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Patrick Gates shares his betting card for the 2026 CJ CUP Byron Nelson and breaks down each of his selections for this week's event.
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The PGA TOUR travels to McKinney, Texas, this week for the CJ CUP Byron Nelson. The tournament features a 147-player field, with just three players ranked inside the top 50 of the Official World Golf Ranking competing this week.
In an article released on Monday, I broke down everything you need to know about the CJ CUP Byron Nelson, from course details to key stats and historical trends. If you have not checked that out yet, I highly recommend giving it a read. As always, if you have questions about any players or the event itself, feel free to reach out to me on social media or in Discord.
With that said, let’s dive into the 20th event of the season as I break down my betting card for the 2026 CJ CUP Byron Nelson!
Outrights
Brooks Koepka (+2700) - FanDuel
Brooks Koepka has been up and down over his last few starts, posting finishes of MC-T12-MC-T11-T55. The biggest factor behind those results has been his iron play. In tournaments where Koepka has gained strokes on approach, he has finished inside the top 15. When the irons have struggled, the results have dropped off significantly.
In a recent interview, Brooks mentioned that he has started enjoying golf more again, which is certainly encouraging. However, he also admitted that his “putter is absolutely horrendous,” which has clearly been the weakest part of his game recently.
That said, there are at least some positive signs with the flat stick. In his last start at Augusta National, which featured Bentgrass greens similar to this week, Koepka gained strokes putting. If he can simply be average on the greens, the rest of his game is strong enough to contend.
TPC Craig Ranch should fit Koepka’s strengths extremely well. The course allows players to attack off the tee, take advantage of the par 5s, and create plenty of birdie opportunities. If the irons cooperate as they have in his better finishes this season, Koepka has the upside to be right in the mix on Sunday.
