16-year-old English amateur Kris Kim shot his third consecutive subpar round at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson on the PGA Tour – and came close to a hole-in-one.
Kim, who took a break from his GCSE exams to compete in Texas at the invitation of a sponsor, scored a one-under 70 on Saturday, following a three-under 68 on the opening day and a four-under 67. Rating in his second round.
The teenager – the youngest player to do so on the PGA Tour since 16-year-old Kyle Suppa at the 2015 Sony Open in Hawaii – nearly reached the par-3 fourth, but his shot narrowly missed the trophy, while his parents watched with pride.
Kim finished at 10 under for the event after exiting with 33 in the third round and making four birdies on his front nine after a bogey on the opening hole, but he suffered two blemishes when he got home and will be on Sunday advance to the final round eight under.
When asked what he has learned so far from his week at TPC Craig Ranch, Kim said: “How good my short game is, how I can rely on it sometimes, especially on days like today when I’m hitting the irons was bad. I made up for it. Wedges.”
Kim will fly back to Surrey on Sunday evening ahead of an English exam next Thursday.
He owes his success in his PGA Tour debut to an undefeated performance in his Junior Ryder Cup tournament last September, when his 3.5 points from four games helped Europe end a streak of six straight defeats and secured a record 11-point victory over the USA in Rome.
Watch the fourth round of the CJ Cup Byron Nelson live on Sky Sports Golf on Sunday. Early coverage begins at 1 p.m., full coverage begins at 6 p.m. You can also stream with NOW.
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