The 151st Open saw Brian Harman upset the odds with a six-shot thrashing of the field last weekend, and although the major-championship campaign may be over for 2023, there are still two more events remaining in the regular season.
The 3M Open kicks off this Thursday in Minnesota and although the field won't be as stacked as The Open Championship last weekend a number of players will be jockeying for position to secure a top 70 place in the FedEx Cup Playoffs. The Playoffs tightening from 125 to 70 has helped see the field of the 3M improve drastically, with 27 players falling between number 55 and 85 in the FedEx Cup standings.
18 players have made the 10 hour flight over from Liverpool, with the standout names being: Tony Finau, Cameron Young, Justin Thomas, Sepp Straka. Hideki Matsuyama & Sungjae Im.
Finding the fairway will be key this weekend. Historically 8% of missed fairways have resulted in penalties here, which puts the course in the top 5 with regards to hazard frequency. Those that stay in bounds will be rewarded with plenty of birdie or eagles chances, which makes it hard to overlook the big hitters taking part.
Tony Finau won this event last year and ticks all the boxes when it comes to defending his title. Finding the green in regulation 88% of the time last year proved to be enough. Tony Finau to finish in the Top 5 has been boosted to 9/2 with the Pools and goes down as my bet of the tournament.
Looking away from the favourite my pick of the field is Sepp Straka:
Peaking at the right time, Sepp Straka has put together a strong bid for his Ryder Cup place. Following up his win at John Deere with a tied 2nd place finish in The Open, I can see Sepp continuing this great run of form. 22/1 feels like a generous price for a player currently playing at the top of his game.
3M Open Bets:
Tony Finau to finish in the Top 5 @ 9/2
Sepp Straka to win the 3M Open @ 22/1 Each way (6 places)
"Get £10 in free bets & 100 free spins when you deposit & stake £10 on any sport"
18+ Only. New Customers Only. Full Terms and Conditions Apply* Free Bets and Free Spins credited within 24 hours of first bet settlement. Free Spins to be used on Eyes of Horus Megaways
Comments