Golf Glance: Scottie Scheffler seeking first win of ’25; LPGA’s Utah debut

Golf Glance: Scottie Scheffler seeking first win of ’25; LPGA’s Utah debut

PGA TOURLAST TOURNAMENT: Zurich Classic of New Orleans (Ben Griffin, Andrew Novak)THIS WEEK: The CJ Cup Byron Nelson, McKinney, Texas, May 1-4Course: TPC Craig Ranch (Par 71, 7,569 Yards)P

PGA TOUR

LAST TOURNAMENT: Zurich Classic of New Orleans (Ben Griffin, Andrew Novak)

THIS WEEK: The CJ Cup Byron Nelson, McKinney, Texas, May 1-4

Course: TPC Craig Ranch (Par 71, 7,569 Yards)

Purse: $9.9M (Winner: $1.782M)

Defending Champion: Taylor Pendrith

FedEx Cup leader: Rory McIlroy

HOW TO FOLLOW

TV: Thursday-Friday: 4-7 p.m. ET (Golf Channel); Saturday-Sunday: 1-3 p.m. (GC), 3-6 p.m. (CBS)

Streaming (ESPN+): Thursday-Friday: 7:45 a.m.-7 p.m. ET; Saturday-Sunday: 8 a.m.-6 p.m.

X: @TheCJCupByronNelson

NOTES: The event will be held at TPC Craig Ranch for the fifth time, and was the first PGA Tour event to be named in honor of a professional golfer. Craig Ranch underwent a renovation after last year’s event led by 21-time tour winner Lanny Wadkins. … Pendrith and Sung Kang (2019) are the only two past champions in the field. Pendrith tied the tournament record at Craig Ranch last year, equaling the 261 score Jason Day won with in 2023. … This is the final tournament for players to qualify for the next signature event at the Truist Championship via the Aon Swing 5. The top five are currently Garrick Higgo, Michael Thorbjornsen, Nicolai Hojgaard, Rasmus Hojgaard and Keith Mitchell. Higgo, who already qualified courtesy of his win in Puerto Rico, and Mitchell are not in this week’s field. … Kris Kim, 17, is in the field on a sponsor exemption. He tied for 65th here in 2024 when he became the youngest player in tournament history to make the cut.

BEST BETS: Scottie Scheffler (+280 at DraftKings) is the enormous pre-tournament favorite. The Dallas resident still is seeking his first victory of 2025, although he does have five top-10s. Scheffler held the 36-hole lead here two years ago before settling for a T5. … Jordan Spieth (+1800) has the second-shortest odds despite having not won a tournament since 2022 in the RBC Heritage. In 12 previous event starts, he has a best finish of second in 2022. He does enter with three consecutive top-20 finishes on tour, but missed the cut here last year. … Taylor Pendrith (+3000) enters with three top-10 finishes in 11 starts this season as he defends his maiden win on tour. … Si Woo Kim (+3000). … Sam Burns (+3000). … Ben Griffin (+3500). … Stephan Jaeger (+4000).

NEXT TOURNAMENT: Truist Championship, Philadelphia, May 8-11

LPGA TOUR

LAST TOURNAMENT: The Chevron Championship (Mao Saigo)

THIS WEEK: Black Desert Championship, Ivins, Utah, May 1-4

Course: The Club at Carlton Woods, Nicklaus Course (Par 72, 6,6911 Yards)

Purse: $8M (Winner: $1.2M)

Defending Champion: Inaugural Event

Race to the CME Globe leader: Hyo Joo Kim

HOW TO FOLLOW

TV/Streaming: Thursday-Friday: 6-7 p.m. ET (NBC Digital), 7-9 p.m. (Golf Channel); Saturday-Sunday: 3-6 p.m. ET (GC)

X: @LPGA

NOTES: This is the first LPGA Tour event to be contested in Utah. … The field includes 17 of the top 25 players in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings, including Saigo coming off her first major championship victory and two-time major champion Lilia Vu.

NEXT TOURNAMENT: Mizuho Americas Open, Jersey City, N.J., May 8-11

LIV GOLF LEAGUE

LAST TOURNAMENT: LIV Golf Mexico City (Individual: Joaquin Niemann; Team: Legion XIII)

THIS WEEK: LIV Golf Korea, Incheon, May 2-4

Course: Jack Nicklaus Golf Club (Par 72, 7,376 Yards)

Purse: Individual $20M (Winner: $4M); Team: $5M (Winners: $3M)

Defending Champions: Inaugural event

Season Leaders: Individual: Niemann; Team: Fireballs GC

HOW TO FOLLOW

TV/Streaming: Thursday: 10:15 p.m. ET (FOX, LIV Golf Plus); Saturday: 10:45 p.m. ET (FOX, LIV Golf Plus); Sunday: 10:35 p.m. ET (FOX, LIV Golf Plus)

X: @livgolf_league

NOTES: This is the seventh of 13 events on the 2025 schedule, which will be followed by the Team Championship. … The field consists of 13 four-player teams competing in daily shotgun starts over 54 holes. Each team’s top three scores are counted for each round. … Niemann is the only player with multiple individual titles this season, while Legion XIII captain Jon Rahm is the only player with top-10 finishes in each of the first six events.

NEXT TOURNAMENT: LIV Golf DC, Virginia, June 6-7

PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS

LAST TOURNAMENT: Mitsubishi Electric Classic (Jerry Kelly)

THIS WEEK: Insperity Invitational, The Woodlands, Texas, May 2-4

Course: The Woodlands CC (Par 72, 7,002 Yards)

Purse: $3M (Winner: $450,000)

Defending Champion: Scott Dunlap

Charles Schwab Cup leader: Miguel Angel Jimenez

HOW TO FOLLOW

TV: Friday: 12:30-3:30 p.m. ET; Saturday-Sunday, 3-6 p.m. (All times Golf Channel)

X: @InsperityInvtnl

NOTES: The Woodlands will play host to the event for the 17th time. … 2012 event champion Fred Funk is set to make his 1,000 combined career start including the PGA Tour and Champions tour. He also won one of his eight PGA Tour titles at The Woodlands. Funk, 68, made his PGA Tour debut 43 years ago. … Bernhard Langer holds the tournament scoring record of 191 set in 2007.

NEXT TOURNAMENT: Regions Tradition, Birmingham, Ala., May 15-18