Michael Kim carded a 12-under-par 59 in the second round of the 3M Open on July 25 at TPC Twin Cities in Minnesota, moving to the top of the leaderboard with a three-shot lead going into the weekend [1, 2, 3, 4]. He became the 15th golfer in PGA Tour history to break 60, marking the 16th sub-60 round overall on the Tour [1, 2, 3, 4].
Kim made 12 birdies and no bogeys during the round, including birdies on the last four holes to complete his historic score [1, 3]. He sealed the 59 with a dramatic 24-foot putt on the 18th hole, demonstrating exceptional putting skill, especially with eight birdies coming from over 10 feet [1, 2, 3, 4]. ‘‘I kind of remember thinking on 18 that you have to go for it, 60 or 61 doesn't really make too much of a difference,’’ Kim said after the round [1].
He started the round with pars on the first two holes and then birdied five consecutive holes from 3 to 7, building momentum early [1, 2, 3, 4]. Kim said he told himself, ‘‘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’’ [1, 4].
The 59 set a new course record at TPC Twin Cities and marked Kim’s career-low round [3]. Despite the record-setting performance, Kim noted that he was still focused on the tournament. ‘‘Today was an awesome day, but still, I’m only halfway there so still need to kind of get focused up for the weekend,’’ he said [4]. He also acknowledged the tough competition ahead, naming Scottie Scheffler as a likely contender [3].
Prior to the event, Kim was 65th in the FedEx Cup standings and a win at the 3M Open would move him up to 35th [2]. The PGA Tour record for the lowest round remains 58, set by Jim Furyk in 2016 [1, 4].
Kim will enter the weekend with a three-shot lead, looking to build on his historic round and contend for the title at the 3M Open.
