Sixteen-year-old English amateur Kris Kim shot his third successive under-par round at The CJ Cup Byron Nelson on the PGA Tour – and came close to a hole-in-one.
Kim, who has paused his GCSE revision to compete in Texas on a sponsor’s invite, shot a one-under 70 on Saturday after a three-under 68 on the opening day and four-under 67 in his second round.
The teenager – the youngest player to make the cut on the PGA Tour since 16-year-old Kyle Suppa at the 2015 Sony Open in Hawaii – nearly aced the par-three fourth but his shot skipped just past the cup as his parents watched on with pride.
Kim was as high as 10 under for the event after going out in 33 in round three, picking up four birdies on his front nine after an opening-hole bogey, but he then suffered two blemishes coming home and will head into Sunday’s final round on eight under.
Highlights of the third round of The CJ Cup Byron Nelson, from McKinney, Texas
Fellow Englishman Matt Wallace, at 17 under, is two shots behind leader Taylor Pendrith as he chases his second PGA Tour title, after the 2023 Corales Puntacana Championship.
Wallace shot a four-under 67 on Saturday and now sits in third place alongside Ben Kohles, with Jake Knapp, at 18 under, Pendrith’s closest challenger.
Pendrith registered an eight-under 64, including back-to-back eagles at his fifth and sixth holes, with the Canadian well placed in his bid for a first PGA Tour win.
He said: “I’ve just got to stay aggressive, play my own game, not really worry about the other guys and what they’re doing. I’ve got to make as many birdies as you can, because I think it’ll take a low one tomorrow.”
Asked what he has learned from his week at TPC Craig Ranch so far, teenager Kim said: “How good my short game is, how I can rely on it sometimes, especially days like today where I sucked hitting irons. I made up for it with wedges.”
Kim will fly back to Surrey on Sunday night ahead of an English exam next Thursday.
His success on his PGA Tour debut comes after an unbeaten performance on his Junior Ryder Cup bow last September as his 3.5 points from four matches helped Europe end a run of six straight defeats and secure a record 11-point victory over USA in Rome.
Watch round four of The CJ Cup Byron Nelson live on Sky Sports Golf on Sunday. Early coverage begins at 1pm with full coverage picking up at 6pm. You can also stream with NOW.
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