16-year-old English amateur Kris Kim has etched his name into PGA Tour history by becoming the youngest European to make the cut at The CJ Cup Byron Nelson.
Kim, the son of former LPGA Tour player Ji-Hyun Suh, made waves with a stellar three-under 68 in his opening round, followed by a composed second-round 67 to secure his spot for the weekend by a single stroke.
The English prodigy’s feat at TPC Craig Ranch not only makes him the youngest player to make a PGA Tour cut since 2015 but also surpasses Jordan Spieth’s longstanding record as the youngest to make a cut in the history of the CJ Cup Byron Nelson.
Reflecting on his achievement, a relieved Kim shared, “It feels pretty good. I feel like I’ve played well over the last two days. Stayed pretty patient out there. I guess it worked. I knew something around this number would be good enough, but, yeah, to shoot it, I’m pretty happy. I can’t wait to get started again tomorrow.”
Kim, teeing off in the afternoon on the low-scoring course, started his second round with intent, notching two birdies in his first three holes. A setback at the par-3 fourth hole was swiftly countered with birdies on the next two, setting the stage for a strong front-nine score of 32.
A stumble on the 13th hole briefly placed Kim on the cut line, but the composed youngster regained his composure, stringing together four pars before finishing with a birdie on the 18th to comfortably secure his place in the weekend action, sitting tied for 36th.
“To be honest it being a par-5 it’s pretty helpful,” Kim remarked on his closing birdie. “Yeah, I mean, there is always going to be nerves when you’re on the cut line whatever tournament. Yeah, it was pretty good.”
Looking ahead to the final rounds, Kim expressed his aspirations, saying, “Go as low as possible and have some fun out there. I’ve enjoyed it so much the last couple of days, and being here two more days makes it so much sweeter.”
Kris Kim’s remarkable showing at The CJ Cup Byron Nelson has not only turned heads but has also set the stage for what promises to be an exciting weekend of golf, as the young talent continues to make waves on the PGA Tour.
