Kris Kim, 16, becomes youngest player to make cut on TOUR since 2015 at THE CJ CUP

McKINNEY, Texas — Kris Kim brought one modestly outrageous (or outrageously modest) goal to his PGA TOUR debut: to play the weekend.

The 16-year-old English amateur accomplished it with a stroke to spare. He shot a 4-under 67 in the second round of THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson to finish at 7-under at a soft and windless TPC Craig Ranch. Playing in the last group, Kim holed a short birdie putt Friday on the par-5 18th as dusk approached on a pleasant early evening near Dallas.

“I'm happy,” Kim said. “I can't wait to get started again tomorrow.”

Kim became the youngest player to make the cut on TOUR since Kyle Suppa, also 16, did so at the 2015 Sony Open. Kim was steadfast and sure — six birdies, two bogeys and no precarious situations that might disrupt his plans to play more golf. His best stat: Kim ranks seventh in Strokes Gained: Around the Green. It was a pretty good one for a wispy young man on the big stage for the first time.

Kim said he never considered swinging for the green in two on the 552-yard finisher. He laid up to wedge distance and plopped his third to 5 feet, 10 inches.

Kim said he knew he was near the cut. The goal was right there in front of him. He steadied himself over the putt and in it went.

“To be honest it being a par 5, it's pretty helpful,” said Kim, the son of former LPGA player Ji-Hyun Suh. “But, yeah, I mean, there is always going to be nerves when you're on the cut line.”

What then?

Text messages needed to be answered. Lots of them. Kim was hungry, as teen-aged boys can be. Sleep beckoned, as it does. Saturday would come soon enough.

"I've enjoyed it so much the last couple days,” he said, "and being here two more days makes it so much sweeter.”