TPC Craig Ranch Renovation Tested at 2026 CJ Cup Byron Nelson

After witnessing the white-knuckle theater of Aronimink's "dicey" pin positions at the PGA Championship, I'll confess I was curious what kind of palate cleanser TPC Craig Ranch would offer. The answer? A scoring bonanza so relentless it bordered on absurd—and I mean that in the most delightful way possible.

A Renovation Put to the Test

The newly renovated TPC Craig Ranch unveiled itself to the world's best players this week, and let's just say the course didn't exactly bare its teeth. What we witnessed instead was a symphony of precision iron play and unconscious putting, the kind of golf that makes you simultaneously marvel at elite talent and wonder what exactly the design team was going for.

Jordan Spieth fired a second-round 62 that felt almost pedestrian next to what his playing partner Sungjae Im was doing—a scorching 61 that had both men shaking their heads on the walk off 18. Spieth's assessment of their hypothetical best-ball score? A casual 57. "I was hurting my head trying to figure out what our best ball was," he admitted. That's not golf. That's video game territory.

Si Woo Kim's Brush with History

But even Spieth and Im's fireworks were overshadowed that same afternoon when Si Woo Kim went hunting for 59. He very nearly got it, too, ultimately settling for a 60 that somehow felt like a disappointment—a testament to how thoroughly the field was dismantling Craig Ranch's defenses.

"I hit it great and putted great," Kim said with characteristic understatement. "So everything was perfect, other than the last hole." The adrenaline of that 17th-hole birdie clearly had him dreaming of the magical number, but a 60 gave him a commanding five-shot cushion heading into the weekend. In most tournaments, that lead would feel insurmountable. This week? It felt like an invitation.

Wyndham Clark's Sunday Masterpiece

Scottie Scheffler and Wyndham Clark had other ideas, trimming Kim's advantage to just two shots entering Sunday's finale. What followed was the kind of back-nine stretch that careers are built on.

Clark went out in 4-under 32, keeping himself within striking distance. Then he absolutely erupted. A stuffed approach to six feet on the 11th. A 15-foot eagle putt draining on 12 to seize the outright lead. An easy birdie at the drivable 14th. Then—and this is the one that made me audibly gasp—a 45-foot birdie bomb on 15 to maintain his one-shot margin over a charging Kim.

A birdie at the par-3 17th pushed his lead to two, and when Clark stuck his approach on 18 to kick-in range, the deal was sealed. His back-nine 28—yes, 28—gave him a final-round 60 to match Kim's second-round gem and claim his first victory since the 2024 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

The Purse Breakdown

Clark's winner's check of $1,854,000 from the $10.3 million purse is substantial, but this was about more than money. For a player of Clark's pedigree—a 2023 U.S. Open champion—this victory feels like a statement that the lean stretch since Pebble Beach is firmly in the rearview.

Kim's runner-up finish earned him $1,122,000, while Scheffler's third-place showing added $710,700 to his already astronomical 2026 earnings. Jackson Suber's solo fourth ($504,700) continues his emergence as a name to watch, and Keith Mitchell's fifth-place finish netted him $422,300.

What Craig Ranch Tells Us

There's a philosophical debate to be had about what a PGA Tour venue should demand of its players. Aronimink asked questions with every pin position. Craig Ranch, at least this week, seemed content to let the world's best show off their full offensive arsenals.

Sometimes that's exactly what golf needs—a reminder of just how good these players are when the shackles come off. But I suspect the Tour and the design team are already huddling about how to add some muscle before next year's edition.

Key Takeaways

Wyndham Clark's final-round 60, featuring a back-nine 28, ended his title drought dating to the 2024 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am
The newly renovated TPC Craig Ranch yielded historically low scoring, with multiple rounds of 60 or better
Si Woo Kim's second-round 60 flirted with 59 before a disappointing final hole
The $10.3 million purse saw Clark take home $1.854 million