3M Open, second round leaderboard
-14 M Kim (US); -11 B Kohles (US), E Grillo (Arg), C Phillips (US); -10 J Koivun (US), T Merritt (US)
Selected others: -7 S Scheffler (US); -6 S Power (Ire); -4 J Parry (Eng); -3 J Smith (Eng)
Michael Kim is thrilled to be “part of the history books” after a superb 12-under-par round of 59 at the 3M Open in Minnesota.
The American drained a 24-foot birdie putt at the final hole to post just the 16th sub-60 round ever on the US PGA Tour.
Kim birdied the last four holes at TPC Twin Cities course in Blaine, lifting both arms in triumph when the putt on 18 rolled in before unleashing a mighty fist-pump.
The 33-year-old had 12 birdies without a bogey to finish his second round in the lead, three shots in front of compatriot Ben Kohles.
Seoul-born Kim is the 15th golfer to reach the magic number of 59 on the US tour.
Jim Furyk shot a tour-record 58 at the 2016 Travelers Championship, having previously made 59 at the 2013 BMW Championship.
“I kind of remember thinking on 18 that you have to go for it, 60 or 61 doesn’t really make too much of a difference,” said Kim, whose previous best round was a 62.
“To shoot 59 was pretty cool and feels like I’m part of the history books.”
Kim’s sensational day included five birdies in a row from the third through the seventh holes, a run launched with an 11-foot birdie putt at the third.
He made a 12-footer at the par-three fourth, landed his approach within five feet and made that at the fifth, sank a 10-foot birdie at the sixth and a two-footer at seven.
Kim added back-to-back birdies at the ninth and 10th and one more at 12 before launching his closing burst with a birdie from just inside 12 feet at the 15th.
He kept it going with a 13-foot birdie at 16 and drilled a 17-foot birdie putt at the par-three 17th.
“I made a really nice birdie putt on 16. It had a lot of break to it and it went in dead centre,” Kim said.
“There’s a lot of water on 17 and 18 and I just kind of told myself like ‘hey, this is the way – this is the moment to get into the history books and let’s go for it, let’s not try to luck our way into it, let’s try to step up and hit some really good shots’.”
