BLAINE, Minn. (AP) — Michael Kim shot the 15th 59 in PGA Tour history Friday, making a 24-foot putt for birdie on the 18th hole at the 3M Open.
Kim birdied the final four holes of his bogey-free round at TPC Twin Cities to get to 14 under for the tournament and open a a three-shot lead over three players after two rounds.
Ben Kohles, who had a two-shot lead entering the day, shot a 69 to drop into a tie for second with Chandler Phillips (65) and Emiliano Grillo (67).
Two bad swings cost Scottie Scheffler, and the world’s top-ranked player was seven shots back after 70.
Kim had the fourth 59 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 tour record with a 58 at the 2016 Travelers Championship.
“Today was an awesome day, but still, I’m only halfway there so still need to kind of get focused up for the weekend,” said Kim, who shot 69 Thursday.
Kohles’ post-round interview was interrupted by a roar when Kim made his final putt.
“That’s sick,” he said smiling. “There’s a 59. I guess 62 wasn’t as good.”
Kim’s mindset is to not play “too protective.” That is not easy at the par-3 17th and par-5 18th where water lines each hole.
“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,’” he said.
Kim needed to make an uphill 24-foot putt with little break on the final hole to reach the magic number.
“I tend to leave those short when it’s that uphill and I just, last thing was just get it there, just don’t leave it short,” said Kim, who raised his hands and did a few fist bumps when the ball sank into the cup.
Kim, whose previous career low round was 62, made five straight birdies beginning on No. 3 and added three in a four-hole stretch beginning on No. 9.
Eight of his birdies were from more than 10 feet.
“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,” said Kim, whose lone tour win came at the 2018 John Deere Classic.
Second in the Valero Texas Open in April, Kim’s best finish in 12 tournaments since was 17th, and he missed four cuts, including the past three weeks at the British Open, Scottish Open and John Deere Classic.
Playing the previous five weeks, Kim thought about skipping this week’s tour stop.
“I felt decent energy-wise,” Kim said, “so I went home after I missed the cut at the Open, just spent a couple days relaxing and came up here and really happy I did.”
Kim and Kohles played in the morning before the wind picked up and gusts topped 20 mph. Afternoon scores reflected the change.
“Definitely wasn’t a 59 out there. Maybe somebody playing really well could have shot 64, 63,” Grillo said.
Scheffler was at 9 under before his approach shot found the water at No. 14, leading to a double bogey. His tee shot at the par-3 17th landed in the right rough, and a second shot from an awkward lie with the ball well below his feet skidded 34 feet past the hole, leading to a bogey.
“Just got a bad break, but that happens,” he said.
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