Low scores were everywhere on Sunday afternoon outside of Dallas.
KH Lee just got his in at the perfect time.
Lee fired a career-low 9-under 63 to fend off a crowded leaderboard and successfully defend his title at the AT&T Byron Nelson. The win marks Lee’s second on Tour, both of which have come at TPC Craig Ranch.
Lee came out hot on Sunday, and made five birdies on the front to get right into the mix.
Lee then stuck his approach on the par-5 12th within just four feet and easily made an eagle to take the solo lead — which he extended with a birdie on the next hole.
Lee then parred the next four holes, including a clutch up-and-down save on the par-3 17th, to take a one-shot lead headed into the final hole. He had a perfect look at eagle on the last, but his el putt stopped just short — which resulted in his tap-in birdie to take his two-shot lead and eventually the win.
Though Lee went low, plenty of others were right with him. Jordan Spieth had a great chance to catch Lee even after a rollercoaster start with two bogeys and a birdie in his first three holes. Spieth made four birdies in his final five holes of the front nine to catch right back up to Xander Schauffele in the lead. He sat just one back on the 17th with a great look at birdie, too, but his putt went just left of the cup. That forced him to make an eagle on the 18th, something he failed to do after missing the green with his approach. Spieth finished with a 5-under 67 and took a second at 25-under.
Hideki Matsuyama fired a 10-under 62 to reach 24-under on the week thanks largely to a wild eagle on the last after sticking his approach just a foot from the hole.
Sebastian Munoz, who opened the week with a course-record 60, joined Matsuyama in third at 24-under with a 3-under 69 on Sunday, too.
Lee’s only other win on Tour came at last year’s AT&T Byron Nelson. The 30-year-old, who entered the week ranked No. 88 in the world, has just five top-25 finishes so far this season. Sunday’s win marked his only one inside the top-10.
Xander Schauffele mounts massive Sunday run
Schauffele got off to a tough start this week in Texas. He was sitting in a tie for 107th after the opening round, and then he barely made the cut on the number to survive into the weekend.
On Sunday, though, Schauffele made an incredible push — one that nearly gave him his second win of the season.
“It was a long way from a couple days ago … It was looking pretty grim there for a little bit,” Schauffele said on CBS. “I was just happy to make the cut.”
Schauffele made the turn at 5-under par, thanks to three birdies and a hole-out eagle in his final five holes of the front nine. He then made five birdies over his next seven holes to take a share of the lead. Schauffele reached the par-5 18th in two and just narrowly missed an eagle putt before finishing his day with a tap-in birdie to get to 11-under on the round and 23-under on the week. His 61 of him on Sunday marked a career-low round, too.
“I’m just trying to shoot as low as possible,” he said. “I had no pressure to shoot a low score”
Schauffele, who entered the week ranked No. 12 in the world, has five career Tour wins to his name — including at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans last month, which was his most recent start on Tour.
While his round was impressive on its own, it came just a bit too soon. When Schauffele entered the clubhouse, Spieth and the final group were just on the ninth hole. That left Lee plenty of time to overtake him.
Schauffele knew that, too, and said he wasn’t even going to stick around the clubhouse the rest of the day.
“I’m just being realistic,” he said. “I’m always optimistic, but just being realistic.”
Schauffele, of course, was right. I have finished in a tie for fifth with Ryan Palmer and Justin Thomas.
This post will be updated with more information shortly.