The CJ Cup Byron Nelson: An Byeonghun Ties for 4th Place
Best Result Since Runner-up at Last Year's Fortinet Championship
Pendrys Wins First Title, Coles 2nd, Kim Siwoo 13th
Second-year player Kim Seong-hyun finished in the ‘Top 5’.
On the 5th (local time), at the TPC Craig Ranch (par 71, 7,414 yards) in McKinney, Texas, USA, Kim surged with a 7-under-par round in the final round of the PGA Tour’s The CJ Cup Byron Nelson (total prize money $9.5 million) to jump to a tie for 4th place (20-under-par 264). This is his best personal result since finishing runner-up at the Fortinet Championship in September 2003. Before this tournament, his best finish this year was a tie for 14th at last month’s Valero Texas Open.
Starting tied for 11th place, six strokes behind the leader, Kim recorded one eagle and six birdies (with one bogey). After warming up with birdies on holes 1 and 6, he launched a serious chase for the lead with consecutive birdies on holes 8 and 9. Although he made a bogey on the 13th hole (par 4) after his second shot landed in a bunker, he immediately recovered with a birdie on the 14th hole (par 4). Birdies on the 17th hole (par 3) and an eagle with a ‘2-on 1-putt’ on the final 18th hole (par 5) brought him right up to the leaders, but there were no holes left to play.
World No. 107 Taylor Pendrith (Canada) shot 4-under-par to secure a one-stroke victory (23-under-par 261). He claimed his first win since joining the tour in 2022. The winner’s prize money was $1.71 million (approximately 2.3 billion KRW). Ben Kohles (USA), ranked 139th in the world and leading by one stroke, made a bogey on the 18th hole due to an approach mistake and quickly slipped to second place (22-under-par 262).
Korea’s An Byeong-hun fought hard, lowering his score by six strokes but was satisfied with a tie for 4th place. Kim Si-woo added 4-under-par to finish tied for 13th (17-under-par 267). On the other hand, Kang Sung-hoon failed to reduce his score and dropped to a tie for 41st (13-under-par 272). Kim Joo-hyung finished tied for 52nd (10-under-par 274), while Lee Kyung-hoon and Noh Seung-yeol ended tied for 59th (9-under-par 275). Korean-English player Chris Kim (England), who participated as an invited amateur high school student, finished 65th (6-under-par 278).
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