If you were watching the golf world in early May, you already know. Scottie Scheffler didn't just win the CJ Cup leaderboard 2025; he basically turned TPC Craig Ranch into his own personal practice facility. Honestly, it was a bit surreal to watch.
Most people see a -31 score and think the course was a pushover. Maybe it was. But when you’re standing 30 miles north of Dallas in McKinney, Texas, and the local hero is dismantling a world-class field by eight strokes, "pushover" doesn't quite cover it.
Scheffler finished with a four-round total of 253. That’s not just a good week. It’s a historic demolition. He matched the PGA Tour's 72-hole aggregate scoring record, a mark previously shared by Justin Thomas (2017) and Ludvig Åberg (2023).
Breaking Down the CJ Cup Leaderboard 2025
The final standings tell a story of a one-man race, but the battle for second was actually where the drama lived. Erik van Rooyen played some of the best golf of his life. He shot a 63 on Sunday—matching Scheffler’s final round—and still found himself staring at the back of Scottie’s vest from eight shots away.
Here is how the top of the CJ Cup leaderboard 2025 actually shook out:
- Scottie Scheffler: -31 (61-63-66-63)
- Erik van Rooyen: -23 (66-67-65-63)
- Sam Stevens: -20 (65-65-70-64)
- Jordan Spieth: -19 (69-67-67-62)
Spieth’s Sunday 62 was vintage Jordan. He was holing putts from the parking lot and feeding off the Dallas crowd, but even a 62 only got him to a tie for fourth. That sort of tells you everything you need to know about the gap between Scheffler and the rest of the planet right now.
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The tournament, which ran from May 1 to May 4, saw a massive "Green Out" on Saturday for Mental Health Awareness month. It’s a big deal for the Momentous Institute, the primary charity here. While the fans were wearing green, Scheffler was seeing nothing but red numbers.
The McKinney Dominance
TPC Craig Ranch is a Tom Weiskopf design that usually gives up birdies, but nobody expected a wire-to-wire win from the first-round 61. It was Scottie's first win of the 2025 season, which sounds crazy given how much he usually wins, but he had five top-10s heading into May. He was knocking on the door; he just finally kicked it down in front of his hometown fans.
Interestingly, this was the first wire-to-wire win at the Nelson in 45 years. The last guy to do it? Tom Watson in 1980.
What Most People Get Wrong About This Leaderboard
A lot of casual fans think the CJ Cup is still that tournament played on Jeju Island in South Korea. It’s not.
The "CJ Cup" brand merged with the historic Byron Nelson recently. CJ Group brought the money and the "House of CJ" hospitality—which, by the way, had some of the best bibigo food I’ve ever seen at a sporting event—but the soul of the tournament remains firmly in North Texas.
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There’s also this misconception that Scheffler had it easy because the weather was soft. While the second round saw some delays, Sunday was a grind for anyone not named Scottie. Van Rooyen admitted after the round that catching Scheffler was like trying to climb a vertical glass wall.
Key Stats That Defined the Week
- Birdie Machine: Scheffler opened with a 10-under 61. You don't usually recover from that if you're the opponent.
- Scoring Average: The field average was significantly lower than previous years, but the gap between 1st and 2nd (8 shots) was the second-largest in the tournament's history, trailing only Sam Snead’s 10-shot win in 1957.
- Local Flavor: Six of the top 20 finishers had some tie to the Texas golf scene.
Why This Win Matters for the Rest of 2025
Winning the CJ Cup leaderboard 2025 wasn't just about the $1.71 million paycheck for Scheffler. It was a massive momentum shift heading into the PGA Championship.
When you see a guy tying the all-time 72-hole scoring record, you’re looking at someone who has figured out his putter. We already know Scottie is the best ball-striker since prime Tiger Woods. If he starts putting like he did at Craig Ranch—where he didn't miss much inside 10 feet all week—the rest of the tour is playing for second place.
The tournament also highlighted some "new" names. Sam Stevens at -20 is a name you should keep an eye on. He stayed remarkably composed while playing in the orbit of the Scheffler/Spieth gravity well.
Actionable Insights for Golf Fans and Analysts
If you're looking to apply what we learned from the 2025 CJ Cup to your own game or your fantasy roster, keep these points in mind:
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- Course Fit is King: TPC Craig Ranch rewards aggressive ball-striking over pure distance. Look at how Kurt Kitayama and Eric Cole (both T5) dismantled the par-5s with precision rather than just raw power.
- Hometown Advantage is Real: Between Scheffler and Spieth, the Dallas energy is a legitimate factor. In future years, don't overlook the "Texas Grads" on this specific leaderboard.
- The "Post-Baby" Bump: Scheffler mentioned how much more relaxed he felt playing at home with his son, Bennett, nearby. Perspective often leads to lower scores in professional golf.
The 2025 event was the final run on the current course layout before a major $22 million renovation scheduled to start later this year. This means the 2026 leaderboard will likely look very different as the green complexes and bunkers get a total facelift.
For now, we’re just living in Scottie’s world. 31-under par. Wire-to-wire. In his backyard. It’s a leaderboard that will be talked about for a long time.
If you want to track how these players perform in the next major, keep an eye on the Strokes Gained: Approach stats from this week. They are the most reliable indicator of who's actually "flushing it" versus who just got lucky with a hot putter.
Check the official PGA Tour app for the full hole-by-hole breakdown of the top 10 finishers to see exactly where the field lost ground to Scheffler on the back nine.