SÉAMUS POWER CONTINUED his positive start to the 3M Open, but Michael Kim blew everyone else out of the water with a round of 59 to race into the clubhouse lead.
The 33-year-old American, who is ranked 57th in the world, birdied 12 holes and made par on the other six to break 60. His round was just the 16th in PGA Tour history to achieve the feat.
He needed just 21 putts across the morning, including nine straight one-putts between the second and 10th holes, to set a course record at TPC Twin Cities in Blaine, Minnesota.
Kim birdied the final four holes, draining a 24-footer on the last to reach the historic mark before unleashing a mighty fist-pump.
Having started the day in a tie for 43rd, he left walked off the course on 14-under, three clear of overnight leader Ben Kohles.
Kim is the 15th golfer to reach the magic number of 59 on the US tour. One of those belongs to Jim Furyk — who also shot a tour-record 58 at the 2016 Travelers 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 today was pretty cool and feels like I’m part of the history books.”
Waterford golfer Power matched his first round of 68 to finish on six-under, lying in a tie for 15th before the afternoon wave.
Starting off the 10th tee, Power bogeyed 11, but got back on track by recording an eagle at the 18th for the second consecutive day. Whereas he holed out from 135 yards on Thursday, this time Power nailed a 230-yard approach to leave him a routine six-footer.
The 39-year-old, who finished 11th at the Corales Puntacana Championship last week, kicked on with birdies at the first and third. He dropped a shot at the fourth, but again walked off on a high by sinking a 42-footer for his birdie at the ninth.
Meanwhile, the Irish competitors fell back the field at the Senior Open Championship at Gleneagles’ Kings Course in Scotland.
On the par-70 layout, Pádraig Harrington carded a 72 to slip to two-over and Paul McGinley recorded a 75 to lie on three-over.
Both will make the cut, but Darren Clarke was set to miss out after a 77 left him on eight-over.
In difficult scoring conditions, leader Cameron Percy equalled the low round of the day with a 68 to push him three ahead of Jerry Kelly on nine-under.
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Kim enters PGA Tour history books with 59; Power maintains progress at 3M Open
SÉAMUS POWER CONTINUED his positive start to the 3M Open, but Michael Kim blew everyone else out of the water with a round of 59 to race into the clubhouse lead.
The 33-year-old American, who is ranked 57th in the world, birdied 12 holes and made par on the other six to break 60. His round was just the 16th in PGA Tour history to achieve the feat.
He needed just 21 putts across the morning, including nine straight one-putts between the second and 10th holes, to set a course record at TPC Twin Cities in Blaine, Minnesota.
Kim birdied the final four holes, draining a 24-footer on the last to reach the historic mark before unleashing a mighty fist-pump.
Having started the day in a tie for 43rd, he left walked off the course on 14-under, three clear of overnight leader Ben Kohles.
Kim is the 15th golfer to reach the magic number of 59 on the US tour. One of those belongs to Jim Furyk — who also shot a tour-record 58 at the 2016 Travelers 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 today was pretty cool and feels like I’m part of the history books.”
Waterford golfer Power matched his first round of 68 to finish on six-under, lying in a tie for 15th before the afternoon wave.
Starting off the 10th tee, Power bogeyed 11, but got back on track by recording an eagle at the 18th for the second consecutive day. Whereas he holed out from 135 yards on Thursday, this time Power nailed a 230-yard approach to leave him a routine six-footer.
The 39-year-old, who finished 11th at the Corales Puntacana Championship last week, kicked on with birdies at the first and third. He dropped a shot at the fourth, but again walked off on a high by sinking a 42-footer for his birdie at the ninth.
Meanwhile, the Irish competitors fell back the field at the Senior Open Championship at Gleneagles’ Kings Course in Scotland.
On the par-70 layout, Pádraig Harrington carded a 72 to slip to two-over and Paul McGinley recorded a 75 to lie on three-over.
Both will make the cut, but Darren Clarke was set to miss out after a 77 left him on eight-over.
In difficult scoring conditions, leader Cameron Percy equalled the low round of the day with a 68 to push him three ahead of Jerry Kelly on nine-under.
- Additional reporting by AFP.
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