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 in PGA Tour history. The 33‑year‑old American surged to the top of the leaderboard at TPC Twin Cities, moving to 14‑under for the tournament and establishing a three‑stroke advantage after two rounds. Kim's round was a masterclass in consistency and precision.
He opened with a run of birdies from the third through the seventh hole, a stretch that set the tone for the day. After a brief pause, he finished the back nine with a flurry of scoring, dropping four strokes under par over his final four holes.
The culmination came on the 18th, where he sank a dramatic 24‑foot birdie putt to seal his historic round. The American’s putting was especially noteworthy. On Friday, he holed eight putts from ten feet or farther, a statistic that underscores how hot his short game was.
His ability to convert long‑range putts into birdies was a key factor in achieving the elusive 59, a score that places him in elite company. While Kim basked in the spotlight, a trio of players shared second place. Ben Kohles, who entered the day with a two‑shot lead, posted a 69 and fell into a tie with Chandler Phillips, who carded a 65, and Emiliano Grillo, who shot a 67.
Despite the tight competition, the day belonged unequivocally to Kim. Kim’s 59 also ties him for second‑best 18‑hole scores in PGA Tour annals, trailing only Jim Furyk’s 58 at the 2016 Travelers Championship, which remains the all‑time low. This achievement adds a significant milestone to Kim’s career, which includes his sole PGA Tour victory at the 2018 John Deere Classic.
Reflecting on his round, Kim praised his putting, saying, "I putted awesome. I feel that I got just about everything I could out of that round. 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." He also acknowledged the need to stay grounded, noting that maintaining composure will be crucial as the tournament progresses. Kim’s previous best round on the Tour came at the 2023 Wyndham Championship, making this 59 a significant leap forward.
He described the experience as "pretty cool" to be part of golf history, yet he emphasized that the work is far from finished. "It will be important for me not to compare tomorrow to today's round, even if I get off to a poor start or just an OK start, to not be so disappointed that I'm not playing as well as I did today. There's a long way to go and that guy named Scottie Scheffler is probably going to throw up a good score today anyway.
Nowhere near done," Kim said. Speaking of Scheffler, the world‑number‑one found himself tied for 13th after a disappointing 70 on a course that was yielding low scores. After a strong start to the tournament, Scheffler’s fortunes shifted on the 14th when his approach found water, resulting in a double‑bogey six.
A subsequent poor tee shot on the par‑3 17th added another bogey, and a tricky lie in the rough forced a second‑shot that skidded 34 feet past the hole. "Just got a bad break, but that happens," Scheffler remarked.
He managed a birdie on the 18th to close on a positive note, but will need a stellar weekend to chase his first victory since the Desert Classic in January. The 2026 PGA Tour season has already seen five players post 60‑stroke rounds—Blades Brown, Wyndham Clark, Si Woo Kim, Andrew Putnam, and Scottie Scheffler—making Kim’s 59 an even more remarkable outlier. The low‑round record for the season thus far remains 60, underscoring how rare sub‑60 performances are in modern professional golf.
Fans can continue to follow the action live on Sky Sports Golf, with coverage beginning at 7 p.m. on Saturday. For those looking to experience the game firsthand, bookings are available at over 1,700 courses across the UK and Ireland, offering a chance to play on some of the world’s most celebrated fairways. As the 3M Open moves into its final stages, all eyes will be on Kim to see if he can sustain his momentum and possibly challenge Furyk’s long‑standing record.
Meanwhile, his competitors, including the ever‑consistent Scheffler, will be seeking to close the gap and mount their own bids for the title. The tournament promises more drama, skill, and the occasional surprise as the best golfers in the world vie for the coveted trophy.