BLAINE, Minn. — Michael Kim sunk a 24-foot putt for birdie on the 18th gap of the 3M Open on Friday, posting the fifteenth 59 in PGA Tour historical past.
Kim birdied the final 4 holes of a bogey-free spherical at TPC Twin Cities, bringing her match whole to 14 beneath.
This shall be his 59th and fourth time on tour since 2024. Jake Knapp was the final to finish his 59th within the first spherical of the 2025 Cognizant Basic. Jim Furyk holds the tour report with a 58 on the 2016 Vacationers Championship.
“At this time was a fantastic day, however we’re solely midway via so I must focus somewhat bit for the weekend,” mentioned Kim, who shot a 69 on Thursday and is three pictures behind first-round chief Ben Coles after Friday morning’s spherical.
Coles shot a 2-under 69 to maneuver to 11 beneath. The post-round interview was interrupted by a roar as Kim made her ultimate putt.
“That’s disgusting,” he mentioned with fun. “I’ve 59. I do not assume 62 was that good.”
Kim’s thought is to not be “overly protecting.” That is not simple on the par-3 seventeenth and par-5 18th holes, the place every gap is roofed in water.
“I mentioned to myself, ‘That is the best way to go, that is your second in historical past, let’s go for it, let’s not get fortunate, let’s step up and hit a very good shot,'” he mentioned.
Kim made a 17-foot birdie putt on the seventeenth, and his wedge from 124 yards hit the pin, however rolled onto the perimeter of the 18th inexperienced and his uphill putt barely broke.
“A variety of occasions whenever you’re uphill like that, you allow quick. The very last thing was to get the ball in there, however I attempted to not go quick,” Kim mentioned, elevating his hand and fist-bumping just a few occasions because the ball sank into the cup.
Kim, whose earlier career-low spherical was a 62, had 5 straight birdies beginning at No. 3 and added three in 4 holes beginning at No. 9.
Eight of his birdies got here from 10 toes or extra.
“It is a fantastic feeling whenever you hit a putt and it is precisely the way you envisioned it earlier than you hit it,” mentioned Kim, who gained her solely tour victory on the 2018 John Deere Basic. “That is the perfect feeling I’ve had all day exterior.”
He completed second on the Valero Texas Open in April, and his greatest end within the 12 tournaments since then has been seventeenth, lacking the lower 4 occasions, together with the final three weeks on the British Open, Scottish Open and John Deere Basic.
Kim, who has been enjoying for the previous 5 weeks, thought of skipping this week’s tour cease.
“I felt fairly good energy-wise,” Kim mentioned. “So after lacking out on the British Open, I went dwelling and had just a few days to chill out and I’m actually glad I used to be right here.”
