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Michael Kim made history with an exclamation point last Friday at the 3M Open.
Kim, 33, needed just the 16th sub-60 round (59) in PGA Tour history heading into the 18th hole. Kim’s wedge shot from the fairway on the par-5 18th rolled to the edge of the green, leaving him 24 feet from making birdie and adding his name to the history books.
Kim had one thing in mind when he stepped up to the putt: Don’t make it short.
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Michael Kim of the United States poses for pictures with his scorecard after shooting a 59 during the second round of the 3M Open at TPC Twin Cities on July 24, 2026 in Blaine, Minn. (Andrew Wevers/Getty Images)
“I tend to leave them short when it’s that uphill, and the last one was just to get it there, just don’t leave it short,” Kim said.
He certainly didn’t leave it short as Kim buried it at the bottom of the cup and then gave a couple of huge fist pumps to celebrate.
Going into the final few holes, Kim knew what was at stake and wanted to give herself a chance to make the record books.
“I just kind of said to myself, ‘Hey, this is the way we’re going to get into the history books, and let’s go for it, let’s not try to get lucky, let’s try to go up and hit some really good shots,'” he said.
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Michael Kim hits a tee shot on hole 14 during the second round of the 3M Open golf tournament at TPC Twin Cities in Blaine, Minn., on July 24, 2026. (Nick Wosika/Imagn Images)
Kim drove several times through his round. Starting on the third hole, he made five birdies in a row. He then made par on the eighth hole, but went on to birdie three of the next four holes.
He finished his round with four straight birdies.
Kim was impeccable with his putter as eight of his 11 birdies were from more than 10 feet away.
“When you hit a putt and it does exactly what you imagined before you hit it, it’s a great feeling. It felt like that all day out there,” he said.
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Michael Kim walks to his ball after hitting a tee shot on the 14th hole during the second round of the 3M Open golf tournament at TPC Twin Cities in Blaine, Minn., on July 24, 2026. (Nick Wosika/Imagn Images)
Kim’s historic day took him to a three-shot lead over Ben Kohles, but Kim knows there’s a lot more golf left to play.
“Today was a great day, but I’m still only halfway so I still need to focus on the weekend,” he said.
Kim’s 59 marks the fourth on tour since 2024. Jake Knapp was the last to do so during the first round of the 2025 Cognizant Classic. Jim Furyk holds the PGA Tour record with a 58 at the 2016 Travelers Championship.
