Fantasy Golf Sleeper Report – THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson

THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson Fantasy Sleeper Report

The Zurich Classic is the ideal event for talented players who, for one reason or another, haven’t been able to convert their maiden PGA TOUR win as yet. So step forward Andrew Novak and Ben Griffin, who are both classy operators that have featured regularly on these pages.

They haven’t got the job done as individuals as yet, but as a pairing they proved too strong for the field at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans last week, leading home the Hojgaards by a single shot on a Sunday that, at times, it appeared as if their lack of winning experience would come back to haunt them.

But, in the end, Novak and Griffin got the job done; the highlight being a 35-foot putt from the latter on the seventeenth hole that just about kept the Danish duo at arm’s length. 

So will Novak and/or Griffin kick on from here to become PGA TOUR winners in their own right? It’s possible, and Griffin – in the field for this week’s CJ CUP Byron Nelson – will be very keen to parlay his pairs victory into solo glory in Texas this week.

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Standing in his way will be a rather sizable obstacle in the form of Scottie Scheffler, who has opted to tee it up on home soil in the Lone Star State. He has been installed as a 3/1 favorite this week with the sportsbooks, and even at odds as short as those it’s hard to disagree with their assessment of his chances.

That’s because there’s not a huge amount of strength in depth in this field. Jordan Spieth has played lots of stellar golf in Texas, but he arrives home with his game out of shape. Sungjae Im, Si-Woo Kim, and Byeong Hun An are all high-grade players but not prolific winners, while defending champion Taylor Pendrith will have his first experience as a reigning champion in a PGA TOUR event.

In theory, the waters are muddied further by the assignment presented by the TPC Craig Ranch host venue. It’s birdies all the way here, with winning scores of -25, -26, and -23 (twice) in the four hostings of this event at the venue. Scoring may be somewhat hampered by a funky weather forecast, which suggests that plenty of rain and wind can be expected – that will just serve to lengthen a track that already weighs in at around 7,500 yards for its Par 71. 

Over the years, TPC Craig Ranch has succumbed to quality drivers of the golf ball – accurate types such as Si-Woo, Ben Kohles, and Austin Eckroat, as well as long-and-straight merchants like Jason Day, K.H. Lee, and Pendrith himself. We don’t expect that trend to change this week, although approach play in the longer yardage bucket – 150 yards up to 225 yards – will likely be important, too.

But can anybody stop Scottie Scheffler? We can certainly take him on with these five picks that make up our 2025 CJ CUP Byron Nelson sleeper shortlist.

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Jake Knapp – 60/1 – Well poised to win here with a round to spare 12 months ago, Jake Knapp will be relishing a return to TPC Craig Ranch. We don’t have any data from the Zurich Classic last week, but Knapp and his partner Frankie Capan were right in the mix for the title, with the eye test suggesting that he was striking the ball beautifully.

T6 at the Cognizant Classic and T12 at the PLAYERS Championship, Knapp’s game is plenty sharp and he is tailormade for the long-range birdie fest that the CJ CUP Byron Nelson is likely to be this week.

Matt McCarty – 80/1 – The rookie has caught the eye of late with some excellent performances. McCarty posted T16 and T20 finishes at the Valspar Championship and PLAYERS Championship respectively, where he gained strokes on the field in all departments in both.

And then there was his fantastic effort at The Masters. Debutants are supposed to struggle at Augusta National, but not McCarty – he posted a round of 68 on Friday, in tough conditions, to make the cut and aid him to a finish of T14.A three-time winner on the Korn Ferry Tour last year, McCarty also landed his maiden PGA TOUR event in October – this is a guy who knows how to win when he’s striking the ball as well as he is right now.

Lee Hodges – 90/1 – A tough time on the greens was the sole reason for Lee Hodges’ missed cut at the Texas Open, but other than that his game is in rude health.

He blitzed that field through 36 holes for SG: Ball Striking, which followed T11 at the Houston Open. Indeed, other than the missed cut last time out, Hodges had made the weekend in each of his eight prior starts – four of those finishes of T11 or better.

Typically very accurate off the tee and world class on approach, if Hodges’ putter behaves – and it has, for the most part, in 2025, he becomes a real contender this week in birdie-heavy conditions that won’t faze a player that won with -24 at the 2023 3M Open.

Gary Woodland – 90/1 – These long golf courses with large greens are ideal for Gary Woodland.

His long, straight driving will work this week, and his inability to chip will not be tested too sorely at a venue where the large greens are nice and receptive. Woodland heads back to the Lone Star State full of confidence. T2 in his last spin here at the Houston Open, he then fired a round of 66 at the RBC Heritage before falling away over the weekend.But this is the right assignment at the right time for the 40-year-old.

Isaiah Salinda – 100/1 – That opening round of 58 from Isaiah Salinda and Kevin Velo at the Zurich Classic was mesmeric.

Of the pair, it’s Salinda that has most caught the eye in their rookie years on the PGA TOUR, posting finishes of T3 and T11 at the Mexico Open and Houston – both of which were held at venues where he could free his arms and show off his monster hitting.

Inconsistent form on the Florida Swing comes as no surprise from a young man learning his craft, and instead we’re going to double down on the premise that when conditions suit, i.e. where long accurate hitting is key, Salinda will show his best once more.

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Want more of this week’s fantasy predictions? Check out our full fantasy preview for the THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson here.

Fantasy Golf Predictions This Season (2024-2025)

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