Si Woo Kim was hardly distraught on Friday afternoon after narrowly missing out on shooting the 16th sub-60 score in PGA Tour history.<\/p>\n
In the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, on a renovated TPC Craig Ranch course that was yielding birdies by the dozens in favorable Texas weather, the Dallas resident made 12 birdies over the first 17 holes. That got him to 12-under on the par-71 track, and Kim needed \u201conly\u201d a par of 4 at the 18th to shoot 59.<\/p>\n
Unfortunately, a rush of excitement seemed to get the best of the 30-year-old from South Korea, and after a perfect drive, he airmailed the green. Left with a chip of 64 feet to the hole, Kim scuffed it a bit and wound up 18 feet short, and his putt for bogey dived inches in front of the hole for a disappointing 5.<\/p>\n
The consolation was that Kim\u2019s 11-under 60 put him five strokes ahead of his closest pursuers at 18 under as he bids to win for the fifth time on tour.<\/p>\n
\u201cI hit it great and putted great. So, everything was perfect, other than the last hole,\u201d Kim said. \u201cI\u2019ll still take it; 60 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 adrenalin.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kim said that with 195 yards left to the flagstick at 18, he was between choosing a 5- and 6-iron. \u201cThe wind was like a little into off the left. So I feel like I had to hit it really hard with a 6-iron,\u201d he said. \u201cI think I hit it OK, but I think it was too much pumping. So it went farther than I thought.\u201d<\/p>\n
Of the putt for 59, he said, \u201cI hit it really great, but misread it a little less.\u201d<\/p>\n