McKINNEY, Texas — Kim Si-woo simply missed a 59 Friday on the CJ Cup Byron Nelson with a bogey on the ultimate gap the place a par would have made him the sixteenth spherical of sub-60 in PGA Tour historical past.
The 30-year-old Korean curled off the perimeter for a 17-foot birdie putt on the par-3 seventeenth gap at TPC Craig Ranch and was in place to interrupt 60. This was his twelfth birdie of the day and he was 12 below on the par 71 structure.
Kim Byung-hyun was within the fairway on the 18th gap, however his second shot hit the inexperienced. The chip that got here again stopped about 19 toes wanting the opening, and the putt for par lacked tempo and bent to the appropriate, leading to his solely bogey of the day. Kim Byung-hyun marked 11 below par and 60, and after the second spherical, he had a five-stroke lead at 18 below par and 124.
The 18th gap at Craig Ranch, about 30 miles north of Dallas, was a par 4 for the primary time in six tournaments held in Nelson. A $25 million overhaul designed by Lanny Wadkins modified the opening from a par-5, and it has performed as essentially the most tough gap on the course by means of two rounds.
A lot of the remaining holes are as simple as ever, albeit with extra bunkers alongside the green and contours on the inexperienced. One of many causes for that is the smooth situations from the wet first day and the calm wind that isn’t anticipated to select up over the weekend. Due to the rain Thursday, gamers had been nonetheless allowed to elevate, clear and place golf balls on the green.
Having performed alongside world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and five-time main champion Brooks Koepka, Kim took full benefit of that.
The four-time PGA Tour winner, who lives in Dallas, hit a 166-yard strategy shot to inside 3 toes on the par-4 eleventh and already has seven birdies by means of 10 holes.
Needing yet one more birdie to attain 59 with three holes left, Kim missed by just a few centimeters on the par-4 sixteenth. Expectations light after his tee shot on the seventeenth stadium gap, however he captivated the largest crowd within the gallery on the course with an ideal putt on the finish.
“Hit and putt had been nice,” Kim stated. “Every little thing was good aside from the final gap. I am nonetheless going to attempt. 60 is tough, however after I did it on 17 I used to be considering somewhat bit about 59. It was a little bit of an adrenaline feeling.”
Jim Furyk holds the PGA Tour’s 18-hole document, together with 58 holes on the 2016 Vacationers Championship at TPC River Highlands. The 59 has been recorded 14 occasions, together with by Furyk and Scheffler at TPC Boston in 2020. This was the primary of his 20 Tour wins and two years earlier than his fourth main victory.
“I wasn’t going to speak about something about his spherical as a result of he was out right now,” Scheffler stated. “I positively assume it is in unhealthy style to remind somebody that they are sporting a 59 diploma watch.”
The clock of 59 overshadowed Scheffler’s 8-under 63, which included a stretch when he hit a 45-foot eagle putt to go 5-under by means of 4 holes.
Scheffler was in second place, 5 photographs behind, tied with Kim, fellow Korean Im Sung-jae, Japan’s Kensari Hirata, and Windham Clark at 13 below. Im made an ace on the par-3 seventh and shot a 61.
“Whenever you take a look at a man like Siu, particularly if you’re paired with him, you simply watch somebody birdie each gap and it simply feels just like the match is getting additional and additional away from you,” stated Scheffler, who had an eight-stroke solo victory final yr at hometown Byron Nelson. “I believe I attempted my finest to be affected person and never push myself too arduous.”
Kim stated he selected a tougher 6-iron as a substitute of a 5-iron for his strategy to the 18th, and stated he might have chipped too cleanly as he had an excessive amount of spin and stopped ahead of he anticipated.
“Yeah, it was a tricky shot,” Kim stated. “However I am going to nonetheless maintain out — 60.”
