Following the introduction of the Rocket Mortgage Classic last week, the PGA Tour now has another new tournament in the shape of the 3M Open. At least, it has technically been declared as a new event although it’s more of a rebranding to take over from the 3M Championship which was contested by the seniors and ran from 1993 to 2018.
This is at the same venue, TPC Twin Cities, with a mixed field that is led by its headline attraction.
Brooks Koepka (+700 with Bovada) returns to the PGA Tour and is one of a handful of big names looking to find some touch ahead of the Open Championship later this month. The US PGA Champion is clear of the field in the 3M betting odds with the big American bookmakers this week and is by far the highest ranked golfer out here.
He is down to third in the Power Rankings however amidst a perceived lack of motivation for a non-Major but could this be the week when Brooks finds another gear?
Behind the bookies’ 3M Open favorite, Hideki Matsuyama (+1000) and Jason Day (+1100) come next. Both are in good touch – Matsuyama has recorded a string of top 25s and it is a year since he last missed a cut. Australia’s Day is without a win in 14 months but comes to Minnesota on the back of six top 10 finishes.
Bryson Dechambeau (+1400) is next, having hinted at a return to his best with a tie for eighth at the Travelers Championship. Patrick Reed (22/1) is also finding some form but behind the top five, the field really starts to move out.
In such a mixed field, it’s a surprise to see Tony Finau (28/1) heading up the outsiders and it may well be worth taking advantage of his long price. He has gone under the radar this week but form will return and we’ll come back to Finau in the round-up of our 3M Open predictions.
Keegan Bradley (+4000) has some key stats for this course. Bradley ranks highly on Tour for distance hitting and Strokes Gained: Putting and that could be significant.
Also in the mix is a strong contingent from outside of the US. Rory Sabbatini, Victor Hovland and Joaquin Niemann are all getting support at around the 33/1 mark. The Slovakian Sabbatini could be the one to watch following his tie for third on Sunday.
A shorter trip, across the border to Canada, brings up the name of Adam Hadwin (50/1). A missed cut at River Highlands last time out isn’t an encouraging sign but he is a former winner of the Valspar Championship and in a weakened field he just might thrive.
Other names in the mix in the 40/1 to 50/1 outsider section include Kevin Na, Charles Howell and Scott Piercy but there isn’t too much love for our most recent winner Nate Lashley (66/1). Despite taking the Rocket Mortgage Classic by six shots on Sunday, the sportsbooks clearly rate that as a freak result.
Phil Mickelson (40/1) will get some support but is that just down to nostalgia or will Lefty be a genuine contender? Let’s judge if we can answer that question by seeing what it will take to win the first edition of the 3M Open golf tournament.
Our Preview’s 3M Open Predictions & Picks Verdict with Course & Betting Trends
We can’t really take the previous 3M Championship into account when looking for any indicators this week. Although it was held on the same course, that was a seniors’ event and was won last year for the third time by 57-year-old Kenny Perry.
TPC Twin Cities is located in Blaine, Minnesota and hasn’t held any other pro tournaments so the majority of players will be heading here for the first time. In terms of dimensions this is a lengthy par 72 at 7,468 yards and there could be some advantage for the distance hitters. Three of the par fours are reported as driveable and some routine par 5s may be safe birdies for some.
Water is in play at times but accuracy may not be quite so vital across four days. Looking at all those factors, there may never be a better time for Tony Finau to find his touch. His price jumped off the page as we worked through the contenders and he has the game to deliver.
If form is with Finau, we’ll have a nice profit along with some strong tips for top 10 finishes as we usher in another new arrival to the PGA Tour. Here are our 3M Open predictions and picks:
- Go with Keegan Bradley, Adam Hadwin and Phil Mickelson for top 10 finishes, when Bovada publishes their odds for this.
Matt Harris is a golf and soccer expert for USA Betting. His other area of specialist knowledge is cricket. He is well known in sports journalism and contributes articles to a plethora of big-name websites and media outlets. Titles that he writes or has written for include: Betfair, BetVictor, Unibet & Just Bookies.