Michael Kim etched his name into golf history on July 24, 2026, when he fired a bogey-free 59 in the second round of the 3M Open. The round made headlines across the sports world and reintroduced fans to a golfer whose career has swung from early stardom to a multi-year slump and back to the top of the leaderboard.
Michael Kim is an American PGA Tour golfer born July 14, 1993, in Seoul, South Korea. He won the 2018 John Deere Classic, the 2025 FedEx Open de France on the DP World Tour, and shot a 12-under 59 at the 2026 3M Open, the 16th sub-60 round in PGA Tour history.
The Historic 59 at the 3M Open
Kim carded 12 birdies and zero bogeys over 18 holes at TPC Twin Cities, a par-71 course, closing the round with four straight birdies. He sealed the score with a 24-foot, 4-inch putt on the 18th hole, a moment captured widely by golf media.
The round set a new course record at TPC Twin Cities and moved Kim to 14 under for the tournament, three shots ahead of Ben Kohles. It marked the 16th sub-60 round in PGA Tour history (making him the 15th different player to achieve the feat) and the first sub-60 score of the 2026 season.
| Stat | Detail |
|---|---|
| Score | 59 (12-under, par 71) |
| Bogeys | 0 |
| Birdies | 12 |
| Winning putt | 24-foot, 4-inch birdie on 18 |
| PGA Tour rank of feat | 16th sub-60 round ever |
| Tournament lead after round | 14 under, 3 shots clear |
Early Life and College Career
Michael Sangwon Kim was born in Seoul, South Korea, and moved to the United States as a child, growing up in the San Diego area. He attended Torrey Pines High School before enrolling at the University of California, Berkeley, where he played alongside future PGA Tour winner Max Homa.
Kim turned professional in December 2013 after his junior season at Cal. He joined the PGA Tour in 2016 after earning his card through the Korn Ferry Tour.
Career Path: Breakthrough, Slump, and Comeback
Kim’s first PGA Tour win came at the 2018 John Deere Classic, a title that put him on tour for good. What followed was a difficult stretch that tested his career.
- 2018: Won the John Deere Classic, his lone PGA Tour title to date
- 2019 to 2021: Struggled with form and lost full PGA Tour status
- 2022 to 2023: Rebuilt status through the Korn Ferry Tour
- September 2025: Won the FedEx Open de France on the DP World Tour, becoming the first American to win the event in 53 years
- July 2026: Shot 59 at the 3M Open, taking the tournament lead
His current career PGA Tour earnings sit at roughly 12.9 million dollars across 267 starts, with 136 cuts made.
Common Misconceptions
Michael Kim the golfer is not related to Michael ByungJu Kim. Search results sometimes surface a different Michael Kim, a South Korean American private equity billionaire and founder of MBK Partners currently facing legal scrutiny in South Korea. The two share only a name.
A DP World Tour win is not the same as a PGA Tour win. Kim’s 2025 Open de France title counts as a DP World Tour win, while his John Deere Classic title is his only official PGA Tour win. Golf’s major tours track these separately.
A 59 does not guarantee a tournament win. Shooting 59 sets a course record and grabs headlines, but it happens mid-tournament. Kim still needed to close out the 3M Open over the weekend to convert the round into a title.
Why This Round Matters
Kim’s 59 is remarkable not just for the number itself but for the shape of his career leading up to it. A player who once dropped outside the top 500 in the world rankings after missing 19 of 20 cuts in a single season has now produced one of the rarest scores in PGA Tour history at TPC Twin Cities. His path from college phenom to a multi-year slump and back to a tournament leaderboard shows how technical rebuilding and short-game consistency can restore an elite career, regardless of how long the setback lasts.
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