Jordan Spieth seeks redemption at THE CJ CUP a year after Scottie Scheffler's triumph on their home turf in McKinney, Texas. Spieth is pursuing victory again, but he faces a tough challenge after Si Woo Kim nearly made PGA TOUR history with a 60, narrowly missing a sub-60 round after a final hole bogey.
Kim's stellar performance left him at 18-under after 36 holes, placing him five shots ahead of Scheffler. Spieth, inspired, began his back nine with six consecutive birdies culminating in a nine-under 62, situating him at 12-under overall. Sungjae Im, Spieth’s partner on the course, delivered an ace on the par-3 seventh, also netting an eagle to share the lead with Scheffler, Kensei Hirata, and Wyndham Clark.
Players relished ideal conditions against the challenging redesign of TPC Craig Ranch. Despite added bunkers and contoured greens, soft weather eased gameplay, a rare opportunity according to Spieth. Fellow competitors like Tom Hoge and Tony Finau also showed strong performances, joining Spieth at 12-under.
With renewed confidence, Spieth credited a pivotal par save at No. 18 for fostering his birdie streak. Sungjae Im’s stunning ace raised excitement, even according to Spieth, who deemed it the finest he'd witnessed, bringing both players into contention.