Scottie Scheffler 'pockets' first title of 2025 with record points at CJ Cup

TPO - World No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler won overwhelmingly at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson - an event held right in his hometown.

Scottie Scheffler (28 years old) finished the final round with a score of -8 (63 strokes) at TPC Craig Ranch, a suburb of McKinney (Dallas, Texas), thereby winning with a gap of up to 8 strokes compared to the runner-up Erik van Rooyen.

“Coming to this tournament, there were so many memories flooding back,” Scheffler said. “From coming to watch as a kid, playing my first PGA Tour event in high school at this event… Everything just came flooding back at once. I could only dream of playing, and to win here – it’s a dream come true.”

At age 6, Scheffler posed for a photo with World Golf Hall of Fame inductee Byron Nelson while watching a tournament.

When looking back at the old photo, Scheffler emotionally expressed: "He was a great contributor to golf, an exemplary person, a family man. I am proud to be the champion of the tournament named after him."

Eleven years later, Scheffler made the cut playing the tournament as an amateur, with his sister as his caddie and his high school girlfriend (now his wife) watching his every step.

Except for last year when he had to miss the event to welcome his first child, Scheffler has always been attached to this event. “I always dreamed of playing on the PGA Tour. I used to go out to the practice range, watch the golfers swing the ball and just hope to one day play on beautiful golf courses, competing with the best golfers in the world. That dream is even more wonderful than I ever imagined,” Scheffler said.

Unbelievable record

On his way to victory, Scheffler broke several tournament records. His -31 total (253 strokes) was not only the CJ Cup scoring record but also tied the all-time 72-hole record on the PGA Tour.

“No matter where you play, when you break -30, it's unbelievable. And that's exactly what Scottie is doing,” Jordan Spieth said.

The win was Scheffler’s 14th PGA Tour title and first official win since the Tour Championship in September 2024 at Augusta. He won the Hero World Challenge — an unofficial event — in December.

However, an off-court accident on Christmas Day left Scheffler with a hand injury that required surgery and caused him to miss several tournaments early in the season. Despite five top-10 finishes, including a runner-up finish at the Houston Open, and a top-25 finish in eight tournaments early in the year, he was still short of a win until the CJ Cup.

No weaknesses

Scheffler led from the opening round, shooting 61, 63, 66 and 63 over four rounds. The last golfer to have an eight-stroke lead after 54 holes on the PGA Tour was Rory McIlroy at the 2011 US Open.

“Scottie is world number one for a reason,” said Adam Schenk (No. 5). “I tried to think of a scenario that would be in my favor to catch him, but I just couldn't think of one.”

Jordan Spieth - another Dallas star - also excelled with a bogey-free final round, scoring 62 strokes and ranking 4th. But was still left in the dust by Scheffler.

“He’s just playing the golf he’s been playing for the last few years,” Spieth said. “Hitting fairways, hitting probably the best irons ever, and letting the birdies come. When the average birdie putt is 10 feet, the course is very easy. He’s that good and he puts well, and that’s exactly what you’re trying to do against a guy who has almost no weaknesses.”

Golf Channel commentator Brandel Chamblee even compared Scheffler to Tiger Woods in his prime: “I never thought I'd say this, but Scottie is literally the 'Tiger Woods' version.”

With his victory at the CJ Cup, Scottie Scheffler sent a clear message to Rory McIlroy and all his "dreaming" opponents at the upcoming PGA Championship: "I'm back and ready to fight for the major title.

“It feels like a lifetime of hard work and sacrifice just to get to moments like this. It's special," Scheffler shared.

Trong Dat

Source: https://tienphong.vn/scottie-scheffler-bo-tui-danh-hieu-dau-tien-nam-2025-voi-ky-luc-diem-tai-cj-cup-post1739488.tpo