Si Woo Kim came close to making history on Friday. Instead, he settled for a five-shot lead.
The 30-year-old South Korean was in position to shoot a sub-60 round, which would have been just the 16th in PGA Tour history, before a bogey on the final hole left him at 11-under for the day. His two-round total of 18-under 124 gives him a commanding lead at TPC Craig Ranch heading into the weekend.
Scottie Scheffler, defending champion at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, is among the players five shots back at 13-under.
Jordan Spieth, Tom Hoge, Tony Finau, Tyler Duncan, and Keith Mitchell are all tied at 12-under, one shot ahead of first-round leader Taylor Moore, who followed his opening 62 with a 69.
Spieth, who finished fourth here last year when Scheffler won by eight at 31-under while tying the Tour’s 72-hole scoring record of 253, is giving himself a chance at the hometown event he cherishes.
“Just a lot of it just comes down to knocking in putts,” Spieth said. “It’s not a normal week, and it’s fantastic.”
Sungjae Im had a moment for the ages during his round, holing a 222-yard shot for a hole-in-one at the par-3 seventh before adding a 14-foot eagle putt at the par-5 ninth. Despite those fireworks Im sits at 12-under alongside Spieth and the others.
“That was one of the prettiest hole-in-ones I’ve ever seen,” Spieth said. “Prettier than any one I ever made.”
Brooks Koepka, who opened with a 63 on Thursday, shot a 69 on Friday and sits eight shots back at 10-under.
Rikuya Hirata, a six-time Japan Golf Tour winner chasing his first PGA Tour victory, sits at 13-under after rounds of 64 and 65.
With soft conditions and minimal wind forecast to continue, low scoring is expected again on moving day as Si Woo Kim looks to hold off a star-studded field at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson.
