Michael Kim shoots 15th PGA Tour 59 to take lead at 3M Open

Michael Kim shoots 15th PGA Tour 59 to take lead at 3M Open

Michael Kim climbed 42 spots on the leaderboard Friday at TPC Twin Cities in Blaine, Minnesota, after recording the 15th round of 59 in PGA Tour history. The former Cal golfer finished his second round of the 3M Open with a bogey-free, 12-under-par performance, punctuated by a 24-foot uphill birdie putt on the 18th hole.

The historic round moved Kim to 14-under par for the tournament, granting him a three-stroke lead over three players entering Saturday's third round. His 59 is the fourth such round on the tour since 2024; the previous occurrence was by Jake Knapp during the first round of the 2025 Cognizant Classic. The single-round PGA Tour record remains a 58, set by Jim Furyk at the 2016 Travelers Championship.

Kim's surge included birdies on holes 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 9 on the front nine, followed by birdies on 10, 12, 15, 16 and 17. He closed the day by birdying the final four holes.

"I just kind of told myself like, 'Hey, this is the way, this is the moment to get into the history books and let's go for it, let's not try to luck our way into it, let's try to step up and hit some really good shots,'"

Michael Kim, Golfer, via Yahoo Sports

Regarding the final putt on the 18th, Kim noted that he often leaves uphill putts short and focused on simply getting the ball to the hole. He celebrated the successful putt with a fist pump and raised hands. The round was a significant improvement over his previous tour low of 62.

The historic performance comes after a period of struggle for Kim. He had played in tournaments for five consecutive weeks and considered skipping the 3M Open entirely after missing the cut at the Open. He noted that he spent a few days relaxing at home following that missed cut and felt decent energy-wise before arriving in Minnesota. While he finished second in the Valero Texas Open in April, his best finish in the 12 tournaments since was 17th, and he missed four cuts, including the previous three weeks at the John Deere Classic, Scottish Open, and British Open.

The conditions at TPC Twin Cities shifted as the day progressed. Kim and Ben Kohles played in the morning before wind gusts topped 20 mph. Emiliano Grillo suggested that the afternoon conditions were not conducive to a 59, stating that perhaps someone playing very well could have shot a 63 or 64.

Kohles, who entered Friday with a two-shot lead, shot a 69. He now sits in a tie for second at 11-under par alongside Chandler Phillips (65) and Emiliano Grillo (67). Kohles reacted with a smile to Kim's final putt, stating, That’s sick and I guess 62 wasn’t as good.

World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler fell seven shots back after shooting a 70. Scheffler was at 9-under before a double bogey at No. 14 caused by an approach shot finding the water. He added a bogey at the par-3 17th after his tee shot landed in the right rough and his second shot skidded 34 feet past the hole.

Kim’s collegiate career at Cal spanned from 2011 to December 2013. He was the first national men's golf player of the year for Cal in 2012-13 and played on a team that ranked No. 1 in the country at the end of the regular season in 2013. His former Cal teammate Max Homa also competed in the 3M Open but missed the cut after shooting 4-over for the first two rounds, including a 74 on Friday.

Kim is now seeking his second career PGA Tour win, having previously won the 2018 John Deere Classic.

"Today was an awesome day, but still, I'm only halfway there so still need to kind of get focused up for the weekend,"

Michael Kim, Golfer, via Yahoo Sports

The third round of the 2026 3M Open continues Saturday. Michael Kim and Ben Kohles are scheduled to tee off together at 1:35 p.m. ET.