2023 AT&T Byron Nelson Preview, Picks & Analysis

WITH the PGA Championship taking place next week you will not be surprised to learn that many of the world’s leading players have chosen to give the AT&T Byron Nelson a miss.

However, Scottie Scheffler and Tyrrell Hatton are heading to TPC Craig Ranch to tune up for the second major of the year.

Scheffler won four times in 2022, including The Masters. It would hardly have been a surprise had there been a reaction this year. Not a bit of it. He chose to sit out the Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow, but is once again having a memorable season.

He has made 12 starts and made the cut every time. Scheffler won the Phoenix Open and the Players Championship. His consistency has been quite remarkable. He was tied third at the World Wide Technology Championship, tied seventh at the Tournament of Champions, tied fourth at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, fourth at the Dell Technologies Match Play and tied 10th at The Masters. In all, he has had eight top-10 finishes.

His worst finish was a tie for 45th at the CJ Cup way back in October. 

Hatton is enjoying another half-decent season on the PGA Tour. The hugely-talented Englishman is something of an enigma and really should have more than a solitary PGA Tour victory to his credit. He finished runner-up to Scheffler at the Players, tied fourth at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and tied sixth at the Phoenix Open.

(Image Credit: Kevin Diss Photography)

Jordan Spieth - who has withdrawn from the event this week due to a wrist injury - finished runner-up to KH Lee 12 months ago as the South Korean made a successful defence of the title he won in 2021. 

Lee's 240-yard shot on the par-5 12th hole stopped less than five feet from the pin for an eagle that put him in front on the way to a 9-under 63 and a one-shot victory over Spieth.

He joined Sam Snead (1957-58), Jack Nicklaus (1970-71) and Tom Watson (1978-80) as the only repeat winners at the Byron Nelson. Lee finished at 26 under, one shot better than his winning score in 2021.

Spieth had to settle for another career-best finish in the event he so badly wants to win, a year after the three-time major champion was ninth but never really close in a disappointing final round.

This final round was really close. Leading by one, Lee made a curling 12-foot putt to save par on the par-3 17th after a short chip ran long when Lee tried to find his footing in the sand with the ball above his feet just outside the bunker.

Spieth missed a 9-foot birdie putt on 17 that would have pulled him even, then had to have eagle on the par-5 18th after Lee's tap-in birdie. Spieth's eagle chip stayed left of the hole.

There were 2,228 birdies made over the course of the week - the most on the PGA Tour last season. Expect a repeat performance this week.

Tournament Winners

It was won in 2015 by Steven Bowditch, in 2016 by Sergio Garcia, in 2017 by Billy Horschel, in 2018 by Aaron Wise, in 2019 by Kong Sung-soon and in 2021 and 2022 by KH Lee.

Form Guide

Scottie Scheffler, with two wins and a host of top-10 finishes, is clearly the man to beat.

The Course

TPC Craig Ranch is a par 72 measuring 7,438 yards. Designed by Tom Weiskopf, it opened in 2004. It is a parkland course featuring plenty of trees and Rowlett Creek comes into play on 11 holes.

To Win:

Scottie Scheffler. The man to beat

Each Way:

Tyrrell Hatton. Having a decent season

Five to Follow:

Scottie Scheffler. Does everything so well

Tyrrell Hatton. Second PGA Tour win is overdue

Taylor Montgomery. Ready for first win

Seamus Power. Keen to secure Ryder Cup berth

Cameron Champ. Looking to find his way back