Houston (AFP) – South Korean Kim Si-woo clung to a two-stroke lead after firing a three-under par 68 in Saturday’s third round of the PGA Tour CJ Cup Byron Nelson tournament. The 30-year-old from Seoul, seeking his first victory since the 2023 Sony Open in Hawaii, stood on 21-under 192 after 54 holes at TPC Craig Ranch in suburban Dallas.
Kim, who fired a 60 on Friday to grab a five-stroke advantage, stumbled with three bogeys in four holes ending at the 11th but then made three birdies in the next four holes to regain the solo lead entering the last round. “Wanted to go in low again but it was a rough start,” Kim said. “I played great the last six or seven holes.”
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Top-ranked defending champion Scottie Scheffler, a four-time major winner, and fellow American Wyndham Clark, the 2023 US Open champion, each fired 65 to share second on 194 with Germany’s Stephan Jaeger, American Tom Hoge, and South Korean Im Sung-jae sharing fourth on 196. “I putted really nice,” Clark said. “I played really good, fought hard and put myself in position to have a chance to win tomorrow.”
Scheffler and his pal Kim, both area residents, will play in the final pairing. “Si woo is a great guy and a great competitor. I’m looking forward to the challenge of trying to go chase him down,” Scheffler said. “Should be a fun day tomorrow.”
Kim birdied the third and sixth holes but stumbled with a three-putt bogey at the eighth hole and followed a five-foot birdie putt at the ninth with bogeys at 10 and 11, missing the green with his second shot each time. Kim’s late birdie binge included a tap-in birdie at the par-five 12th after reaching the green in two, a birdie putt from just inside nine feet at 14, and another from just inside 10 feet at 15. Sustaining his hot putting is Kim’s key to victory on Sunday. “Just trying the same all day, make a lot of birdies,” Kim said. “Playing with Scottie, it’s going to be fun. Win or not it’s going to be fun.”
Clark reeled off three birdies in a row starting at the par-three fourth and closed the front nine with an eagle, but a bogey at the par-three 17th dropped him back. Scheffler, who could complete a career Grand Slam with a victory at next month’s US Open, had a run of three birdies in four holes on the front nine and four birdies in five holes from the ninth through 13th.
© 2024 AFP
