In the last few years, the prize money for the 3M Open has seen a steady increase. What was $6.4 million in 2019 has now ballooned to $8.8 million in 2026. And there’s good reason behind it, with even World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler playing in the event for the first time.

That growth isn’t unique to the 3M Open. Purses across the PGA Tour have been climbing since 2022, when LIV Golf’s arrival pushed the Tour to roll out a tier of “signature” events worth roughly $20 million apiece to keep top players from jumping ship. A regular full-field stop like the 3M Open hasn’t kept pace with those marquee purses, but it’s still riding the same money: bigger broadcast deals and sponsorships lift the whole schedule, and stronger ticket sales add to that. Scheffler’s presence this week and the gate numbers below feed off each other, a bigger name sells more tickets, and a healthier gate helps justify a bigger purse.

3M Open executive director Hollis Cavner revealed that tournament ticket sales have already increased by 25-30 percent over last year. So, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that players are competing fiercely for their share of the prize pool. But the question is, how much will the winner and rest of the field make?

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The winner this year will make the most money any winner before him in the 3M Open has made. USA’s Matthew Wolff banked $1.152 million as the tournament’s first champion back in 2019. The number crept up slowly at first, past $1.18 million for USA’s Michael Thompson and USA’s Cameron Champ in the two years after, then took off once LIV Golf shook up Tour purses: USA’s Tony Finau got $1.35 million in 2022, USA’s Lee Hodges $1.404 million in 2023, Venezuela’s Jhonattan Vegas $1.458 million in 2024, and USA’s Kurt Kitayama $1.512 million last year.

Besides the huge paycheck, players are competing for much more, including points, perks, and benefits that a win or even a strong finish in the event can earn them. Of course, the winner will be the biggest beneficiary, as alongside the prize money and trophy, he will also earn 500 FedEx Cup points and 42 Official World Golf Ranking points.

A victory will also earn the winner a two-plus-season exemption on the PGA Tour, along with spots in the 2027 Masters, the 2027 PGA Championship, and the 2027 Sentry Tournament of Champions. All of that is on the line as the final groups work their way around TPC Twin Cities on Sunday. But the week’s defining moment came two days earlier, when Michael Kim tore the course apart on Friday.

Michael Kim’s record 59 set the stage for a wide-open Sunday

33-year-old Michael Kim entered Friday’s second round with plenty of work to do after a modest opening-day performance at the 3M Open. Kim had carded a 2-under 69 on Thursday, leaving him tied for 53rd and with significant ground to make up on the leaderboard. However, he quickly changed his fortunes in the second round at TPC Twin Cities.

Kim produced a sensational performance, making 12 birdies without dropping a single shot to card a remarkable 12-under 59. The effort saw him surge 42 places up the leaderboard and into the No. 1 spot. His round also made history, as he became only the 15th player in PGA Tour history to shoot a 59 or better. 

For context, the field this week is 144 players, with only the top 70 and ties making the cut after 36 holes. Jumping 42 spots in one round just doesn’t happen very often. Even Jim Furyk’s 58 at the 2016 Travelers, still tied for the lowest round ever played on Tour, only got him to a tie for fifth, and he’d started that day in 70th place.

The Seoul, South Korea native also broke Adam Svensson‘s tournament record of 60, set at TPC Twin Cities last year. Kim’s incredible round was capped by a 24-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole, completing one of the finest rounds of his career.

Kim’s 59 didn’t end up winning him the tournament, though. Jackson Koivun caught fire with his own record back nine in the third round and now leads by three over Emiliano Grillo and Ben Kohles heading into Sunday. Kim has slipped back to a tie for sixth. Scheffler, meanwhile, clawed his way to within six shots of the lead with a third-round charge of his own, setting up a final day where the 144-man field has narrowed to a much smaller group with a real shot at the trophy, and the $1.584 million winner’s share, as the last groups make the turn on Sunday.