3M Open… Who To Watch

By Jim McNaney

 

 

 

 

Fans will not be on property for this year’s 3M Open, but there will be plenty of television coverage to allow everyone to follow their favorite players around the TPC Twin Cities. For the second straight year, the 3M will boast a very strong field. Brooks Koepka and Dustin Johnson were early commits to challenge 2019 champion Matthew Wolff.

“We are thrilled with these two early commitments and look forward to welcoming Brooks back and having Dustin join us for the first time,” said 3M Open Executive Director Hollis Cavner.

With a top-notch field shaping up, here are the top 10 we think should have a very good chance of putting their name in the record books.

Collin Morikowa

Look for last year’s runner-up to make a strong rung for the title again this year. Having lost in a playoff since the restart, and strong finishes since, Collin is coming into form at just the right time. He is not afraid of going low and that is a must at the TPC. Like all the game’s new breed, he is long off the tee, but Morikowa is most known for his accuracy with the irons. If he gets his putter going the way he did last year, look for his name at or near the top all week.

Dustin Johnson

The world number 3, Johnson is a huge get for the 3M Open. Not only does he raise the level of the field, but when he plays, people pay attention. No matter if it’s the way he can destroy a golf course with his length and spectacular wedge play or taking a penalty when tied for the lead in a major championship, Johnson is must-see TV. While he is only ranked 42nd in birdies, he is #1 in eagles. His recent win at the Travelers Championship shows he is ready to take a shot at getting back to world’s number 1.

Brooks Koepka

Brooks did not have a great first go around at TPC Twin Cities last year. Look for him to have a much better showing in 2020. Currently sitting 6th in the OWGR, Koepka wants to find the form that got him to world number 1. Another player noted for being long off the tee. Koepka ranks 17th in driving distance. Up to now, most of the courses played on the revamped schedule are not exactly built to grip it and rip it. TPC should give Brooks the freedom to launch away.

Matthew Wolff

Last year’s winner will look to defend his first ever professional title and, rest assured, he will put up a strong defense. While he’s not had as good a sophomore season as 2019, he still ranks 8th in driving distance and since the restart has shown signs that his iron play is coming into form. A second-place finish at the Rocket Mortgage Classic in June, along with getting on a course where he won, might just put him back on track.

Justin Thomas

The world number 5 is playing more like the past major champion we are used to seeing. Ranking 4th in birdies and 5th in scoring average in 2020, Thomas continues to show he’s on the verge of breaking away from the pack at the top of the game. While he only ranks 49th in driving distance, he still carries a 302.7 average and, perhaps more importantly, is very accurate. Thomas is a great pick this week.

Cameron Champ

No bones about it, Champ can flat out crush it. Ranking second in driving distance with a 322.6 yard average, only DeChambeau is hitting it farther these days. While he is not always the most accurate off the tee, if he does find the fairway he converts. Champ ranks 11th in birdies this season. Already a winner in 2020 at the Safeway Open, look for Champ to hit it long and go low.

Xander Schauffele

The 11th ranked player on the Official World Rankings, Schauffele has established himself over the last few years as a player that can win any week. Incredibly consistent tee to green, he ranks 4th in greens in regulation and 8th in birdie average. While he is not one of the longest hitters off the tee (he ranks 28th in driving distance), he is long enough to put himself into position to make birdies. And whether it was last year’s 3M Open or the previous PGA TOUR Champions 3M Championships, birdies are a necessary.

Adam Hadwin

In 2019, Hadwin felt right at home in Blaine, Minnesota. He even commented that the Minnesota accent might even be a bit stronger than in his hometown of Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan. Fans took a liking to him as well. Last year’s 4th place finish means he knows how to get it around the TPC layout. His 26 birdies in 2019 lead the field so he can putt as well as hit it long.

Victor Hovland

A native of Oslo, Norway, Hovland sometimes flies a bit under the radar with the other young players. Coming out of college the same time as Wolff and Morikowa, this Oklahoma State Cowboy is quietly raking up some impressive stats. Winning in his 17th career start at the Puerto Rico Open at age 22 years, 158 days, he became the fourth player since 1990 to win the U.S. Amateur and on the PGA TOUR before turning 23, joining Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods and David Gossett. This season, he became the first player since 1983 with a streak of at each 18 rounds in the 60’s. Oh and one more reason… he’s long… really long!

Bryson DeChambeau

Why wouldn’t we pick DeChambeau? What he has done since the restart is truly remarkable. A T6 at the Travelers Championship made the “mad scientist” the only player to finish in the top 10 at each of the first three events since the season resumed. He earned his sixth career PGA TOUR title at the Rocket Mortgage Classic, defeating Matthew Wolff by three strokes, making him the first winner in the ShotLink era (since 2003) to lead the field in Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee and Strokes Gained: Putting. He also led the field in Driving Distance with a 350.6 yard average (no that’s not a misprint) and Par-4 Scoring Average of 3.68. The win also extended his streak of consecutive seasons with a win to start his career to four and marked his seventh consecutive top-10 on TOUR.

Given the strength of the field week in and week out on the PGA TOUR in 2020, seemingly anyone could capture the crown. Certainly, any on these players are a good bet. There is a feeling that a long hitter has an advantage on TPC Twin Cities and all of the players listed are fully capable of the long ball.

Of course, all of this could change in the Friday before the tournament if one Tiger Woods decides to enter the field. If that happens, one guess who our frontrunner is.

Brooks Koepka

Xander Schauffele

Justin Thomas