The answer: Ben Kohles led the 3M Open after round one because he combined a clean, controlled card with a decisive finish. His 241-yard second shot into the par-5 18th stopped four feet away, and the eagle putt completed a career-best 9-under 62. That gave him a two-shot overnight lead over Emiliano Grillo, Jackson Koivun and Gary Woodland.
The finish changed the meaning of the round
Kohles was already tied for the lead at 7 under when he reached TPC Twin Cities' final hole Thursday. A safe birdie would have produced an excellent opening score. Instead, his second shot from 241 yards finished four feet from the cup. The closing eagle moved him clear of the field and tied the tournament's listed single-round scoring record of 62.
The official PGA TOUR wrap-up describes the 36-year-old as being in control all day. His scoring pattern supports that description: beginning at No. 6, he birdied every other hole through No. 14, then added another birdie at No. 15 before the eagle. The burst was sustained rather than frantic. It also came without the late mistake that can erase an otherwise strong day.
Why “career best” matters more than “course record”
A 62 is spectacular, but low scores are part of this tournament's identity. The PGA TOUR's event facts list TPC Twin Cities at par 71 and 7,431 yards for the week. The same official preview notes that Kurt Kitayama won at 23 under in 2025 and that the event produced five rounds of 62 or better that year, including two 60s. Kohles did not solve a course nobody else can score on; he set the pace in a field built to chase.
That makes his personal milestone the more useful lens. Kohles has split 2026 between the PGA TOUR and Korn Ferry Tour, and he entered Minnesota without a PGA TOUR victory. Three weeks earlier, he was in position to win the John Deere Classic before a double bogey on the last hole left him third. On Thursday, the last hole delivered the opposite experience: a committed long approach, a short putt and a lead he fully earned.
The 18th hole offered a clean test of intent
The shot into 18 matters because it revealed the correct kind of aggression. Kohles was not forcing a recovery from trouble or chasing a miracle after a bad decision. He had a playable long approach into a par 5 and executed it. The reward was two strokes under par on the hole and a cushion heading into Friday.
For everyday golfers, the transferable lesson is not “always go for the green.” It is to separate reckless aggression from a committed swing at an appropriate target. Distance, lie, wind, hazards and the player's normal dispersion still decide whether the shot is sensible. Kohles' result was elite execution, not permission to ignore those inputs.
Three challengers kept the tournament compressed
Kohles' lead was meaningful but not comfortable. Grillo, Koivun and Woodland each opened with 64. Koivun's bogey-free 7-under round was the lowest score of his young professional career, according to the TOUR report. Scottie Scheffler, making his first 3M Open start, shot 65 and sat three back after finding only 1 under through eight holes before birdieing five of his next eight.
Those numbers establish the second-round problem. TPC Twin Cities is yielding enough opportunities that protecting a lead is unlikely to work. Kohles must continue creating birdie chances while avoiding the water that comes into play across much of the course. A two-shot advantage can disappear quickly when several proven players are already at 6 or 7 under.
What to watch in round two
First, watch how Kohles responds to ordinary golf. Thursday's closing image was nearly perfect, but a tournament winner still has to absorb missed greens, longer par putts and stretches when approaches do not finish four feet away. His ability to keep bogeys off the card will matter as much as his next eagle.
Second, watch the par-5 decisions. Kohles gained separation with the best possible finish, but repeating the process matters more than repeating the outcome. If he continues giving himself legitimate chances without compounding misses, the score can remain competitive even if the putter cools.
Analysis: An opening-round lead does not make Kohles the likely champion by itself. It does, however, give him evidence that the disappointment at the John Deere did not make him timid. The strongest response to a painful final hole was not a quote about resilience; it was another final hole, played to perfection.
A round worth remembering, with 54 holes still to solve
Kohles' 62 deserves attention because of how neatly it joined control and courage. He built the round through a repeated run of birdies, reached the last already tied for the lead and then attacked from 241 yards when the situation invited it. The eagle made the score memorable. The next three rounds will determine whether it becomes the foundation of his first PGA TOUR win or simply Thursday's best performance.