3M Open Round 2: Michael Kim Shoots 59 to Seize a Three-Shot Lead

Michael Kim showed up in Minnesota with three straight missed cuts and a real temptation to stay home. On Friday, he walked off TPC Twin Cities with a piece of PGA TOUR history.

Kim shot a bogey-free 12-under 59 in the second round of the 3M Open, finishing with a 24-foot birdie putt on the 18th, to jump to 14-under 128 and a three-shot lead. Ben Kohles (69), Chandler Phillips (65) and Emiliano Grillo (67) are tied for second at 11 under. Jackson Koivun (68) and Troy Merritt (66) sit four back, and world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler is seven behind after a 70.

Twelve Birdies, Zero Mistakes

It is the 15th 59 in TOUR history and the fourth since 2024, the most recent being Jake Knapp's in the first round of the 2025 Cognizant Classic. Jim Furyk's 58 at the 2016 Travelers is still the gold standard. It is also the lowest round in 3M Open history, beating the old mark of 60, and the lowest on TOUR this season.

The card was a blur. Kim made five straight birdies starting at No. 3, added three more in a four-hole stretch beginning at the ninth, and then birdied each of the last four holes. Twelve birdies, no bogeys, 21 putts. Eight of those birdies came from outside 10 feet, and Kim holed more than 145 feet of putts on the day. According to the tournament's stats, he gained nearly 11 strokes on the field, including 6.5 on the greens alone.

The finish is what made it. Water guards both the par-3 17th and the par-5 18th, and Kim refused to tiptoe. Needing a birdie on the last for 59, he faced an uphill 24-footer, and his only thought, he said, was to "just get it there." It dropped.

The talent was never the question. Kim's lone TOUR win came at the 2018 John Deere Classic, and he was runner-up at the Valero Texas Open in April. But since then it had been a slog: a best finish of 17th in 12 starts and four missed cuts, including the British Open, the Scottish Open and the John Deere. Kim admitted he thought about skipping this week, went home after missing the cut at the Open, and decided he had enough energy to tee it up. His previous career low on TOUR was 62. His previous best at TPC Twin Cities was 67.

Timing Is Everything

Kim and Kohles played in the morning, before the wind kicked up. By the afternoon, gusts were topping 20 mph, and the course stopped handing out gifts.

Grillo, who played late, put it plainly. "Definitely wasn't a 59 out there," he said, per the AP.

Kohles had the strangest view of it all. He started Friday with a two-shot lead after his career-best 62 (catch up with our Round 1 recap), played solid golf, and still lost the top spot by three. His reaction was pure golfer humor. "There's a 59. I guess 62 wasn't as good," Kohles said.

Phillips and Merritt Quietly Lurk

Phillips might be the most dangerous name in the chase pack. His 65 moved him to 11 under, and he leads the field through 36 holes in Strokes Gained: Around the Green while ranking second in putting. He and Merritt are the only two players in the field with 66 or better in each of the first two rounds.

Koivun, the 21-year-old Auburn product in only his third start as a pro, cooled off from Thursday's 64 but still shot 68 to share fifth with Merritt. Four back of a 59 at the halfway point is a fine place for a rookie to be. Brian Harman also made noise with a bogey-free 64, birdying five of his last eight holes to join Zac Blair and Billy Horschel at 9 under.

Scheffler Gets Bitten

Scheffler was cruising early and got to 9 under before his round turned. An approach found the water and led to a double bogey, and then at the par-3 17th his tee shot landed in the right rough. From an awkward lie, his next shot skidded 34 feet past the hole, and he made bogey.

"Just got a bad break, but that happens," Scheffler said.

He finished with four birdies, a bogey and a double for a 1-under 70, tied for 13th. Seven shots is a lot on a course where the leader just shot 59, but Scheffler has come from seven or more back after 36 holes to win on TOUR before, three times according to the tournament.

The Cut and a Hometown Story

The cut fell at 3-under 139, with 66 players moving on. Among those heading home: Adam Svensson, who opened with a 60 here a year ago, along with Tony Finau, Max Homa, Matt Kuchar and Sungjae Im. Mackenzie Hughes saved his weekend in style, playing his final 10 holes in 7 under to make it on the number.

The best story below the lead belonged to Muzzy Donohue. The Minnesota native, making his PGA TOUR debut on a sponsor's invite, followed an opening 73 with an 8-under 63, the second-best score of the day behind Kim. Defending champion Kurt Kitayama is at 5 under, nine back.

The Weekend Starts Here

Kim has the lead, the round of his life and the knowledge that 36 holes remain. Three players sit three back with very different résumés: a Korn Ferry Tour star chasing a first TOUR title, a two-time TOUR winner in Grillo, and a red-hot Phillips. Koivun and Scheffler are lurking with the kind of firepower that can erase a gap fast.

Friday was about one round. Saturday will be about who can follow it.

Full scores are on the official PGA TOUR leaderboard (opens in a new tab), and the TOUR's Round 2 recap (opens in a new tab) has more.

Sources: PGA TOUR (Round 2 recap and leaderboard), 3M Open tournament notes, AP, Golf Digest. More golf coverage on Undrafted.

Photo: PGA TOUR.