Sueng-Yul Noh broke his driver in the middle of the round but it didn’t slow him down.
The 31-year-old South Korean shot a bogey-free 11-under 60 on Thursday at TPC Craig Ranch in the opening round of the AT&T Byron Nelson in McKinney, Texas.
“Just everything was going amazing,” Noh said. “One shot missed to 59, but I’m really happy with that.”
On the 12th hole, Noh cracked the face of his driver, the first time in his career he said he’s ever done that. A friend fetched his backup, which he legally was allowed to replace, and he fitted the head to his shaft on the 15th tee.
Noh had a chance to try to reach the 18th green in two at the par-5 finishing hole and give himself his best chance to break 60, but elected to lay up and settled for a closing birdie.
Noh made nine birdies and an eagle on the day.
Equipment issues for the clubhouse leader @ATTByronNelson.
S.Y. Noh’s driver was damaged mid-round @TPCCraigRanch. pic.twitter.com/HKNWtlXEKT
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 11, 2023
He birdied four of his first six holes and then capped off the front nine with an 8-foot eagle at the ninth. Noh’s putter did its part on the second nine as he poured in a 40-foot birdie at No. 11. He tacked on birdies at 14 and 15. Swinging his backup driver for the first time at 16, his shot sailed right and into trouble but he drained a 27-foot par putt to keep his momentum.
When Noh buried a 34-foot birdie putt at 17, he gave himself a legit chance to shoot 59, needing an eagle at the par-5 18th.
Noh struck a beautiful drive, leaving himself 257 yards to the hole with water fronting the green, but opted to lay up to 87 yards. He wedged to 9 feet and rolled in the putt for 60.
“I was just trying to make birdie and forget the eagle and 59,” Noh said.
He set his career-low round on the PGA Tour thanks to holing 180 feet of putts. The 60 ties the lowest round on Tour this season, joining Patrick Cantlay who shot a 60 in the Shriner’s Childrens Open in Las Vegas last October.
“For some guys that’s a week’s worth,” said PGA Tour Live’s Colin Swatton.
Noh has missed the cut at the Byron Nelson in his last three appearances at the Tour’s annual stop in suburban Dallas, including last year at TPC Craig Ranch.
Noh has one PGA Tour victory to his credit at the 2014 Zurich Classic of New Orleans when it was an individual event. Noh served a two-year stint in the military from 2017 to 2019. The last three winners of the AT&T Byron Nelson have all…
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