Michael Kim nails dramatic birdie on the 18th to make PGA Tour scoring history
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
Michael Kim made history with an exclamation point at the 3M Open on Friday.
Kim, 33, was heading to the 18th hole for the 16th round of 59 under par 60 in PGA Tour history. Kim’s wedge shot from the fairway on the par-5 18th rolled to the side of the green and left him 24 feet away from making birdie and adding his name to the history books.
Kim had only one thing on his mind as he stepped into the bat: Don’t leave it short.
CLICK HERE TO GET MORE SPORTS NEWS ON FOXNEWS.COM
Michael Kim of the United States poses for a photo with his scorecard after scoring 59 points in the second round of the 3M Open at TPC Twin Cities on July 24, 2026 in Blaine, Minn. (Andrew Wevers/Getty Images)
“When it’s this much uphill I tend to leave these short, and lastly I wanted to get it there, don’t leave it short,” Kim said.
Kim certainly didn’t leave it short as she buried it in the bottom of the cup and then pumped a few big fists in celebration.
Going into the last few holes, Kim knew what was at stake and wanted to take a chance on breaking into the record books.
“I told myself, ‘Hey, this is the way, it’s time to go into the history books and let’s go for it, let’s not try to take chances, let’s try to step up and hit some really good shots,'” he said.
ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. GET THE DON’T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!
Michael Kim makes a tee shot on the 14th hole during the second round of the 3M Open golf tournament at TPC Twin Cities in Blaine, Minn., on July 24, 2026. (Nick Wosika/Imagn Images)
Kim went on multiple runs throughout her tour. Starting from the third hole, he made five birdies in a row. He then made par on the eighth hole, but went on to birdie three of the next four holes.
He finished his round with four straight birdies.
Kim was flawless with her putter, as eight of her 11 birdies were more than 10 feet away.
“When you make a hit and it does exactly what you imagined before you hit it, it’s a great feeling. I felt that way all day there,” he said.
CLICK TO DOWNLOAD FOX NEWS APPLICATION
Michael Kim walks towards his ball after hitting the 14th hole during the second round of the 3M Open golf tournament at TPC Twin Cities on July 24, 2026 in Blaine, Minnesota. (Nick Wosika/Imagn Images)
Kim’s historic day gave him a three-shot lead over Ben Kohles, but Kim knows there’s still a lot of golf left to play.
“Today was a great day but I’m still halfway there so I need some focus for the weekend,” he said.
Kim’s 59 was her fourth on tour since 2024. The last man to do so in the first round of the 2025 Cognizant Classic was Jake Knapp. Jim Furyk holds the PGA Tour record with 58 points at the 2016 Travelers Championship.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Follow Fox News Digital Sports streaming on Xand subscribe Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
