Insane Stat Shows How Scottie Scheffler Historically Dominated The CJ Cup Byron Nelson

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There's winning a PGA Tour tournament, and then there's what Scottie Scheffler did this weekend at the CJ CUP Byron Nelson. Scheffler opened the tournament with a 10-under 61 round and easily won the event with a wire-to-wire victory. 

No one really came close to giving Scheffler a run for his money, as he entered Sunday's final round with an eight-shot lead over the closest competitor. The question was never, "Is Scheffler going to win?" but rather, "By how many shots is Scheffler going to win?" 

The answer ended up being eight shots, as Scheffler posted yet another sparkling round with an 8-under 63. Erik van Rooyen, the player who entered Sunday as Scheffler's closest chaser, also played a fantastic final round (63), although it was ultimately all for naught – at least as far as winning the tournament. Surely van Rooyen is quite happy to finish with a solo second place. 

Scheffler needed a birdie on 18 to tie the PGA Tour record for lowest score in a 72-hole tournament. Unfortunately, he missed his eight-foot putt just to the left, putting him in a tie with Justin Thomas, who also took 253 shots to win the 2017 Sony Open. 

Scottie Scheffler cruised to victory at the CJ CUP Byron Nelson, this week's stop on the PGA Tour, but a crazy stat illustrates just how badly Scheffler demolished his competition.

Scottie Scheffler cruised to victory at the CJ CUP Byron Nelson, this week's stop on the PGA Tour, but a crazy stat illustrates just how badly Scheffler demolished his competition.

(Raymond Carlin III/Imagn Images)

But the CBS broadcasters mentioned a stat during the final round that absolutely blew my mind. If you took Scheffler's four rounds and pitted them against the BEST the rest of the field had to offer on each day, Scheffler STILL would have finished in a tie for first. 

Think about that for a moment. The CJ CUP Byron Nelson initially comprised 156 golfers. After the second round, 70 players made the cut to remain in the tournament. Scheffler led the field after his first-round 61. The next-best score belonged to Jhonattan Vegas, who shot 63. 

Scheffler once again set the pace in round two, with a field-best 63, once again two shots better than the next-best player (several players shot 65). That meant that Scheffler had a four-shot lead over the entire field after two rounds, if you took the best score from the other 155 players. 

It wasn't until round three that Scheffler didn't post the tournament's best score. He shot 66 on Saturday, his worst round of the week. Antoine Rozner shot 63 in round three. So, Scheffler entered Sunday's final round with a one-shot lead over the entire field. 

Had Scheffler buried that birdie putt on 18 – or not made bogey on the par-3 17th hole – he would have tied for the best round of the day with a 62 (shot by Jordan Spieth). Instead, if you took Scheffler's scores and the best score that any player shot in all four rounds, they would have been exactly equal. He nearly defeated the entire field on his own. 

Still, it was a truly incredible performance by the best golfer on the planet. 

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Dan began his sports media career at ESPN, where he survived for nearly a decade. Once the Stockholm Syndrome cleared, he made his way to OutKick. He is secure enough in his masculinity to admit he is a cat-enthusiast with three cats, one of which is named "Brady" because his wife wishes she were married to Tom instead of him.