Si Woo Kim delivered a round for the ages on Friday at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, electrifying the galleries at TPC Craig Ranch in McKinney, Texas, with an 11-under-par 60—just a whisker away from joining golf’s most exclusive club. The 30-year-old South Korean, who calls Dallas home, flirted with PGA Tour history, needing only a par on the final hole to shoot a 59, a feat accomplished just 14 times before on the Tour. Instead, a bogey at the last left him one stroke shy, but still atop the leaderboard with an 18-under total and a commanding five-shot lead heading into the weekend.
Kim’s round was a masterclass in precision and composure. He rolled in six birdies on the front nine and matched that tally on the back, with the only blemish coming at the par-4 18th. "Everything was perfect, other than the last hole. I'll still take it. Sixty is hard, but I was a little bit of thinking about the 59 after I make that on 17. It was a little bit of like adrenaline," Kim said after the round, his voice reflecting both satisfaction and a hint of what-might-have-been.
Paired with world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and five-time major winner Brooks Koepka, Kim’s relentless birdie barrage became the talk of the tournament. Even Scheffler, who carded an impressive 8-under 63, was left in awe. "I definitely wasn't going to tell him anything about his round today as we were out there," Scheffler remarked, likening the tension to a baseball no-hitter. "I would say it would definitely be in poor taste to remind somebody they're on 59 watch."
Kim’s 60 tied his career-low round on the PGA Tour, matching the 10-under he posted at the 2016 Wyndham Championship. But this one felt different—more electric, more historic, and more personal. Living just a short drive away, Kim spoke about the comfort of sleeping in his own bed and playing a course he knows intimately. "Staying in my own bed is a huge advantage, I think, especially close to home. My sponsor C.J. for the event. So everything feels like home and feels comfortable. I play a couple times here, once a year, twice a year. So everything feels really comfortable here."
The round itself was a tapestry of highlights. Kim made a dazzling 17-foot birdie putt from the fringe on the par-3 17th, sending a ripple of excitement through the crowd and putting him at 12 under for the day. The stage was set for a dramatic finish. After a booming drive on the 18th, Kim’s approach with a hard 6-iron sailed just beyond the green. His chip back stopped about 19 feet short, and the par putt broke right and came up short, denying him the sub-60 round. "It went farther than I thought," Kim admitted about his second shot on the final hole. "Yeah, it was a tough shot, but I'll take it still — 60."
That closing bogey may have cost him a spot in the record books, but it did little to diminish the brilliance of his performance. Kim’s strokes gained total for the round was an eye-popping 13.10, and his five-shot cushion over a chasing pack that included Scheffler, Sungjae Im, Wyndham Clark, Kensei Hirata, and Jackson Suber (all at 13 under) spoke volumes about his dominance.
The field itself was in a shootout mood on Friday, with the scoring average coming in at a low 68.16. Sungjae Im wowed spectators with a hole-in-one at the par-3 seventh en route to a 61, while Jordan Spieth posted a 62 to sit six shots back. Koepka, after a strong opening round, cooled off with a 69 and found himself tied for 16th at 10 under.
The 18th at TPC Craig Ranch, once a par 5, was converted to a par 4 for the first time in the six Byron Nelson tournaments it has hosted, following a $25 million redesign spearheaded by Lanny Wadkins. This newly-minted closing hole played as the toughest on the course over the first two rounds, providing a fitting—if unforgiving—stage for Kim’s near-historic run. Despite additional bunkers and more contoured greens, the soft conditions from Thursday’s rain and the allowance for players to lift, clean, and place their golf balls in the fairway contributed to the low scores across the board.
Kim’s performance wasn’t just a flash in the pan. He has made the cut in all 14 PGA Tour events he’s entered this season, racking up six top-10 finishes. His consistency and comfort at TPC Craig Ranch, combined with the support of a hometown crowd, seemed to elevate his game to another level. "I had a great grouping, some of my favorite two players, and it was fun to play with them," Kim said, referring to his pairing with Scheffler and Koepka. "I hit it great and putted great. So everything was perfect, other than the last hole. I'll still take it."
For all the fireworks, Kim’s round also served as a reminder of the thin margins that separate history from heartbreak in professional golf. Jim Furyk’s 58 at the Travelers Championship in 2016 remains the PGA Tour's 18-hole record, while 59 has been recorded 14 times, including by Furyk and Scheffler. Jake Knapp was the last player to break the 60 barrier, firing a 59 at the 2025 Cognizant Classic. Adam Hadwin remains the last international player to do so, back in 2017.
As the tournament heads into the weekend, all eyes will be on Kim to see if he can maintain his blistering pace and capture his fifth PGA Tour title. The defending champion, Scheffler, knows just how quickly fortunes can change at Craig Ranch. "I feel like, when you’re watching somebody like Si Woo, especially when you’re paired with him, just watching somebody birdie every hole and you feel like the tournament is getting further and further away from you," Scheffler said. "I think I did a good job of staying patient and not forcing things."
With favorable weather on tap and the course yielding birdies in bunches, the stage is set for a wild weekend at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson. Kim may have missed out on a 59, but with a five-shot lead and his game firing on all cylinders, he’s put himself in prime position to make more memories—maybe even history—before it’s all said and done.