Team GolfXYZ
McKINNEY, Texas, May 2: Scottie Scheffler scorched the par-71 TPC Craig Ranch with a round of 10-under 61 and moved into a 2-shot lead in his hometown event. Scheffler, who has not won in 2025, made the turn in 29 on his way to a 61 for a two-shot lead over Rico Hoey and Jhonattan Vegas, with Cameron Champ among six players another shot back at 64.
Champ got the call that he was in THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson as an alternate about 18 hours before his tee time.
Defending champion Taylor Pendrith shot 67 as the players were allowed preferred lies – to lift, clean and replace their shots in the fairways after the TPC Craig Ranch got heavy rainfall on Wednesday.
The top-ranked Scheffler outdid fellow hometown star Jordan Spieth with the duo that was paired together along with Si Woo Kim, a South Korean who also calls Dallas home. Kim was showcased in an event sponsored by CJ Group, a conglomerate based in his home country. Kim shot 67 that had a chip-in for eagle at the par-5 18th.
Spieth is 2-under. Vegas, another Texas alum, had a bogey-free round along with Scheffler and Hoey.
The others at 7-under with Champ are Stephan Jaeger, Michael Thorbjornsen, Eric Cole, Andrew Putnam and Patton Kizzire.
Scheffler missed last year’s event in Dallas’ northern suburb of McKinney for the birth of his first child, son Bennett.
Back then, he had 10 wins combined before May over a three-year stretch, including the Masters and THE PLAYERS Championship twice each. Now, Scheffler is still seeking the first victory of 2025.
Scheffler birdied four consecutive holes on the front nine and added one more before putting his approach at the par-5 ninth inside 5 feet for an eagle to get to 7 under.
A chip for birdie stopped on the lip at the par-4 11th, the second of three consecutive pars before he pulled even with Hoey with a birdie at 13. Scheffler took the lead by putting his tee shot on the stadium hole — the par-3 17th — inside 3 feet.
Hoey, a 29-year-old from the Philippines seeking his first PGA TOUR victory, started with eight pars on the back nine before an eagle on 18 triggered an 8-under finish over his final 10 holes. His 63 tied his career low on the PGA TOUR. Hoey’s best finish this year also was in Texas, a tie for 11th at the Texas Children’s Houston Open.
Hoey has won on the PGA TOUR Canada in 2017 and the Korn Ferry Tour circuit two years ago.
