One year ago in the event then known as the AT&T Byron Nelson Classic, former world No. 1 Jason Day overcame a painful litany of back and swing issues to claim his first victory on the PGA Tour since 2018. This weekend, Day is among a handful of big names in a tournament rebranded as the CJ Cup Byron Nelson—which is essentially serving as a springboard for players trying to qualify for more prestigious events down the road.
While Jordan Spieth opened as the odds favorite in the tournament at TPC Craig Ranch in McKinney, Texas, the tournament is somewhat wide open—Spieth, competing in his home state, is the only player ranked in the top 20 of the Official World Golf Rankings in attendance (and he’s No. 20 at that). Over the past decade, Day and Sergio Garcia are the lone two major champions to win the Byron Nelson, and the field is weaker now with the Nelson absent from the PGA Tour’s list of Signature Events.
2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson Odds
| Golfer | Odds |
|---|---|
| Jordan Spieth | +1500 |
| Si Woo Kim | +1650 |
| Jason Day | +2000 |
| Alexander Noren | +2250 |
| Adam Scott | +2400 |
| Byeong-Hun An | +2500 |
| Sungjae Im | +2700 |
| Tom Joo-Hyung Kim | +2700 |
| Min Woo Lee | +2700 |
| Tom Hoge | +2900 |
| Stephan Jaeger | +2900 |
| Keith Mitchell | +3500 |
Odds as of April 30
CJ Cup Byron Nelson PGA Tour Best Bets
Si Woo Kim to Win (+1650)
Kim, who lives in nearby Dallas, shot an opening 65 and closing 63 to tie for second in the Byron Nelson last season, and has gone sub-70 in six of his 10 career rounds in the tournament. The South Korean is also among the most consistent players on the PGA Tour this season, with 11 cuts made in as many tournaments started, and a slew of competitive finishes to this point—like top-10s at Phoenix, Pebble and Harbour Town to name a few. Only a strong final round is keeping him from recording his first victory since early 2023.
Tom Hoge Top 5 Finish (+640)
Excellent value on a player who’s been performing well much of this season, although he and partner Maverick McNealy missed the cut last week in New Orleans. Still, Hoge has made cuts in 11 of 13 starts in 2024, and has been competitive in both Signature and non-Signature events alike—top-10s against loaded fields in the Genesis and Heritage, for instance, as well as a T6 at Phoenix and a T12 at Bay Hill. He absolutely fits the mold of the type of player who can break through at Craig Ranch with Scottie Scheffler and most of the other big guns out of the way.
Stephan Jaegar Top 10 Finish +325
Jaegar owns two top-20 finishes in the Byron Nelson, but it’s his play in 2024 so far that’s gotten the most attention. The German via Tennessee-Chattanooga earned his first career victory in March at the Texas Open, part of a campaign that’s also included T3s at Torrey Pines and the Mexico Open and T18s at the Sony Open and the Heritage. Jaegar can be a little hit-or-miss, to be fair, but he’s also shot in the 60s in seven of eight rounds the last two times he’s made the cut.
CJ Cup Byron Nelson PGA Tour Betting Tips
Day was a +1800 choice to win last year, in a field that also featured Scheffler—who is skipping this event in advance of the Wells Fargo and PGA championships coming up the next two weeks. Spieth, this season’s odds favorite, has finished solo second and tied for ninth the last two times he’s played the Byron Nelson. But he also hasn’t won anywhere since the Heritage in 2022, now more than two years ago.
Kim, the No. 2 odds choice at the Nelson, was the runner-up to Day last season and has enjoyed a pretty good season to far with a top-10 at The Players and top-20s at the Heritage and Texas Open. Day in 2024 has logged three top-10s in 10 starts, the best being a T6 at Pebble Beach and a solo ninth against a stacked field at the Genesis. Following Day on the oddsboard is Will Zalatoris, whose best finish at Craig Ranch was a T17 in 2021. Zalatoris this season owns a T4 at the Genesis and a T9 at the Masters to go with three missed cuts.
But the list of winners before Day—K.H. Lee (twice), Sung Kang, Aaron Wise, Billy Horschel, Steven Bowditch, Brendon Todd, you get the idea—only accentuates the fact that this event is dominated by grinders trying to play their way into the PGA Championship. On that front, look out for guys like +3500 Adam Schenk (T12 at the Masters and T12 at the Texas Open) and +4000 Thomas Detry (top-10s in two non-Signature Events this season).
