S.Y. Noh leads Byron Nelson by 3 after course record-tying 60

McKINNEY, Texas: S.Y. Noh thought he didn’t have quite enough distance with his 3-wood as he pondered going for the green in two on the par-5 18th hole — setting up a potential eagle and a 59 in the first round of the AT&T Byron Nelson.

The South Korean didn’t seem to mind settling for tying the course record.

Noh made three putts of at least 25 feet on the back nine for an 11-under 60 and a three-shot lead after the first round of the Nelson on Thursday.

Two-time defending champion K.H. Lee, also of South Korea, shot 71, leaving him 11 shots back in his bid to become the first to three-peat on the PGA Tour since Steve Stricker at the John Deere Classic from 2009-11.

Lee shot in the 60s for all eight rounds of the first two years of the Nelson at TPC Craig Ranch, about 30 miles north of Dallas.

Adam Scott, who tied for fifth last week at the Wells Fargo Championship, was three shots back at 63 along with Marty Dou of China after the Australian’s best opening round since 2014.

Headliner and hometown favorite Scottie Scheffler, at No. 2 the highest-ranked among four top-25 players in the field, shot 64 along with Aussie Jason Day. They were in a group that included Texan Ryan Palmer, Scott Piercy, Luke List and Richy Werenski.

Noh, whose last top-10 finish on tour came before a two-year military commitment in 2017, had to play part of his back nine without a driver when the head cracked on his tee shot on 12.

The 31-year-old journeyman with one career PGA Tour victory had a replacement by the time he reached the 547-yard 18th, and ended up 257 yards from the hole with a blind shot from the right side of the fairway.

Noh laid up short of the water in front of the green, hit his approach to 9 feet and made the putt