CJ Cup Byron Nelson: Si Woo Kim Settles for 60 After Final-Hole Bogey, Leads by Five

History Denied by One Stroke

At the CJ Cup Byron Nelson in McKinney, Texas, Si Woo Kim came agonizingly close to joining the most exclusive club in professional golf. After rolling in a curling 17-footer from the fringe on the par-3 17th for his 12th birdie, he stood at 12-under with one hole remaining — a par away from shooting 59.

The 18th Undoes History

The 18th at TPC Craig Ranch is playing as a par 4 for the first time this year, following a $25 million redesign by Lanny Wadkins. It has also been the toughest hole on the course through two rounds. Kim found the fairway but flew the green with his approach. His chip spun up short, and his par putt broke right — a lone bogey to finish an otherwise extraordinary round of 11-under 60.

"Everything was perfect, other than the last hole," Kim said. "Sixty is hard, but I was a little bit thinking about 59 after I made that putt on 17."

Commanding Lead After 36 Holes

Kim sits atop the leaderboard at 18-under 124, five clear of a four-way tie at 13-under. The group includes world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler (8-under 63), Sungjae Im (who holed out for ace on the 7th en route to 61), Kensei Hirata, and Wyndham Clark.

Scheffler, the defending champion who won by eight shots last year, acknowledged the difficulty of competing alongside a player in that kind of zone: "When you're watching somebody birdie every hole, the tournament feels like it's getting further and further away."

The 59 Club Remains Exclusive

The PGA Tour's 18-hole record is Jim Furyk's 58 at the 2016 Travelers Championship. A 59 has been carded just 14 times in Tour history — Scheffler himself achieved one at TPC Boston in 2020.

Strokeslab Perspective

Kim's 12-birdie, 1-bogey performance points to elite output across both SG: Approach and SG: Putting. With calm winds and soft conditions expected to persist through the weekend, the question is whether anyone can trim a five-shot deficit against a player this locked in.