GREENSBORO, N.C. – Si Woo Kim shot a tournament-record 10-under 60 on Friday at Sedgefield to take the second-round lead in the Wyndham Championship.
Trying to become the second player this month to break 60 on the PGA Tour, the 21-year-old South Korean player slid a 50-foot birdie putt by the right edge on his final hole – the par-4 ninth. He drove into the left rough, costing himself a clean shot at the front pin position.
“Tee shot aggressive,” Kim said. “Yesterday, hit 3-wood, but today just try to hit driver. Hit driver and then missed left. Just tough, tough lie and … tough pin. I’m trying before like 10 yards, 15 yards landing, but almost hit the green landing. Putting, really fast down grain and just trying to par, but almost close there.”
Jim Furyk shot the first 58 in PGA Tour history Aug. 7 in the final round of the Travelers Championship. Six players, including Furyk, have shot 59.
Kim eagled the par-5 fifth, hitting a 347-yard drive and a 170-yard approach to 10 feet. He made the last of his 10 birdies on the par-4 eighth, holing another 10-footer. Kim played his opening nine in 6-under 29, and also birdied the par-4 second – making another 10-footer.
“My irons and putting game is much better,” Kim said. “Much more putting practice last week.”
After making three bogeys in an opening 68, Kim had a 12-under 128 total for a two-stroke lead over Furyk, Lucas Glover, Kevin Na and Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama.
“Not so much celebrate today,” Kim said. “After this week, play good, I celebrate. Just trying rest today and then to see dinner.”
Furyk had a 64, birdieing four in a row on Nos. 13-16.
“I’m a little surprised how low the scoring is,” Furyk said. “The fairways are pretty firm. They’re extremely quick, have a lot of slope in them. If you get the ball in the fairway, it’s playing short, the ball is rolling. I can see guys hitting lot of wedges. I’m still shocked we had so many guys going that low.”
Glover shot a 61. He also missed a chance for 59 – and 60 – when he closed with a bogey on the par-4 18th. He birdies Nos. 11 and 13-16 in the PGA Tour’s regular-season finale.
Matsuyama also shot 64.
Na, tied for the first-round lead with Spain’s Rafa Cabrera Bello at 63, had a 67.
“I’m in good position for the weekend,” Na said. “Keep attacking those flags and we’ll see.”
Cabrera Bello was three strokes back at 9 under after a 68.
“I felt I played good for the majority of the round, just the putts didn’t want to drop in,” said Cabrera Bello, fifth last week in the Rio Olympics.
U.S. Olympian Rickie Fowler was tied for 11th at 6 under after his second 67.
Patrick Reed was 3 under after a 71. He won the 2013 event for his first tour title.
Nick Taylor from Abbotsford, B.C., posted a 3-under 67 to move into a tie for 35th. Fellow Abbotsford product Adam Hadwin shot 65, but along with David Hearn (Brantford, Ont.) and Graham DeLaet (Weyburn, Sask.), will not advance to weekend play.
Davis Love III, the tournament winner last year at age 51, is sidelined following hip surgery.
The top 125 in the FedEx Cup standings will qualify for The Barclays next week at Bethpage Black. It the next-to-last chance to earn Ryder Cup points, with the top eight players determined after The Barclays. Love will make his first three captain’s picks Sept. 11 after the BMW Championship. The final pick comes two weeks later after the Tour Championship.