Si Woo Kim misses putt for 59, leads PGA Tour's Byron Nelson
Si Woo Kim nearly made PGA Tour history by shooting a 59, but he missed a putt on 18 at TPC Craig Ranch.
McKINNEY, Texas — Si Woo Kim stood on the 18th green Friday with a chance to join one of golf’s most exclusive clubs, a putt for what would have been just the 15th sub‑60 round in PGA Tour history. Instead, it slid softly past the edge at TPC Craig Ranch, a near-miss that only underscored how brilliant the day had been. At times, it was easier to identify the holes Kim didn’t conquer in the second round of the CJ Cup Byron Nelson .
He settled for pars on Nos. 2, 4 and 8 on the front side, then again at 13 and 16 coming in — rare pauses in an otherwise relentless charge. Even the finish teased something more.
A booming drive on the par-4 closing hole split the fairway, setting up a final look at history. But his approach sailed just beyond the green, leaving a delicate, 65-foot chip that never quite cooperated. The lone blemish — a bogey at the last — brought the round back to earth, if only slightly, closing the door on 59 but not on a performance that still demanded attention.
Kim has had an impressive PGA Tour season, making the cut in all 14 events that he's started and earning six top-10 finishes. The score matched his previous lowest 18-hole score on the PGA Tour of 10-under 60, which he shot in the second round of the 2016 Wyndham Championship at Sedgefield Country Club. Jake Knapp was the last player with a sub-60 round on the Tour, when he finished with 12-under 59 during the first round of the 2025 Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches, setting a course record at the Champion Course in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, and becoming the 14th player to break 60 on the PGA Tour.