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Si Woo Kim hangs on to Byron Nelson lead and has Scottie Scheffler and Wyndham Clark chasing

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Si Woo Kim hangs on to Byron Nelson lead and has Scottie Scheffler and Wyndham Clark chasing
Sport

Sport

Si Woo Kim hangs on to Byron Nelson lead and has Scottie Scheffler and Wyndham Clark chasing

2026-05-24 06:45 Last Updated At:06:50

McKINNEY, Texas (AP) — Si Woo Kim lost all of the five-shot lead he built a day earlier while flirting with sub-60 history at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson.

The 30-year-old South Korean still managed to maintain an edge over a couple of major champions, including hometown favorite and defending champion Scottie Scheffler, heading into the final round.

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Wyndham Clark hits from the rough on the 11th hole during the first round of the PGA Championship golf tournament practice round at Aronimink Golf Club, Thursday, May 14, 2026, in Newtown Square, PA. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Wyndham Clark hits from the rough on the 11th hole during the first round of the PGA Championship golf tournament practice round at Aronimink Golf Club, Thursday, May 14, 2026, in Newtown Square, PA. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Scottie Scheffler, right, prepares for a tee shot on the 14th hole during the first round of the Byron Nelson golf tournament in McKinney, Texas, Thursday, May 21, 2026. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Scottie Scheffler, right, prepares for a tee shot on the 14th hole during the first round of the Byron Nelson golf tournament in McKinney, Texas, Thursday, May 21, 2026. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Scottie Scheffler, right, and Si Woo Kim, of South Korea, cross a bridge between holes during the first round of the Byron Nelson golf tournament in McKinney, Texas, Thursday, May 21, 2026. (AP Photo/LM Otero)932944

Scottie Scheffler, right, and Si Woo Kim, of South Korea, cross a bridge between holes during the first round of the Byron Nelson golf tournament in McKinney, Texas, Thursday, May 21, 2026. (AP Photo/LM Otero)932944

Si Woo Kim, of South Korea, watches his tee shot on the 11th hole during the first round of the Byron Nelson golf tournament in McKinney, Texas, Thursday, May 21, 2026. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Si Woo Kim, of South Korea, watches his tee shot on the 11th hole during the first round of the Byron Nelson golf tournament in McKinney, Texas, Thursday, May 21, 2026. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Kim shot 3-under 68 on Saturday for a two-shot lead over top-ranked Scheffler and 2023 U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark, who had matching 65s.

“It’s fun being in contention,” said Clark, a three-time tour winner seeking his first victory since Pebble Beach in 2024. “Whether you have to shoot 8 under to win or 1 under to win, it’s fun because you still feel the same heat. Tomorrow it’s probably going to be exactly that way where you have to make a ton of birdies.”

Sungjae Im, Kim's countryman, followed a second-round 61 with a 67 and was another two shots back with Stephan Jaeger and Tom Hoge. Jaeger's 64 was the low round of the day at the TPC Craig Ranch, and Hoge shot 66.

Zach Bauchou (66) was 16 under, one shot ahead of Brooks Koepka (66) and three others. Koepka, who opened with a 63, is looking for his first win since returning to the PGA Tour from LIV Golf.

Kim, the field's second highest-ranked player behind Scheffler at No. 24, was in position for a 59 in the second round but had a bogey at 18 that forced him to settle for 60.

His five-shot lead was tied for the second-biggest on tour through 36 holes this season behind Rory McIlroy’s six-shot edge when he defended his Masters championship in April.

It was gone by the 11th hole.

Three bogeys in a span of four holes — all on putts inside 10 feet — dropped the four-time tour winner into a tie with Clark at 18 under. Clark had earlier pulled within a stroke with a short eagle putt on the par-5 ninth.

Kim, a Dallas resident, answered with three birdies over the next four holes — a day after he had 12.

“I was thinking about too much scoring like first 10, 11 holes,” Kim said. “So I’m just trying to be back to kind of like yesterday. Yeah, just trying to hit the good shots and trying to like, all the mojo’s back.”

Clark took the lead a scrambling birdie at the par-5 12th, making a 15-foot putt after a bunker shot with his right foot in the grass, his flexed right knee almost touching the ground.

Kim, Scheffler and Clark were tied at 19 under when Kim went in front with a birdie on the short par-4 14th after Scheffler and Clark settled for pars after trying to drive the green.

Clark got even again, but Kim went in front for good with a birdie at the par-3 15th.

Scheffler, a four-time major winner who ran away to an eight-shot victory at last year's Nelson, answered his first bogey of the tournament on the par-3 fourth with three birdies over the final five holes on the front nine.

“Two shots back going into tomorrow, so I’m looking forward to the challenge,” said Scheffler, who is looking for his 21st tour win. “It’s always fun when I get to play with Si Woo. I think it’s good for the community to have two guys that are local up there on the leaderboard. Should be a fun day tomorrow.”

Clark, seeking his first win since 2024 at Pebble Beach, was standing over the putt before what ended up being one of his early birdies when he stepped away and dabbed at his nose. He made the putt, but was still dabbing at his nose a few holes later.

“I don’t really know,” the 32-year-old said when asked if he had a bloody nose. “I had like a cut on my nose, and I went like this. Next thing you know, I was bleeding. It wasn’t quite a bloody nose, but it lasted a couple holes.”

Jordan Spieth, a hometown favorite alongside Scheffler, faded with four bogeys on his first five holes on the back nine a day after six consecutive birdies to start his second nine spurred a 62. He shot 73.

First-round leader Taylor Moore was back in contention after four consecutive birdies, but went in the water at 15 and ended up with a triple-bogey 6. He shot 69 and was 13 under.

Japan's Kensei Hirata, playing in the final group with Kim and Im, shot 70 and trails by seven.

AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

Wyndham Clark hits from the rough on the 11th hole during the first round of the PGA Championship golf tournament practice round at Aronimink Golf Club, Thursday, May 14, 2026, in Newtown Square, PA. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Wyndham Clark hits from the rough on the 11th hole during the first round of the PGA Championship golf tournament practice round at Aronimink Golf Club, Thursday, May 14, 2026, in Newtown Square, PA. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Scottie Scheffler, right, prepares for a tee shot on the 14th hole during the first round of the Byron Nelson golf tournament in McKinney, Texas, Thursday, May 21, 2026. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Scottie Scheffler, right, prepares for a tee shot on the 14th hole during the first round of the Byron Nelson golf tournament in McKinney, Texas, Thursday, May 21, 2026. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Scottie Scheffler, right, and Si Woo Kim, of South Korea, cross a bridge between holes during the first round of the Byron Nelson golf tournament in McKinney, Texas, Thursday, May 21, 2026. (AP Photo/LM Otero)932944

Scottie Scheffler, right, and Si Woo Kim, of South Korea, cross a bridge between holes during the first round of the Byron Nelson golf tournament in McKinney, Texas, Thursday, May 21, 2026. (AP Photo/LM Otero)932944

Si Woo Kim, of South Korea, watches his tee shot on the 11th hole during the first round of the Byron Nelson golf tournament in McKinney, Texas, Thursday, May 21, 2026. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Si Woo Kim, of South Korea, watches his tee shot on the 11th hole during the first round of the Byron Nelson golf tournament in McKinney, Texas, Thursday, May 21, 2026. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

PANAMA CITY, Panama (AP) — Venezuela's Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado announced on Saturday that she plans to run for president again and intends to return to her home country before the end of 2026.

Machado's remarks, made while meeting in Panama with several fellow Venezuelan opposition leaders, come more than four months after the stunning White House decision to sideline her and instead work with a Venezuelan ruling party loyalist following the U.S. military’s capture of then-President Nicolás Maduro.

Machado has been in exile since December, when she emerged from 11 months in hiding somewhere in Venezuela and traveled to Norway where she was honored with the Nobel prize.

She told reporters in Panama City that she and the other gathered opposition leaders remain committed to a democratic transition “through free and fair presidential elections, where all Venezuelans inside and outside the country vote.”

Still, it is unclear when Venezuela will hold a presidential election.

U.S. President Donald Trump and senior administration officials have praised Maduro’s successor, acting President Delcy Rodríguez, who has thrown open Venezuela’s oil industry to U.S. investment at a time of surging oil prices tied to the war in Iran.

The Trump administration has also dampened talk of elections, which are required by Venezuela’s constitution within 30 days of the president becoming “permanently unavailable.”

Machado said that an election with democratic conditions would take between seven and nine months of planning. Needed changes include the appointment of neutral electoral authorities, voting registration updates and the ability of opposition candidates to run for office without government interference.

Machado rose to become Maduro’s strongest opponent in recent years, but his government barred her from running for office in the 2024 presidential election, leading her to choose retired ambassador Edmundo González Urrutia to represent her on the ballot.

Officials loyal to the ruling party declared Maduro the winner mere hours after the polls closed, but Machado’s well-organized campaign collected evidence showing González had defeated Maduro by a more than a 2-to-1 margin.

On Saturday, she told reporters she would run against any other presidential hopeful in “an impeccable election.”

“I will be a candidate, but there may be others, of course,” she said. “I would love to compete with everyone, with anyone who wants to be a candidate.”

Venezuela's opposition activist Leopoldo Lopez looks at opposition leader Maria Corina Machado during a press conference in Panama City, Saturday, May 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)

Venezuela's opposition activist Leopoldo Lopez looks at opposition leader Maria Corina Machado during a press conference in Panama City, Saturday, May 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)

Venezuela's opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, center right, speaks during a press conference in Panama City, Saturday, May 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)

Venezuela's opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, center right, speaks during a press conference in Panama City, Saturday, May 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)

Venezuela's opposition activist Leopoldo Lopez, right, looks at opposition leader Maria Corina Machado after a press conference in Panama City, Saturday, May 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)

Venezuela's opposition activist Leopoldo Lopez, right, looks at opposition leader Maria Corina Machado after a press conference in Panama City, Saturday, May 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)

Venezuela's opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, center, attends a press conference in Panama City, Saturday, May 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)

Venezuela's opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, center, attends a press conference in Panama City, Saturday, May 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)

Venezuela's opposition leader Maria Corina Machado attends a press conference in Panama City, Saturday, May 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)

Venezuela's opposition leader Maria Corina Machado attends a press conference in Panama City, Saturday, May 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Matias Delacroix)

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