The PGA Tour is now headed to the land of 10,000 lakes, where some of the world’s best golfers will tee it up in the 3M Open.
3M Open: 5 players to watch with FedEx Cup playoffs on horizon
Although on the heels of a major, these five golfers have plenty to play for at the PGA Tour’s penultimate regular season event, the 3M Open.
Jack Milko has been playing golf since he was five years old. He has yet to record a hole-in-one, but he did secure an M.A. in Sports Journalism from St. Bonaventure University.
TPC Twin Cities will play host, which it has done since 2018—the 7,431-yard, par-72 layout used to be a staple on the PGA Tour Champions circuit.
Tony Finau won this event in 2022 after 54-hole leader Scott Piercy shot 7-over par over his last 11 holes. Piercy’s tumble down the leaderboard opened the door for Finau.
This time around, the 3M Open comes on the heels of The Open Championship, won by Brian Harman in dominating fashion.
Only a dozen or so players will trek to Minnesota from England, but that does not mean that the 3M Open field should be overlooked.
So here are five players to watch for this week at TPC Twin Cities:
1. Justin Thomas - United States
Justin Thomas is the only man in the field who has won multiple major championships. Yet, his performance in 2023 has not resembled that of a major champion.
He has played terribly, with his FedEx Cup ranking of 75th proving that.
Only the Top 70 in the FedEx Cup standings make it to TPC Southwind in Memphis, host of the first round of the FedEx Cup playoffs that begin in two weeks.
After missing the cut at The Open—his third missed cut at a major this season—Thomas needs to have his game show up in Minnesota, or else his chances at making the playoffs will be in serious jeopardy.
“The golf in Minnesota is obviously slightly different than here in Liverpool,” Thomas said after his second round at The Open. “But I’m hitting a lot of good shots. I’m just making so many bonehead mistakes, and crazy things are happening.”
All eyes will be on Thomas as he looks to right the ship.
2. Tony Finau - United States
The defending champion will garner attention for obvious reasons, but Tony Finau has struggled somewhat since winning the Mexico Open in late April.
Since his victory south of the border, Finau finished in 72nd at the PGA Championship, tied for 32nd at the U.S. Open, and missed the cut in three other events, including at his most recent appearance at The Open.
Yet, he still ranks tenth in the FedEx Cup standings, so he is not concerned about whether or not he will make the playoffs.
But he should worry about his place on the Ryder Cup team. Finau represented Team USA in both 2018 and 2021, but for 2023, his status for the team is in doubt.
Finau currently ranks 19th in the Ryder Cup standings.
A solid performance in Minnesota would go a long way toward improving his stature—or impressing captain Zach Johnson enough to select him as a captain’s pick.
3. Cameron Young - United States
Cameron Young is trending in the right direction, most recently tying for eighth at The Open as he played alongside Harman in the final pairing on Sunday.
Before that, Young tied for sixth at the John Deere Classic. He also finished in the top ten at The Masters earlier this year, thus meaning he has two top ten finishes at majors in 2023.
He arrives in Minnesota in a similar position as Finau, hoping to play well enough to claim a spot on the Ryder Cup team.
Young has yet to represent the Americans in the Ryder Cup, but he donned the stars and stripes at last year’s President’s Cup, finishing with a 1-2-1 record.
Nevertheless, Young is currently eighth in the Ryder Cup standings for Team USA.
The top six automatically qualify, so another strong showing this week would do wonders for his Ryder Cup hopes.
4. Sepp Straka - Austria
Sepp Straka has had a strong season. He won the John Deere Classic, shooting a 9-under 62 on Sunday to fly past the field and claim a PGA Tour victory for the second time in his career.
He most recently tied for second at The Open, leading the field in total birdies made with 21 at Royal Liverpool.
The 30-year-old Austrian now has his eyes set on representing Team Europe at the 2023 Ryder Cup.
Straka currently ranks seventh on the World Points list for Europe, as the top three automatically qualify.
The other list—European Points—is primarily for players competing on the DP World Tour. The top three golfers from that ranking will also be on the European team. Straka is 47th on the European Points list.
Yet, his high ranking on the World Points list means that Straka could be a Captain’s Pick. Luke Donald, who will captain the Europeans, has six picks.
If Straka continues to play well, Donald will have no choice but to select the Austrian.
5. Hideki Matsuyama - Japan
Hideki Matsuyama has not had the season that he is typically accustomed to, and that is because of a lingering neck injury that has bothered him since the early spring.
He skipped the RBC Heritage in April and Wells Fargo Championship in May, citing injury concerns, but Matsuyama has bounced back to make the cut in five of his last six events. The Rocket Mortgage Classic in Detroit was the outlier in that stretch—his third missed cut of the season.
Although Matsuyama does not have a Ryder Cup spot to compete for, he does rank 54th in the current FedEx Cup standings.
He is projected to be safely in the field in Memphis, but if he slips up in Minnesota, other players could pass him by, thus sending him closer to the FedEx Cup bubble.
Another good week at the 3M Open would further solidify his place in the Playoffs. Matsuyama looks to finish in the top 20 for the second consecutive week following his tie for 13th at The Open Championship.
Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko for more golf coverage. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough too.
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