Moore’s 62, Brooks’ Resurgence & Spieth’s Stray Drive - May 22nd, 2026

On May 22nd, 2026, Round 1 of the CJ Cup Byron Nelson delivered a birdie fest at a redesigned TPC Craig Ranch, ending with Taylor Moore holding a narrow lead over a surging Brooks Koepka.THE CJ CUP BYRON NELSON: LEADERBOARD & BROOKS' RETURNTaylor Moore fired a 9-under 62 to take the solo lead, highlighted by a brilliant 9th-hole zoysia grass bump shot. Right behind him is Brooks Koepka, who shot 63 after tweaking his equipment and ghosting LIV Golf's bankruptcy drama.Moore noted a "one-shot lead means nothing with 54 holes left," while Koepka (who moved his driver back to A1 and adjusted his putter toe hang) says he's "enjoying the grind" and "finding it in the dirt."Koepka revealed he "changed my number a while ago" to avoid the LIV fallout, fully focusing his energy on qualifying for PGA Tour signature events.SCHEFFLER'S STRUGGLES & DAD DUTYScottie Scheffler opened with a 5-under 66 but admitted to feeling "lapped out there." Brandel Chamblee critiqued his missed 3-footers and altered driver swing, as Scheffler navigates reduced practice time following the birth of his second child.Despite the struggles, Scheffler managed to drain a 33-foot birdie on the 12th hole that had just a 6% make probability.Scheffler is fully embracing the beautiful chaos of fatherhood, joking that it's officially "game on with two little ones" at home with baby Remy.CRAIG RANCH REDESIGN & WILD MOMENTSLanny Wadkins' $25 million redesign brought narrower fairways and new bentgrass greens to Craig Ranch. The rain-softened course yielded wild scorecards, including Hank Lebioda's insane run of two par-4 eagles and four 2s in a seven-hole stretch.Koepka called the new greens "totally different," while Scheffler found them "much more interesting," though Keith Mitchell noted the rain allowed for ball-in-hand rules.Jordan Spieth hit a fan's elbow with a 178 mph drive on the 16th, apologizing with a $20 bill and a promise that "beers are on me" while the fan happily rode the "endorphins."Quick HitsTom Hoge's TCU finance background is vindicated after rejecting LIV, reusing his 2022 quote that backers could "shut their doors" • Short-game insanity: Si Woo Kim's 68-ft bomb, Hisatsune's blind bunker eagle, Clanton's tree recovery, and Lebioda's 10-second rule buzzer-beater • The PGA Tour's 13-question 2030 ball rollback survey is out, specifically asking players: "What skill should be tested more?" • A 76% chance of weekend thunderstorms threatens to turn the tournament into a "mudder's paradise." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.