English teenager Kris Kim stunned the golfing world on his PGA Tour debut, as he became the youngest player to make the cut on tour in nine years – and the youngest ever at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, surpassing the record previously set by Jordan Spieth in 2010.
The 16-year-old amateur carded a three-under-68 first round and four-under-67 second round at the tournament in McKinney, Texas, showing few signs of the nerves he later admitted to having on the 18th hole as he shot a birdie putt to make the cut.
“To be honest it being a par 5, it’s pretty helpful,” he said afterwards, according to the PGA Tour. “But, yeah, I mean, there is always going to be nerves when you’re on the cut line.
“I’ve enjoyed it so much the last couple days,” he added, “and being here two more days makes it so much sweeter.”
Kim was introduced to golf aged five by his mother Ji-Hyun Suh, a former professional golfer herself who competed on the LPGA Tour in the 1990s and now serves as his swing coach.
“(I) always used to watch her, and then ended up falling in love with it myself,” he told reporters before the tournament, per the PGA Tour.
Already, he has enjoyed a wildly successful amateur career, winning the Boys’ Amateur Championship, the European Boys’ Individual Championship and the McGregor Trophy last year.
And after making the step up to the PGA Tour, Kim now sits in a tie for 36th place, seven shots behind overnight leader Jake Knapp. The American carded a seven-under 64 in his second round to leapfrog Englishman Matt Wallace who sits in a tie for second place with the USA’s Troy Merritt.
Meanwhile, three-time major winner Spieth, whose record Kim broke, failed to make the cut as he continued to struggle with a wrist injury.
Kim will tee off for the third round at 9:20 a.m. ET on Saturday, while the final pairing of Knapp and Merritt will tee off at 1:55 p.m. ET.