Blake Davis
After heavy rain delayed the start of the first round at TPC Craig Ranch for the 2024 edition of the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, scores plummeted as players took advantage of the soft conditions.
Players who shot 1 under were well behind the lead, with a lot of ground to make up over the next three days. This is not unusual at this golf course, although the overnight rain certainly made the game a little easier than it would have been otherwise.
Several golfers took full advantage of the 2-under scoring average, including Alex Noren, Jake Knapp, Taylor Pendrith and first-round leader Matt Wallace.
Let’s take a closer look at the first round on Thursday.
The leader
1. Matt Wallace (-8)
The Englishman left early and destroyed the golf course. Incredibly, he wasn’t even in the top 40 in placing, but still posted eight birdies on the day. The question, of course, is whether he can maintain his lead. Wallace hasn’t finished in the top 15 anywhere in the world this year.
Wallace said he is still learning about his game and how to play it at the highest level, noting that he watched the Masters and learned a lot in terms of mindset. This is something he will try to use in the next three rounds.
“So watching some of the best players in the world, and what I see from a lot of them, especially the younger ones, younger than me – I’m not too old, but younger than me – they’re so focused on their shot and not we care about the outcome or what’s happening,” Wallace said.
“That’s what I’m trying to do right now. So this might be test number 158 for me with a different round of golf. But taking care of my life and my swing is the most important part, and I’m able to do that in the moment because I’m in a good place.”
Other contenders
T2. Taylor Pendrith, Alex Noren, Chesson Hadley, Jake Knapp, Davis Riley (-7)
T7. Alex Smalley, Hayden Buckley, Kelly Kraft (-6)
T14. Justin Lower, Keith Mitchell, Jason Day (-5)
Day is a huge name among current competitors. As grand champion, as well as the defending winner of this very tournament, he should be considered one of the few favorites over the next three days. His day started hot with three birdies in the first five holes and continued mainly on the second nine. His big mishap came on the par-5 5th hole (he started on the back nine of the course), where he made a bogey 6 on a hole that averaged about 4.5 strokes on the day.
Still, he is in a good position to win for the first time in just under a year. It was a win that I thought could propel him for the rest of 2023, but Day has just five top 20s since that win on this course last May (albeit all five in really good events, including a T2 at the Open Championship).
Day said after his round that his approach to the game was better than it has been, but that he has mixed feelings about having his coach, Chris Como, in town (Como lives in Dallas) because it can lead to obsession with his point swing. from a technical point of view. . He noted that there are probably other degenerates out there who can relate.
I can confirm: they exist.
Does Spieth appear and then disappear?
Jordan Spieth also birdied three of his first five and ran to 4 under through 13 holes before also making bogey on the par-5 5th hole. His 3-under 68 was decent and will leave him in a good enough position for the next few 54 holes. Even more encouraging? The fact that he was solid from tee to green after a stretch of play that, uh, wasn’t so solid from tee to green.
“It started off really well and then it stagnated,” Spieth said. “You know, I took one on 4, but I thought I’d take one on 3 and then [hole] five in. To play 1-over [on the last five holes] It’s kind of boring. You’re wanting to play those holes down.
“It’s a very accessible golf course,” he continued. “Obviously very wet, but I played the easy holes poorly; I played the par 5s 1 too much. That was the story of the day. The par 5s you kind of have to be two and a half old – here every day, I’ll have to back that up .”
2024 CJ Cup Byron Nelson updated odds and picks
Odds via Sportsline Consensus
- Alex Noren: 8-1
- Matt Wallace: 16-1
- Jason’s Day: 16-1
- Jake Knapp: 16-1
- Ben An: 16-1
- Taylor Pendrith: 18-1
- Stephan Jaeger: 18-1
- Min Woo Lee: 18-1
This is a somewhat untouchable board for me, but if I had to make a pick here, I kind of like Wallace at 16-1. That’s a good number for someone with the clear lead who didn’t do everything with the bat. I like that more than anyone else under 25-1. Keith Mitchell is intriguing at 25-1, and Si Woo Kim is interesting at 35-1.
