Scheffler finishes T14 at PGA Championship, will defend Byron Nelson title next

Scottie Scheffler’s PGA Championship title defense ended on May 18 with a tie for 14th at Aronimink Golf Club, leaving the world No. 1 with an earlier-than-hoped pivot to his next start in Texas. The Associated Press reported Scheffler could not produce the late charge that had defined much of his 2026 season and closed the week at 2-under-par. Aaron Rai won the championship at 9-under for his first major title, while Scheffler left Pennsylvania without a second straight Wanamaker Trophy. The result sends him on to the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, where he is the defending champion. ### How did Scheffler’s week at the PGA Championship end? Sunday’s finish left Scheffler tied for 14th, a result that AP described as a failure to summon the final-round push that had become familiar in his recent starts. Golf Channel said it was his first finish outside the top 10 in a major since the 2024 U.S. Open. The tournament was played at Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania. (apnews.com) Aronimink’s final leaderboard was crowded for much of the week, but Scheffler never moved into the late Sunday surge that would have put him back into contention. Rai finished atop the field at 9-under, and Scheffler’s tie for 14th closed out his attempt to defend the title he won a year earlier. (apnews.com) ### Why does the Byron Nelson become the immediate next stop? The CJ Cup Byron Nelson begins May 20 and runs through May 24 at TPC Craig Ranch in McKinney, Texas, according to the tournament site. AP reported Scheffler returns home to Dallas as defending champion, giving him a quick turnaround after the PGA Championship. Golf Channel reported Scheffler is back in the field this week, even after the major disappointment, and said his only victory of 2026 so far came at The American Express in January. (golfchannel.com) The Byron Nelson has long been a hometown event for Scheffler, who regularly draws local attention in North Texas. ### What exactly did Scheffler do there last year? (byronnelsonmckinney.com) Last year’s Byron Nelson ended with Scheffler winning by eight shots at TPC Craig Ranch. AP’s tournament preview said he tied the PGA Tour’s 72-hole scoring record with a total of 253, and Golfweek said that translated to 31-under par. That victory came one week after Scheffler had won the PGA Championship in 2025, making this year’s sequence notably different. (golfchannel.com) Instead of arriving in Texas off a major title, he arrives after a tie for 14th and with Rai, not Scheffler, coming off the week’s biggest result. AP also reported Rai withdrew from the Byron Nelson field on Monday. (sports.yahoo.com) ### What will the field and stakes look like this week? The Byron Nelson is listed with a $10.3 million purse and a winner’s share of $1.854 million in AP’s weekly tour roundup. Golf Channel said Jordan Spieth is also in the field, adding another Texas headliner to the event. TPC Craig Ranch, meanwhile, underwent a $25 million overhaul in 2025, according to Golf Channel. (sports.yahoo.com) Scheffler enters as the defending champion and the central name in the field, but the immediate facts are narrower than that: he is coming off a T14 in the year’s second major, and he returns to the site of one of the lowest 72-hole totals in PGA Tour history. ### When does Scheffler tee it up again? The next competitive step for Scheffler is the opening round of the CJ Cup Byron Nelson on Thursday, May 21, at TPC Craig Ranch in McKinney. (sports.yahoo.com) Tournament week began May 20 and runs through May 24, with Scheffler defending the title he won by eight shots last year. (byronnelsonmckinney.com) (apnews.com)