Scottie Scheffler (18 under!) takes massive lead into weekend of weather-plagued Byron Nelson

Scottie Scheffler remains World No. 1 for a reason. While this PGA Tour season has largely belonged to Rory McIlroy, and his three victories including the Players and the Masters, Scheffler still holds a fairly significant lead over McIlroy in the world rankings.

That, of course, is because of Scheffler’s historic 2024 season where he dominated from start to finish. It seems Scheffler is ready to win again. He hasn’t collected a victory this year but does have five top-10 finishes, including in his last three straight events.

On Friday at the CJ Cup Bryon Nelson, a gruelingly long day at TPC Craig Ranch that included a six-hour weather delay, Scheffler followed a first-round 61 with a 63 in which he played his first eight holes in even par. The Texan eagled the 18th hole, his ninth of the day, before the horn blew for threatening weather. When he returned he birdied six of his remaining nine holes and sits at 18-under-par total, six shots ahead of Sam Stevens.

Scheffler has not yet made a score higher than 4.

“I feel like my game's in a good spot,” he said. “I feel like I'm trending in the right direction. I had two really solid days of golf, and looking forward to getting out tomorrow and trying to execute some more shots.”

The delay has thrown things into flux as some players have not even started their respective second rounds. Ricky Castillo, with six holes remaining, is Scheffler’s closest pursuer remaining on the course. He’s at 10 under. Tournament officials hope to complete the second round by lunchtime Saturday, make the cut and play threesomes off the first and 10th tees in the afternoon for Round 3.

Whoever it was who said it’s difficult to follow a low round with another didn’t have Scheffler in mind. On Thursday he shot a smooth 61 that included a front-nine 29. He birdied his last two holes to shoot 32 on the back and hold the first-round lead.

To start the second round, Scheffler parred each of the opening eight holes. Then on his ninth hole, the par-5 18th, he hit his second shot from 233 yards to inside 10 feet and calmly rolled in the eagle putt. The horn then blew.

“I made a few trips in there to player dining, had a good amount of food,” Scheffler said. “The food is just sitting there. So we enjoyed some food, sat there, kind of hung out with some of the guys and didn’t do too much.”

Six hours, 15 minutes later, Scheffler returned and birdied his next two holes—from 14 feet and nine feet—then rattled off three straight before making a final birdie on the last hole by getting up and down from a greenside bunker for one more 4. (He essentially lapped playing partners Jordan Spieth and Si Woo Kim, who both shot six-under total and are 12 shots behind.)

For Scheffler, 28, it’s a chance to win his first tournament of the season, only two weeks before the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow. He also knows that he’ll have plenty of support from the gallery as he lives in the area. It’s a home game for him.

“I'm just going to do my best to stay focused, execute,” he said. “It's going to be a lot of fun to play here and have a chance to win. I put myself in good position the last two days, and I'm looking forward to getting out there and competing again tomorrow.”