'2-shot lead' Kim Si-woo takes sole lead with 3 rounds, competes for title against 'world No. 1' Scheffler "Playing with Kim Si-woo is always fun"... Im Sung-jae tied for 4th [PGA]

*This content was translated by AI.

Kim Si-woo (31, CJ) withstood the fierce pursuit of world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler (30, USA) and maintained the top spot in the third round, boosting his chances for his fifth career title.

On the 24th (Korean time), Kim Si-woo shot a 3-under-par 68 with six birdies and three bogeys in the third round of the PGA Tour's CJ Byron Nelson (total purse $10.3 million) at TPC Craig Ranch (par 71) in McKinney, Texas, USA.

With a cumulative total of 21-under-par 192, Kim Si-woo held sole lead again after the previous day. He heads into the final round in sole lead, two shots ahead of defending champion and world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and Wyndham Clark (USA, both 19-under-par 194).

This season, Kim Si-woo has performed well in 14 tournaments, including one runner-up finish and two third-place finishes, reaching the top 10 six times. He is ranked ninth in the FedEx Cup standings and 24th in the world rankings, the highest among Koreans.

Aiming for his first title since the 2023 Sony Open after three years, Kim Si-woo secured his first birdie on the third hole (par 4) and made a 3-meter birdie putt on the sixth hole (par 4). He lost a stroke on the eighth hole (par 4) but bounced back immediately on the ninth hole (par 5).

However, he faltered by losing strokes on the 10th and 11th holes (both par 4), briefly dropping to a tie for first place and sharing the lead with Clark.

He rebounded immediately on the 12th hole (par 5). After birdieing, he tied with Clark, who had taken sole lead, and then birdied the 14th (par 4) and 15th (par 3) holes in succession to surge back into sole lead.

He then held his score over the next three holes, while Clark made a bogey on the 17th hole (par 3), widening the gap to two shots and finishing the third round.

Kim Si-woo, who had an incredible 26 birdies through three rounds, was just one short of the PGA Tour record for most birdies over 54 holes, but his lead narrowed as Scheffler and Clark, who each shot 6-under, gained momentum.

After the round, Kim Si-woo reflected on the situation where he made consecutive bogeys. Through the PGA website, he said, "My caddie told me to not rush and stay calm." After regaining his focus, he commented on the final round, "This course is not one where you can play defensively."

This can be interpreted as his intention to play more aggressively rather than trying to hold his score in the final round.

Scheffler expressed anticipation for the competition with Kim Si-woo until the final moments. He said, "I look forward to tomorrow's challenge. Playing with Kim Si-woo is always fun. It's great for the local community that two players from this region are tied at the top of the leaderboard. Tomorrow will be a very fun day."

Im Sung-jae (28, CJ), who made a steep climb by shooting 10-under the previous day, also shot 4-under to finish at 17-under-par 196, placing tied for fourth, four shots behind Kim Si-woo.

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*This content was translated by AI.