Michael Kim Shoots a 59 at the 3M Open and Flips the Whole Board

Michael Kim did something Friday that only 15 other players in PGA Tour history have ever done. He shot a 12-under 59 in the second round of the 3M Open at TPC Twin Cities, capped by a 24-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole that he absolutely had to make. He buried it with pace, let out a fist pump, and walked off with a three-shot lead heading into the weekend. For a guy who missed the cut in his last three starts and came into the week 65th in the FedEx Cup standings, this is about as dramatic a turnaround as golf can produce. How the 59 Happened Kim opened with two quiet pars, then ripped off five straight birdies from No. 3 through No. 7. Another birdie at the 9th sent him out in 29. The round cooled slightly early on the back nine, and it looked like the magic number might slip away. Then Kim birdied the final four holes, Nos. 15 through 18, to close it out. The round was bogey-free. The numbers behind it are absurd. Kim gained more than 3.7 strokes on the field with his approach play and nearly 6.6 strokes putting, rolling in over 145 feet of putts. Eight of his twelve birdies came from outside 10 feet. His previous career-low round was a 62. He skipped straight past 61 and 60. It's the first sub-60 round ever recorded at TPC Twin Cities and the first on Tour since Jake Knapp's 59 at the 2025 Cognizant Classic. Jim Furyk's 58 at the 2016 Travelers Championship remains the only round lower in Tour history. The Leaderboard Picture Kim sits at 14 under, three clear of Ben Kohles, Chandler Phillips, and Emiliano Grillo. Kohles opened the tournament with a 62 and held a two-shot lead entering Friday, then watched Kim blow past him. His post-round interview was interrupted by the roar when Kim's putt dropped. "That's sick," he said. "I guess 62 wasn't as good." The bigger surprise might be Scottie Scheffler, who shot 70 and sits seven back. The world No. 1 found the water on No. 14 for a double bogey and added a bogey at 17 after an awkward lie in the rough. He came into the week as a heavy favorite at +260, a number we broke down earlier this week, and now he needs something special over the weekend just to get back in the conversation. The Betting Angle Here's where it gets interesting for bettors. History says a career round like this often comes with a hangover. Players who shoot 59 don't always convert. Of the recent sub-60 club, Cameron Young didn't win after his 59 in 2024, and Hayden Springer missed the top 10 entirely at the John Deere that year. Kim has one career win, the 2018 John Deere Classic, and his best finish since a runner-up at the Valero in April was a 17th. That said, a three-shot cushion with 36 holes left is real equity, and Kim's putter is scorching. The value question for the weekend is Scheffler at a big number. Seven shots is a lot to make up, but nobody in the world erases deficits like he does, and afternoon wind gusts over 20 mph on Friday showed this course can bite. If books post Scheffler anywhere north of +700, that's a number worth a hard look. Kim backers should expect a short price that doesn't fully account for regression risk. There's also a FedEx Cup subplot. Kim entered the week on the playoff bubble at 65th and would vault to roughly 35th with a win. Desperation golf sometimes produces the best golf, and Friday was proof. SBA Takeaway A 59 is one of the rarest single-round events in sports, and it instantly reprices an entire tournament. Kim deserves the lead, but career rounds are usually followed by ordinary ones. The smart weekend play is to respect Kim's cushion, shop for value on proven closers within five shots, and treat Scheffler's inflated price as the live longshot rather than chasing the leader at a compressed number. As always, this is analysis, not a guarantee. Lines move fast after a round like this, so timing matters. Related Reading - Scheffler at +260 for the 3M Open Is the Strangest Line in Golf - Ryan Fox Stuns Royal Birkdale With Clutch 18th Hole Birdie to Win The Open - Lucas Herbert and Sam Burns Tie Major Record with 62s at Royal Birkdale