Brooks Koepka and Scottie Scheffler Lead Charge at The CJ Cup

Translation result.On the opening day of The CJ Cup, gusts strong enough to blow off spectators’ hats couldn’t quiet the crowd. Fans chanted players’ names and erupted after nearly every big swing as the tournament got off to an electric start at TPC Craig Ranch in McKinney, Texas.The PGA Tour’s The CJ Cup Byron Nelson (total purse $10.3 million) held its first round on Oct. 20 (local time) under blustery, rainy conditions. Still, galleries lined the course to watch world-class talent, and the roar of the crowd helped fuel some low scores.The marquee group — world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, Korea’s Kim Si-woo (No. 24) and major champion Brooks Koepka (No. 111) — drew especially large galleries, in part because Scheffler and Kim live in nearby Dallas. The energy from the fans was palpable and the players fed off it.Taylor Moore shot a flawless 9-under 62 to sit alone atop the leaderboard, carding nine birdies and no bogeys in a near-perfect opening round to put himself in position for his second career PGA Tour victory (his first since the 2023 Valspar Championship).Brooks Koepka, making his first CJ Cup start in five years, posted an 8-under 63 — including one eagle and six birdies — to finish tied for second, one stroke off Moore. Koepka, a nine-time winner, left for LIV Golf in 2022 and returned to the PGA Tour earlier this year through the newly created return-member program. He won this event in 2018, and a victory this week would mark a return to the top at TPC Craig Ranch. “That felt like the best round I’ve played all year,” Koepka said. “We were comfortable in the group, traded momentum and really enjoyed it. Winning here in 2018 pushed me to No. 1 in the world. Right now, it’s about securing a signature-event spot and continuing my PGA Tour comeback. I want to be in the mix on Sunday.”Kim Si-woo matched the gallery’s intensity. He made just one bogey and converted eight birdies to post a 7-under 64, leaving him tied for fourth and two shots back of the lead. Kim, who hasn’t added a trophy since the 2023 Sony Open, credited improved putting. “Putting made the difference today,” he said. “I started working with a new putting coach last year, and that training is starting to show.”Defending champion Scottie Scheffler carded a 5-under 66 and sits tied for 16th as he chases a second straight CJ Cup Byron Nelson title and what would be his 21st PGA Tour victory. Last year Scheffler surged to a winning total of 31-under; he’ll be looking to replicate that dominance this week.Because heavy rain fell the day before, tournament officials enforced preferred lies on the fairways, allowing players to lift, clean and drop within one club length. Of the 147 starters, only 24 players finished the first round over par.Tournament organizers invested $22 million (approximately 33 billion KRW) to increase course difficulty ahead of this year’s event, but the wet weather limited the renovations’ immediate impact. More rain is in the forecast over the next three days, so the full effect of the course changes on scoring remains uncertain.