The CJ Cup Byron Nelson Key Fantasy Stats

The CJ Cup Byron Nelson

May 2nd – 5th, 2024

TPC Craig Ranch

McKinney, TX

Par: 71 / Yardage: 7,414

Purse: $9.5 million

with $1,710,000 to the winner

Defending Champion:
Jason Day

by Sal Johnson

Founder, Chief Data Officer, GOLFstats

E-mail me at:
sal@golfstats.com

This is based on the most vital stats from TPC Craig Ranch, data from last year’s Byron Nelson, and data from all the players in the field with stats from 2024.
Last year was the third year that TPC Craig Ranch was used. We will go more into detail in our preview of the event and course, but TPC Craig Ranch is not one of the memorable courses on the PGA Tour. Players aren’t going out of their way to play on it, and frankly, come next Monday, the Tour will head east to a much better course, Quail Hollow. The real secret to this event is the money the Salesmanship Club has raised for local charities.

We just need this flag to keep moving like this til September. pic.twitter.com/qJAMOQRgvv

— Kevin Whitten (@TurfmanWhitten) June 15, 2017

As for TPC Craig Ranch, it’s not that great of a course, but it’s not bad, just not memorable. It was in the right place at the right time. For years, it was played at TPC Las Colinas, another average course with the infrastructure to hold a big golf tournament. For years, the Salesmanship Club wanted to move it to a better course, and in 2018, they moved to their new digs at Trinity Forest. The course was better, but players weren’t raving over it and making things worse. Fans who loved Las Colinas didn’t love Trinity Forest. So, after two years at Trinity Forest, tournament organizers started looking for another home, and TPC Craig Ranch had the room for infrastructure. With some changes to the course, it held its first Byron Nelson in 2021. It’s a course most players like because they can produce a low score on it. Last year, the par 71 course played to a 68.91 average, making it the 50th hardest course on Tour. Eight other courses on Tour was easier, but of the 8, six were used in events that utilize multiple courses. The only two easier courses were El Cardonal at Diamante for the World Wide Technology and the Plantation Course, which held the season-opening Sentry. Last year’s winner, Jason Day, was 23 under par, making 26 birdies and just three bogeys. TPC Craig Ranch allowed 2021 birdies to be made on it. Last year, only two courses on Tour Detroit Golf Club and El Cardonal at Diamante saw more birdies made. Let’s face up to it: making birdies is one of the essential parts of playing well at TPC Craig Ranch. Of the 18 holes on the course, ten played under par, while six were a notch over par. Only two holes played tough; the par 4, 12th was 4.158, and the par 4, 16th was the hardest hole on the course at a 4.202 scoring average. So those who make lots of birdies and are high in par breakers will do well on the course.
So, the stats make the point that this is a bomber’s course.

Here is a look at the scoring average at TPC Craig Ranch for the other two years that held the event:
*2022 – Average was 69.22, was the 47th hardest of the 50 courses that year
*2021 – Average was 69.57, it was the 47th hardest of the 51 courses that year

In our four categories, we have picked four that are needed to win.
First, we will use Strokes Gained Tee-to-Green, which considers distance and accuracy off the tee and greens hit. Driving and greens hit are essential in examining the stats for TPC Craig Ranch. The course ranked T-33rd in Driving Distance and 34th in Driving Accuracy. In Greens hit, it ranked T-36th, so we can see that you better be good in all of these stats to have any chance at winning.
Last year, tournament winner Jason Day ranked 24th in driving distance, averaging 301.7 yards per all drives. He was T-34th in Fairways, hitting 36 of 54, and T-10th in greens, hitting 56 of the 72. In strokes gained Tee-to-Green, Day was 1st, and in Strokes Gained Off-the-Tee, he was 12th.

Here is a look at the driving distance, accuracy, and greens hit for the Byron Nelson winners in the last two years played at TPC Craig Ranch:
*2022 – The course ranked T-27th in driving distance with an average drive of 297.7 yards (out of 50 courses), 24th in driving accuracy, and 34th in Greens in Regulation.
Winner K.H Lee was 52nd in driving distance, averaging 297.6 yards per drive (all holes), T-22nd in accuracy, hitting 37 of 54 fairways, and T-18th in Greens in Regulation, hitting 55 of 72 greens. Between the three stats, he ranked 5th in Strokes Gained Tee-to-Green.
*2021 – The course ranked 16th in driving distance with an average drive of 288.5 yards (out of 51 courses), 35th in driving accuracy, and 39th in Greens in Regulation.
Winner K.H. Lee (who won it twice in a row) ranked T-37th in driving distance, averaging 289.0 yards per drive, T-41st in accuracy, hitting 37 of 54 fairways, and T-5th in Greens in Regulation, hitting 58 of 72 greens. Between the three stats, he ranked 2nd in Strokes Gained Tee-to-Green.

Our second category is Greens in Regulation. This is a type of course where greens are pretty easy to hit, so TPC Craig Ranch ranked T-36th last year on Tour with 68.75% of the greens hit. This shows that a lot of players hit the greens. The winner, Day, hit 56 of 72 greens last year for 77.78%, ranking T-10th.

Here is a look at the Greens in Regulation of the Byron Nelson winners in the last two years played at TPC Craig Ranch
*2022 – Greens in Regulation was 69.95%, and was the 34th hardest of the 50 courses that year
Winner K.H. Lee hit 55 of 72 greens (76.39%) and ranked T-18th.
*2021 – Greens in Regulation was 70.56% and was the 39th hardest of the 51 courses that year
Winner K.H. Lee hit 58 of 72 greens (80.56%) and ranked T-5th.

Our 3rd category is Strokes Gained Putting, an integral part of the game. Last year, the putting average at TPC Craig Ranch was 1.728, and the course ranked 50th. It averaged 28.39 putts per round, ranking it 47th, and in the important inside ten feet, it ranked 38th. As for last year’s winner Jason Day, he took 109 putts and was ranked T-13th. In Putting inside ten feet, he was T-13th, making 64 of 68 putts in that distance, and Strokes Gained Putting, he was ranked 28th.

Here is a look at the putting stats of the TPC Craig Ranch and the winners in the last two years:
*2022 – TPC Craig Ranch ranked 42nd in Putting average, 39th in One-Putt Percentage, 28th in 3-putt Avoidance, and 20th in Putting Inside ten feet, as 87.94% of the putts in this range were made.
Winner K.H. Lee ranked 13th in Putting average, T-23rd in One-Putt Percentage, T-40th in 3-putt Avoidance, and T-41st in Putting Inside ten feet, making 64 out of 72 of the putts in this range. With these stats, he was 13th in Strokes Gained Putting, gaining 3.894 shots.
*2021—Craig Ranch ranked 45th in Putting average, 34th in One-Putt Percentage, T-38th in three-putt Avoidance, and 22nd in Putting Inside ten feet, as 87.99% of the putts in this range were made.
Winner K.H. Lee ranked T2nd in Putting average, T-11th in One-Putt Percentage, T-1st in three-putt Avoidance, and 8th in Putting Inside ten feet, making 63 out of 67 of the putts in this range. With all of these stats, he was 9th in Strokes Gained Putting, gaining 1.632 shots.

The last category is Par Breakers. As we said earlier in this piece, 2021 birdies were made on the course, and only two courses on Tour saw more birdies made. Frankly, this course is for those who make lots of birdies. Last year’s winner, Jason Day, made 26. In 2022, K.H. Lee made two eagles and 25 birdies; the year before, he made 28 birdies in his win. So we can see that you better make a lot of eagles and birdies. So it was no surprise that Day last year was 1st in Par Breakers, Lee was T-6th in 2022, and 2nd in 2021, so it’s easy to say that Par Breakers is probably the most crucial stat in finding a winner this year. So, look at the Par Breakers list for this year.  Those in the top ten that are playing this week are #6 Tom Hoge, #7 Byeong Hun An, #8 Jordan Spieth, and #13 Thomas Detry.

*Strokes Gained Tee-to-Green: Combination of distance off the tee, accuracy off the tee and hitting greens

*Greens in Regulation: Number of greens hit in regulation.

*Strokes Gained Putting: Gives the equivalent of putting based on strokes gained or lost

*Par Breakers: Who makes the most birdies and eagles per round.

Of the 156 players in the field, 126 have stats on the PGA Tour for 2024.

Click any column title in the table header to sort columns.