Michael Kim delivered a remarkable performance at the 3M Open on Friday, posting a 12‑under‑par 59 – only the 16th sub‑60 round ever recorded on the PGA Tour. His flawless round propelled him to the top of the leaderboard at TPC Twin Cities, where he now sits at 14‑under after two rounds, holding a three‑stroke advantage. Kim’s 59 was built on a string of birdies that began on the third hole and continued through the seventh, giving him a five‑stroke surge early in his round.
He then maintained his momentum, finishing the back‑nine with four consecutive under‑par holes, including a dramatic 24‑foot birdie putt on the 18th that capped his historic day. The 33‑year‑old American’s putting was especially dominant. He sank eight putts from ten feet or farther, a statistic that underscores how hot his short game was on Friday. While other contenders struggled to keep pace, Kim’s performance stood out as a masterclass in precision and composure.
Trailing Kim were three players tied for second place: Ben Kohles, who entered the day with a two‑stroke lead but carded a 69; Chandler Phillips, who posted a 65; and Emiliano Grillo, who finished with a 67. Despite their solid scores, the day belonged unequivocally to Kim.
Prior to Kim’s round, the lowest score recorded on the PGA Tour for the 2026 season was 60, achieved by five different golfers – Blades Brown, Wyndham Clark, Si Woo Kim, Andrew Putnam, and Scottie Scheffler. Kim’s 59 therefore not only broke that season’s benchmark but also moved him into a tie for second on the all‑time list of lowest 18‑hole scores, trailing only Jim Furyk’s 58 at the 2016 Travelers Championship.
When asked about his round, Kim, whose sole PGA Tour victory came at the 2018 John Deere Classic, expressed satisfaction with his overall performance. “I putted awesome,” he said. “I feel that I got just about everything I could out of that round. Some shots I wasn’t supremely confident on, but that’s golf.
I was happy I got away with par on 13. The rest of my game, especially my putting, felt fantastic. When you hit a putt and it does exactly what you envisioned, it’s an amazing feeling. It felt like that all day out there.” Kim’s previous best round on the Tour was a 60 at the 2023 Wyndham Championship, making his 59 a significant personal milestone.
He acknowledged the historic nature of his achievement but cautioned that staying at the top will require steady focus. “It will be important for me not to compare tomorrow’s round to today’s,” he explained.
“Even if I start poorly, I need to stay calm and not be disappointed. There’s a long way to go, and players like Scottie Scheffler will likely post good scores too. I’m nowhere near done.” Speaking of Scheffler, the world‑number‑one currently sits tied for 13th at seven‑under after a disappointing 70 on a course that has been yielding low scores.
Scheffler, who entered the tournament strongly after a recent putting slump, was sitting at nine‑under before a mis‑hit on the 14th sent his ball into water, resulting in a double‑bogey six. A subsequent poor tee shot on the 17th added another bogey, leaving him with a round that fell short of expectations. Despite the setbacks, Scheffler salvaged a birdie on the 18th, finishing on a positive note but acknowledging that a strong weekend will be necessary to chase his first victory since the Desert Classic in January. The 3M Open continues to attract attention, with live coverage available on Sky Sports Golf starting at 7 p.m.
on Saturday. Golf fans can also stream the tournament without a contract, and those interested in playing can find competitive rates at over 1,700 courses across the UK and Ireland. The event showcases the depth of talent on the PGA Tour and highlights how a single extraordinary round, like Kim’s 59, can reshape the narrative of a tournament and cement a player’s place in golf history.