Michael Kim: The Prospect Who Won Both the Haskins Award and the Jack Nicklaus Award, the Top Honors for College Golf, in 2013.
At the 2018 John Deere Classic, he set a new tournament scoring record at 27-under-par 257, winning his first title by 8 strokes and drawing widespread attention.
However, he later fell into a long slump following a swing overhaul, at one point dropping outside the top 500 in the world rankings.
While struggling, Michael Kim took an interest in X (Twitter) and began sharing his daily life with golf fans, and as his shot-making touch revived, he shot a dream 59 at the 2026 3M Open in July — becoming the 16th player in PGA Tour history, and the first Asian player, to do so.
(※ The all-time PGA Tour record for lowest 18-hole score is 58, set by Jim Furyk at the 2016 Travelers Championship.)
Table of Contents
Michael Kim16th Golfer to Shoot a Dream 59
Born on July 14, 1993, in Seoul, South Korea, he immigrated with his family to San Diego, California, in 2000 at the age of 7. He grew up in the Del Mar area and graduated from Torrey Pines High School. As a senior in 2011, he led Torrey Pines High School to a team title at the CIF California state golf championship.
He then attended the University of California, Berkeley, where he played on the college golf team for two and a half seasons from 2011 to 2013. Alongside teammates such as Max Homa and Brandon Hagy, he helped lead the team to back-to-back Pac-12 Conference Championship titles. In the 2012–13 season, the team also set a new school record for the most team wins in a single season.
In April 2013, he was named Pac-12 Men’s Golfer of the Month, and in June of that year he won the Jack Nicklaus Award (Division I), given by the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) to the top amateur golfer. That same month, he also won the Haskins Award, given to the best player in college golf, becoming the first UC Berkeley player to win one of the three major college golf awards.
In 2013, he advanced through local qualifying to the U.S. Open, climbing to a tie for 10th through three rounds before finishing tied for 17th overall, which earned him the Low Amateur title. That same year, he represented the United States at both the Walker Cup and the Palmer Cup, helping lead both teams to victory, and turned professional in December 2013 during his junior year.
Although his amateur career made a huge impact, his professional debut was more modest — he tied for 56th at the 2014 Web.com Tour (now the Korn Ferry Tour) Qualifying Tournament, earning only conditional status. Playing in 17 events, he made the cut in 11, including a tie for 2nd at the Price Cutter Charity Championship, which hinted at his potential.
In the 2015 season, he finished 13th on the Web.com Tour money list, earning full PGA Tour status for the 2016 season. He settled into the PGA Tour from the 2015–2016 season, and after two years of seasoning, won his first career title at the 2018 John Deere Classic in his 84th PGA Tour start.
At the John Deere Classic, he shot rounds of 63-64-64-66 for a total of 257 (-27), dominating the field by 8 strokes over a group tied for second that included Bronson Burgoon (USA), Joel Dahmen (USA), Francesco Molinari (Italy), and Sam Ryder (USA). The win also earned him a spot in The Open Championship, but he soon fell into an almost unbelievable slump.
After the win, a swing adjustment led to an extreme slump in which he missed the cut in 25 consecutive events. In the 2019 season, he missed the cut in 14 of 15 events, and his world ranking plunged to 502nd. In the 2020–21 season, he made the cut in only 9 of 30 events, earning just $130,000 for the season, and lost his PGA Tour card as a result.
Revived Alongside X
After being relegated to the Korn Ferry Tour for the 2021–22 season, he rebuilt his swing with help from coach Sean Foley, who had previously coached Tiger Woods, and regained his PGA Tour card for the 2022–23 season. Upon his return, although he didn’t win in 2023, he made the cut in 18 of 32 events and earned $2.2 million, firmly establishing himself back on the PGA Tour.
Social media played a uniquely important role in the obscure golfer’s revival. He had joined X back in September 2011 but was largely inactive until his return to the PGA Tour, when he began actively sharing his life on tour along with swing tips. His following grew gradually and has now grown into a star-level 3.5 million followers.
In 2024, he earned another $1.4 million, continuing to sharpen his game, and in 2025 he kept up his hot form with a tie for 2nd at the WM Phoenix Open and a tie for 27th at the Masters Tournament, before winning his first career European Tour title on September 21 at the Open de France.
On the decisive par-3 18th hole, a 221-yard hole, his tee shot found trouble in a bunker, but he recovered with a great shot onto the green and sank a 4.8-meter par putt to secure the win. In a post-round interview, he said he “felt like he was going to faint” when the final putt dropped.
In 2026, he continued to establish himself as a dark horse with a tie for 2nd at the Valero Texas Open, and on July 25 he shot a 12-under-par 59 in the second round of the 3M Open, achieving the 16th such feat in PGA Tour history. His X following also jumped to 3.5 million, propelling him into the ranks of the PGA Tour’s biggest stars.
Although his driving distance is only around 300 yards, his short game has been improving with experience — in 2026 his Strokes Gained: Putting ranks around 30th on the PGA Tour, placing him among the tour’s elite in that category, contributing to his strong results.
Michael Kim’s Awards and Achievements
- 2018 PGA Tour John Deere Classic Winner, prize money $1,044,000
- 2016 PGA Tour Safeway Open, 3rd place
- 2025 European Tour Open de France Winner
▶ Amateur Career
- 2013 Haskins Award
- 2013 Jack Nicklaus Award (Division I)
- 2013 113th U.S. Open Golf Championship, Silver Medal (Low Amateur)
- 2013 Walker Cup, U.S. Team, Winner
- 2013 Palmer Cup, U.S. Team, Winner
- 2013 Pac-12 Men’s Golfer of the Month (April)
▶ Major Championship Results
- Masters Tournament: Tied for 27th in 2025 (3 appearances total)
- U.S. Open: Tied for 17th in 2013 as an amateur (4 appearances total)
- PGA Championship: Tied for 44th in 2026 (4 appearances)
- The Open Championship: No cuts made (5 appearances)
- The Players Championship: Missed the cut in both 2025 and 2026
※ 16th PGA Golfer to Shoot a Dream 59 — Michael Kim
Golfer Michael Kim’s Clubs WITB
- Driver: Titleist GTS2 (11°, shaft: Fujikura Ventus Red 6 X)
- 3-Wood: TaylorMade Qi4D HL (16.5°, shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD UB 7 X)
- 7-Wood: TaylorMade Qi10 HL (21°, shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD UB 8 TX)
- Irons: Titleist T250 (4-iron), Titleist T100 (5-iron–pitching wedge), shaft: Nippon N.S. Pro Modus3 Tour 120 S
- Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM11 (52-12F, 56-14F), WedgeWorks (60-L), shaft: True Temper Dynamic Gold S300
- Putter: TaylorMade Spider 5K-ZT Black
- Grip: Golf Pride MCC
- Golf Ball: Titleist Pro V1x
※ Club setup may vary from tournament to tournament.
Golfer Michael Kim’s Schedule
- 2026 PGA 3M Open — winner’s prize $1,584,000, total purse $8.8 million
▶ Michael Kim Q&A
Is Michael Kim a Korean-American golfer?
Michael Kim was born in Seoul, South Korea, immigrated to the United States at age 7, and now competes under U.S. nationality. His Korean name is Kim Sang-won. He is the younger of two sons born to his father, Kim Seon-deuk, and his mother. His father, Kim Seon-deuk, runs a TV parts manufacturing company.
Golf Michael Kim Bio
- English: Michael Sangwon Kim / Korean: 마이클 김 (Kim Sang-won)
- Date of Birth: July 14, 1993 (age 33)
- Hometown: Seoul, South Korea / Nationality: United States
- Education: Torrey Pines High School – University of California, Berkeley
- Height: 180cm / Weight: 75kg
- Tours: PGA Tour, European (DP World) Tour / Former Tour: Korn Ferry Tour
- Debut: December 2013 (turned professional), 2016 (full PGA Tour member)
- Family: Father Kim Seon-deuk (runs a TV parts manufacturing company), mother, younger of two sons
- Military Service: Not applicable
- Career-High World Ranking: 35th (as of November 16, 2025)
