3M Open Betting Picks
There's a pair of big underdogs worthy of your attention.
For the 2nd week in a row, the PGA Tour heads to a new venue. This week the tour is stopping in Minnesota for the inaugural 3M Open. This will be the 1st regular stop in Minnesota since 1969. The host course is TPC Twin Cities. The field will be a 156 golfers with the Top 70 and ties making it to the weekend.
TPC Twin Cities
Par 71 7,468 yards
TPC Twin Cities is located north of Minneapolis in Blaine, Minnesota. This is an Arnold Palmer designed course with recent updates from Tom Lehman. The course was lengthened and par adjusted to better test the PGA Tour golfers. That said, we are still expected to see -20+ as the total winning score. The course hosted the Champions Tour from 1993 to 2019. The course will play as a Par 71 spanding 7,468 yards. There are 27 water hazards which come into play on over half the holes. I mean we are playing in the land of 10,000 lakes afterall. There are 74 bunkers and greens are about the tour size average of 6,500 sq feet.The greens are bentgrass and fairly tame. The greens are expected to run about a 12 on the stimp meter. Winds can make this course tricky but that does not look like it will be an issue at this point. The weather points to temperatures in the upper 70s and 80s with chances of rain but only mild wind. As always things can change so check the weather as it gets closer to tee off. Hole 6 is a classic risk reward Par 5 measuring 594 yards. It is a double dogleg giving players plenty of options. There is water guarding the green but the green itself is generous. Hole 7 is nicknamed Tom’s Thumb. Not after the grocery store chain but the Tom Lehman. The hole is a 381 yard Par 4 that can be reached. You want to carry the lake on the left side to avoid bunkers short and right of the green. The green itself is also protected as it is a two tiered green. The Par 4 9th hole measures out to 502 yards. First, you must find the fairway. Then players are faced with a difficult approach shot. There is a large mound protecting the green that is shaped around a lake. At 437 yards, the Par 14th is a member favorite. The hole is a dogleg left which requires a tee shot to the right side of the fairway. From the fairway, golfers can attack the green. Once again, I will be targeting longer shots with the weak field. Nate Lashley came from nowhere to blitz the field and I can see the same thing happening again in Minnesota.
Six Pack Of 3M Open Picks
Patrick Reed has been hitting the golf ball a lot better lately compared to earlier in the season. Last week at the Rocket Mortgage Classic, he was 3rd in SG: Approach and 6th in Tee To Green. Even his ice cold putter found some life last week with 9 birdies on Saturday. This will be his final tune up before heading across the pond for the Open.
Anytime a tournament is considered a birdie fest, Bryson DeChambeau is in play. He is ranked T5 in birdie average this season but it is the big scores that have gotten him in trouble. He may have finally righted the ship last time out with a T8 finish. DeChambeau gained 6 strokes tee to green and it was his 1st Top 10 since February.
Rory Sabbatini has been red hot this summer picking up his 3rd Top 6 finish in his last 5 events. He has 5 Top 10 finishes in his last 8 starts. Sabbatini led the Rocket Mortgage Classic field in driving accuracy and was 4th in putts per GIR. For the season, Sabbatini is 29th in Birdie Average and 38th in SG:Tee To Green.
Viktor Hovland is not the only recent amateur turned pro to be seeing success right away on the PGA Tour. Morikawa is 3-3 in cuts made and has a 14th place finish to his young career. In a week field he is worth consideration as evident by how he is only 70/1 despite this being only his 4th career start.
Doc Redman will look to carry the momentum from last week’s 2nd place finish. Redman’s 2nd place finish earned him temporary PGA membership. This means Redman can accept an unlimited number of sponsor exemptions for the remainder of the season. If he finishes inside the Top 125 in the FedEx Cup standings, he will get his PGA Tour card. He will be plenty motivated to do well this week. He finished T18 in his only other start this season on the PGA Tour at the Wells Fargo Championship.
Cameron Tringale finished 5th last week for his best start of the season. He had already been trending up with 3 Top 23 finishes in his last 5 starts before the Rocket Mortgage Classic. Tringale is ranked 20th in GIR%, 31st in SG:Approach, and 40th in Birdie Average this season.
*Odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook
