This Week in Golf: Stars align in Texas for $9.9m CJ Cup Byron Nelson showdown

While the DP World Tour takes a well-earned breather after its back-to-back events in China, the global golf calendar rolls on with plenty to keep fans riveted.

This week’s headliner is The CJ Cup Byron Nelson, teeing off at TPC Craig Ranch in Texas with a whopping $9.9 million purse up for grabs. Although Rory McIlroy won’t be in the field, local favourite and world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler will be carrying the torch for the home crowd. Expect fireworks.

The Korn Ferry Tour heads south to Mexico for the Tulum Championship at PGA Riviera Maya, continuing its $1 million event series. These tournaments are proving grounds for tomorrow’s PGA Tour stars—and the standard of play is nothing short of elite.

Take last week’s Veritex Bank Championship at Texas Rangers Golf Club, for example. With a par-71 setup stretching 7,010 yards, the cut line landed at a jaw-dropping 9-under par. That’s right—shoot 8-under, and you’re still heading home empty-handed.

Dubai’s Rayhan Thomas found himself on the wrong side of that brutal cutoff. His rounds of 64 and 70 left him at 8-under, just one stroke shy of making the weekend. It’s a harsh reminder of just how competitive life is on golf’s second-highest tier—where the top 20 players by season’s end will earn coveted PGA Tour cards.

For aspiring tour pros worldwide, this is more than a tour—it’s a masterclass in just how deep the talent pool runs.

Meanwhile, the LPGA Tour stops in Utah for the Black Desert Championship presented by Greater Zion, where players will battle it out for a $3 million purse at the striking Black Desert Resort.

This Week’s Schedule at a Glance:

PGA Tour

The CJ Cup Byron Nelson

May 1–4 | TPC Craig Ranch, Texas

Purse: $9.9 million

Korn Ferry Tour

Tulum Championship

May 1–4 | PGA Riviera Maya, Mexico

Purse: $1 million

LPGA Tour

Black Desert Championship presented by Greater Zion

May 1–4 | Black Desert Resort, Utah

Purse: $3 million