Michael Kim delivered a spectacular performance on Friday at the 3M Open, posting a 12‑under‑par 59 that marks only the 16th sub‑60 round ever recorded on the PGA Tour. His flawless 59 propelled him to the top of the leaderboard at TPC Twin Cities, where he now sits at 14‑under after two rounds, enjoying a three‑stroke advantage over his nearest rivals. Kim’s round was a masterclass in consistency and precision. He opened with a string of birdies from the third through the seventh holes, establishing an early rhythm that never wavered.
After the midway point, he continued to add to his scorecard, finishing the final four holes at four under par. The climax came on the 18th, where he sank a dramatic 24‑foot birdie putt to seal the round. The American’s putting was particularly impressive. Throughout the day he holed eight putts from ten feet or more, a statistic that underscores how hot his short game was.
In his own words, Kim said, "I putted awesome. I feel that I got just about everything I could out of that round." He acknowledged a few moments of uncertainty on certain shots but emphasized that his overall confidence, especially on the greens, was a key factor in his success. Kim’s 59 places him joint‑second on the all‑time list for the lowest 18‑hole scores in PGA Tour history, trailing only Jim Furyk’s historic 58 at the 2016 Travelers Championship.
The previous low round of the 2026 season had been a 60, achieved by five different players—Blades Brown, Wyndham Clark, Si Woo Kim, Andrew Putnam, and Scottie Scheffler—making Kim’s achievement stand out even more. While Kim celebrated his achievement, the rest of the field was tightly packed. A trio of players—Ben Kohles, Chandler Phillips, and Emiliano Grillo—shared second place after Kohles, who entered the day with a two‑shot lead, carded a 69 and fell back.
Phillips posted a 65 and Grillo a 67, keeping the competition fierce. Kim’s career highlights include a solitary PGA Tour victory at the 2018 John Deere Classic.
He noted that his 59 felt like a culmination of years of hard work, saying, "Some shots I didn't feel supremely confident over, but that's golf. I was happy I got away with par on 13. But other parts of my game, like my putting, felt fantastic.
When you hit a putt and it does exactly what you kind of envisioned before you hit it, it's an awesome feeling. Felt like that all day out there." Looking ahead, Kim cautioned against letting the extraordinary round dictate his mindset for the remainder of the tournament. "It will be important for me not to compare tomorrow to today’s round," he explained. "Even if I get off to a poor start, I need to stay calm and not be disappointed that I'm not playing as well as I did today.
There's a long way to go, and Scottie Scheffler will probably post a good score as well. I'm nowhere near done." World number one Scottie Scheffler, currently tied for 13th at seven‑under after a disappointing 70, exemplifies the volatility of golf. After a strong start, a wayward approach on the 14th landed in water, resulting in a double‑bogey six. A subsequent poor tee shot on the 17th led to another bogey, and a tricky second shot from a low‑lying rough on the 17th skidded 34 feet past the hole.
Scheffler shrugged it off, saying, "Just got a bad break, but that happens." He finished with a birdie on 18, ending his day on a positive note, but he knows he must play superbly over the weekend to capture his first victory since the Desert Classic in January. The 3M Open continues to draw attention not only for Kim’s historic round but also for the broader narrative of the 2026 PGA Tour season. With multiple players flirting with sub‑60 scores, the competition is intensifying. Fans can follow live coverage on Sky Sports Golf, and those interested in playing the sport themselves can explore booking options at over 1,700 courses across the UK and Ireland.
The tournament showcases the blend of skill, mental toughness, and occasional luck that defines professional golf, and Kim’s 59 will be remembered as a highlight of an already exciting season.