Bae Yong-jun (CJ) showed remarkable back-nine focus on the second day of the PGA Tour's The CJ Cup Byron Nelson (total purse $10.3 million), boosting his chances of making the cut.
Bae shot a 5-under 66 with eight birdies and one triple bogey in the second round held Thursday (local time) at TPC Craig Ranch (par 71) in McKinney, Texas. With a two-day total of 8-under 134, Bae moved a step closer to his goal of finishing in the top 30 at his sponsor's tournament, which he is playing for the first time in four years.
Starting from the 10th hole (par 4), Bae got off to a smooth start with a birdie on his opening hole. After his tee shot, with 211 yards remaining to the hole, his second shot landed within about 2 meters of the cup, and he calmly converted the putt.
Bae continued his strong play with a second birdie on the 14th hole (par 4).
However, trouble arrived on the 15th hole (par 3). His tee shot drifted to the left and headed into a penalty area. Bae quickly lost three strokes on the hole, breaking his good rhythm.
Bae did not crumble in the face of adversity. On the 17th hole (par 3), he sank a mid-range putt of more than 5 meters for a birdie.
Bae's good momentum carried into the back nine. After recording his first birdie of the back nine on the 2nd hole (par 4), he made back-to-back birdies twice — on the 5th (par 5) and 6th holes (par 4), and on the 8th (par 4) and 9th holes (par 5) — quickly cutting five strokes.
"I had a good feel early on, but I made a triple bogey on a par 3," Bae said after the round. "I didn't read the distance properly, and I pulled the shot, so the tee shot went in the wrong direction and I lost three strokes. But I actually focused better after that. With the mindset of 'let's give it a try,' I was able to cut a lot of strokes on the back nine."
Bae first played in The CJ Cup as an amateur in 2019 when the tournament was held on Jeju Island, and after turning pro, he competed in the 2022 event in South Carolina but did not record a strong finish. "I think the Bae Yong-jun of four years ago and this year's Bae Yong-jun are different," he said. "I think I have become a player who can show a more professional performance at this tournament."
After his strong second round, Bae has improved his chances of making the cut. Looking ahead to the remaining rounds, he said, "On this course, you have to play aggressively to cut strokes well. In the remaining rounds, I will reduce mistakes and play aggressively to finish with a good result."
