Recent CJ CUP Byron Nelson long-shot winners
- 2024: Taylor Pendrith (+8000)
- 2022: K.H. Lee (+10000)
- 2021: K.H. Lee (+15000)
Odds prior to Round 1 of the tournament year.
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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