Michael Kim 59 at 3M Open joins PGA Tour’s rare club
Michael Kim made a 24-foot birdie on 18 to shoot the PGA Tour’s 15th 59 and lead the 3M Open at 14 under.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
3 min read
Michael Kim 59 is now part of PGA Tour history after the American golfer finished off a bogey-free second round Friday at the 3M Open with a 24-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole, according to the Associated Press.
The round at TPC Twin Cities in Blaine, Minnesota, was the 15th score of 59 recorded in PGA Tour history, AP reported. Kim’s closing birdie pushed him to 14 under for the tournament and put him on top of the 3M Open leaderboard as the second round continued.
Kim did not sneak into the record book quietly. AP reported that he birdied each of his final four holes, turning a brilliant round into a sub-60 one with the last putt of the day.
How rare is a 59 on the PGA Tour?
A 59 is an 18-hole score under 60, a mark so scarce on the PGA Tour that Kim became only the 15th player to do it, according to AP. The previous PGA Tour 59 came from Jake Knapp in the opening round of the 2025 Cognizant Classic, AP reported.
Kim’s previous best round as a professional had been 62, according to AP. On Friday, he chopped three shots off that career low and did it without a bogey on his card.
The move came in waves. AP reported that Kim made five birdies in a row starting at the third hole, then added three more during a four-hole burst that began at No. 9.
That set up the final stretch at TPC Twin Cities. Four closing birdies later, Kim had a round that sits in one of golf’s smallest record-book sections.
Where did Michael Kim stand at the 3M Open?
ESPN’s leaderboard showed Kim at 14 under after his finished second round, three shots clear of Ben Kohles, who was listed at 11 under after completing his round. Troy Merritt and Jackson Koivun were shown at 10 under after finishing their rounds.
The 3M Open was in its second round at the time, according to ESPN’s tournament page. The event is being played at TPC Twin Cities, with ESPN listing the total purse at $8.8 million.
Kim’s 59 also arrived after a choppy run of recent results. AP reported that he finished second at the Valero Texas Open in April, but his best finish in 12 starts since then had been 17th.
AP also reported that Kim missed four cuts during that stretch, including in each of the past three weeks at the British Open, the Scottish Open and the John Deere Classic.
Friday changed the mood fast. With one 24-foot putt on 18, Kim turned a strong round into a historic one and carried a 14-under total into the rest of the 3M Open.
This story draws on original reporting from ESPN.com.