3M Open 2024: Course and current form stats

• Tricky, undulating putting surfaces

• Hughes 60/161.00 can secure third PGA Tour title this week

• Finau 10/111.00 to overcome Open blues and win at Twin Cities

Tournament and Course Notes

• With the four majors done and dusted for another year, attention on the PGA Tour switches to the end of season FedEx Cup Play-Offs. Just two tournaments remain before the top 70 players in the FedEx Cup standings are invited to compete in the first of three play-off events. These begin on August 15 in Tennessee;

• As with all five previous 3M Opens, this week's instalment takes place at TPC Twin Cities. Opened in 2000, the course was designed by Arnold Palmer in consultation with Tom Lehman. TPC Twin Cities is laid out approximately 900 feet above sea level, and is the most northerly American venue on this season's PGA Tour calendar;

• Owing to the tournament's close proximity with The Open Championship, the field for this week's event is relatively weak by normal Tour standards. Just three of the world's top 25 are teeing-up.

• Situated approximately 15 miles north of Downtown Minneapolis, the course was part of the Champions Tour for 18 years from 2001. It then switched allegiance to the PGA Tour, although the layout had to be toughened up considerably in 2018 to accommodate golf's bigger hitters and younger pros;

• This task belonged to Tom Lehman and Steve Wenzloff who narrowed fairways, added new tees and bunkers, as well as grow areas of rough. There is a plentiful supply of sizeable water hazards which come into play on 12 holes. Sand is also a constant threat;

• This parkland course has undulating putting surfaces that are slightly larger than the Tour average and forms a huge part of its defence. Both fairways and greens are sown with Bentgrass. The average winning under-par total for the 3M Open is 19.2.

Click here for latest betting on 3M Open

Good Current Form

In a field sparse of big-name professionals, opportunity will certainly knock this week for those further down golf's pecking order.

Among those currently ranked outside the world's top 100, but in reasonable form, are Chan Kim 55/156.00, Rico Hoey 60/161.00, Max Greyserman 66/167.00 and Patrick Fishburn 75/176.00.

All four have not had to fly back from Scotland to tee-up on Thursday, but have made the much shorter journey from California to Minnesota.

With the exception of Kim, the other three players occupied top-15 positions in the Stableford event which concluded on Sunday.

All four would be good e/w selections, with Hoey sporting a trio of top-10s from his most recent four starts.

And if you're seeking a more established pro to secure an outright victory at TPC Twin Cities, then Canadian Mackenzie Hughes 60/161.00 could fit the bill.

The world No 64 has posted three T10s this season, and flies in from the UK having tied-16th at Royal Troon over the weekend. He's a two-time winner on the PGA Tour.

Betfair Sportsbook

Good Course Form

One golfer who certainly knows his way around Twin Cities is Tony Finau 10/111.00.

The six-time winner on the PGA Tour is a former Twin Cities' champion. He has also stood on the podium here and last year tied-seventh.

His form in recent weeks (with the exception of Royal Troon) has been good, thanks to a hat-trick of top-10 finishes before heading to The Open Championship.

Cameron Davis 40/141.00, a recent winner in Detroit, is another pro with a strong course history, while world No 55 JT Poston's 35/136.00 12 rounds here have come at an average of 68.33.

At No 34 in the current FedEx Cup standings, Poston will be keen to further his chances of qualifying for the season-ending Tour Championship in Atlanta.

Click here for latest betting on THE OLYMPICS

Stroke Averages

Lowest Eight At TPC Twin Cities (2019-23)
Average .... (Rounds)
67.60: Tony Finau (20)
68.07: Emiliano Grillo (14)
68.33: JT Poston (12)
68.40: Martin Laird (10)
68.50: Adam Hadwin (14)
68.56: Cameron Davis (18)
68.71: Keith Mitchell (14)
68.72: Tom Hoge (18)
Min. No. of Rounds = 10
Only those entered this week are included in table

MC* - Missed Additional 54-Hole Cut

Note: List Contains Leading Reserves

Now read The Punter's Open Championship De-brief: Sensational Schauffele captures second major