Scottie Scheffler felt 'lapped' at 2026 CJ Cup Byron Nelson, then rallied
World No 1 Scottie Scheffler felt 'lapped' early at the Byron Nelson but rallied with late birdies to finish 5-under.
McKINNEY, Texas — It’s not often the world No. 1 sounds as if he’s chasing rather than setting the pace — especially at a tournament that means as much to him as this one. Yet that was the tone Scottie Scheffler struck Thursday at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson .
Paired alongside Brooks Koepka and Si Woo Kim, the defending champion spent much of the afternoon playing from a step behind, unable to quite find the rhythm that defined his runaway victory a year ago. For long stretches, he hovered, watching others apply early pressure. But Scheffler did what the game’s best players tend to do — he found something late.
A handful of birdies down the closing stretch steadied the round and salvaged momentum, turning what could have felt like a missed opportunity into a quietly productive 5-under 66, well within striking distance of another weekend charge on familiar ground. More: CJ Cup Byron Nelson scoreboard live updates: Will Scottie Scheffler repeat? "I felt like I was getting lapped out there for a little bit.
So I was fortunate to make a couple birdies late in the round and keep myself in the tournament," Scheffler said. "I feel like sometimes in these tests, once you start getting behind, you can kind of start falling pretty far behind, and it can be difficult to catch up. It was nice to kind of stay in it.