Kim Si-woo made a strong start at the PGA Tour's The CJ Cup Byron Nelson, shooting a 7-under 64 on the first day of the tournament, which has a total purse of $10.3 million.
On May 22 (Korea time), at TPC Craig Ranch in McKinney, Texas, Kim recorded eight birdies and one bogey, finishing just one stroke behind the morning leader, Brooks Koepka, who shot an 8-under 63.
Despite drizzly weather, Kim's shot-making was impressive. He showcased his skills while playing alongside top competitors, including world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and 2018 tournament champion Koepka.
Starting on the 10th hole (par 4), Kim sank a long birdie putt from about 20 meters on his first hole. He added birdies on the 12th (par 5) and 14th holes (par 4), finishing the front nine with a total of four birdies.
His momentum continued on the back nine. On the 2nd hole (par 4), he placed his second shot just 70 centimeters from the hole for another birdie, and he made a short birdie putt on the 3rd hole (par 4). On the 5th hole (par 5), he used a mini driver to reach the green and followed up with a precise approach to secure another birdie. Although he had a disappointing three-putt bogey on the 7th hole (par 3), he redeemed himself with a birdie on the final 9th hole (par 5), finishing the round on a high note.
After the round, Kim said, "It was a good round. My putting was excellent. My shots were a bit shaky, but I’m satisfied with the results. The greens were trickier than I expected, but my putting helped me have a good round."
He also expressed satisfaction with the recently renovated course, stating, "I wasn’t sure if the changes were good during the practice rounds, but playing in the actual tournament, I felt it was much better than last year. The fairways are narrower, and there are more challenging situations when missing on the short side, but I personally like the course."
Koepka, who recorded eight birdies without a bogey, topped the leaderboard. This marks his lowest score of the year since returning to the PGA Tour after joining LIV Golf.
"It was my best round of the year. My putting felt good," Koepka said. "It really helped my confidence to see my feelings match the actual results."
Koepka is aiming for his second title at this event after winning in 2018. He remarked, "Of course, it feels like there’s a long way to go to win now. If I can secure a second victory, it would be fantastic. I’ve felt my recent performance has been good, but my putting hasn’t reflected that. Winning would give me a huge boost in confidence. It would be great to have a chance to win in the final round."
Defending champion Scheffler also started strong, shooting a 5-under 66 as he aims for back-to-back titles.
"I had some good plays, but I was a bit short with my iron shots, which limited my birdie opportunities. Overall, it was a positive day," Scheffler said. "It’s still early in the tournament. Golf is a sport where you can’t force results. The worst thing is to try too hard to lower your score and end up making a silly mistake. I’ll focus on making good decisions and what I can control while looking for opportunities."
Other South Korean players also had solid starts. Noh Seung-yul finished with a 4-under 67, while Kim Joo-hyung recorded a 3-under 68.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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