Draws and Fades: Pierceson Coody, Scottie Scheffler among best bets at TPC Craig Ranch through 36 holes

The PGA TOUR never ceases to amaze me.

Jordan Spieth (+2000) and Sungjae Im (+2200) put together two impressive morning rounds at THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson, with Spieth shooting a 63 and Im firing a 62. For about five hours, that was the talk of the golf world. Then Si Woo Kim (-150) went out and started his own ridiculous run.

Kim made the turn at 6 under and officially put himself on 59 watch. Four straight birdies from Nos. 9-12 made the conversation even louder. Then, after another birdie on No. 17, the dream of shooting 59 on the PGA TOUR was right there. He needed par or better on No. 18 to break 60.

Unfortunately, a missed green in regulation led to a closing bogey. He finished with an 11-under 60, missing 59 by one stroke.

It would have been incredible to see Kim shoot 59, but he should still be thrilled with a 60 that helped him build a five-shot lead over four players at 13 under.

The most notable name in that group tied for second is world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler. The Dallas native and defending champion had his own impressive round, firing a bogey-free 8-under 63.

After those rounds from Kim and Scheffler, they now own 77% of the projected win equity, according to DataGolf. Kim is sitting at a 55% chance to win, while Scheffler is at 22%.

With a scoring average of 68.05 and nine golfers shooting 63 or better, there are going to be chances for more players to go low over the weekend. I would not be surprised if we see a few more players flirt with 60 before the week is over. 

Unless tournament officials start cutting pins on severe slopes, it feels like we are going to keep seeing really low scores. The course is soft, receptive and gettable after the rainfall it has received over the past few days. When conditions are this friendly, there are green lights from everywhere around the course. 

Let’s dive into some in-play wagering options at the halfway point.

Pierceson Coody, Top 20 (+104)

I’m a big fan of Pierceson Coody’s (+17500) long-term trajectory. He had success on the Korn Ferry Tour, and this current stint on the PGA TOUR is starting to trend in the right direction.

The biggest reason for optimism is the approach play. His iron numbers have steadily climbed since the start of 2026, and they are currently sitting at the best level of his career.

Coody started the tournament fairly slowly with a 3-under 68, but he caught fire in the second round with a 6-under 65. Even that round probably felt like he left a few shots on the course.

He gained a ton of strokes on the putting surface, but he was relatively flat off the tee and on approach. For a player who should be one of the better iron players in this field, that is actually encouraging. He posted 65 without maximizing one of his best traits as a player. 

If Coody continues to putt well and the approach play starts to match what he has shown over the last few months, he can absolutely climb into the top 20. In a tournament where birdies are everywhere, I want players who can create infinite chances. Coody is one of those guys. 

He’s also one of the leaders in birdie rate, especially on easy courses. Great putting with strong approach play should be a recipe for success. He is not far enough back to need something outrageous, and the course conditions should keep giving him opportunities. At plus money, I’m backing a guy who hasn’t reached his best levels this week. 

Scottie Scheffler, Par 5 Scoring Leader (+250)

Right now, Chris Kirk is the par-5 scoring leader. He has made two eagles and birdied the rest of the par 5s, giving him a one-stroke cumulative lead over Scheffler. Scheffler has one eagle and birdies on the rest.

So why back Scheffler to finish with the best par-5 record when Kirk is playing well and already has the lead?

The simple answer is that it’s Scheffler, and he is the best player in the world.

But there is more to it than that.

Scheffler is not just the best golfer in the world. He also looks like his game is dialing in after a midseason “slump.” The biggest issue for him over the past month has been the putter. He has lost strokes putting in what feels like three straight events, and at the PGA Championship, it was impossible to miss. He did not make a putt longer than 10 feet all weekend, and the frustration was written all over his face.

Now fast forward to THE CJ CUP, and Scheffler has found something on the greens. He has gained strokes putting in both rounds, gaining 1.22 strokes in the opening round before improving to 1.95 in Round 2.

Scheffler’s game and elite iron play carries him even when his putter is cold. The tee-to-green game is not the concern. When he starts gaining strokes with the putter, especially on a course where scoring is this low, it becomes hard to find markets where he does not project well. 

He is also the defending champion and has dominated this course. Being from Dallas, Scheffler has made it clear that he wants to play this tournament whenever he can. He takes this event seriously, and his course domination proves that. 

When comparing Kirk and Scheffler over the past 36 rounds, Scheffler has the edge in almost every Strokes Gained category. More importantly for this market, when we narrow it down to Strokes Gained: Par 5s, Scheffler ranks second while Kirk sits 46th.

Kirk deserves credit for how well he has played the par 5s through two rounds, but I am willing to bet on the larger sample and the better player. Scheffler is only one stroke behind with two rounds to go, and if he continues putting at this level, I like his chances to usurp Kirk before the weekend is over.