Joe Champion
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Xander Schauffele has long looked capable of winning Major championships and he’s finally delivered on his potential this year, following his PGA Championship victory with glory at the British Open Championship on Sunday. Schauffele was a worthy winner of the Claret Jug, navigating abysmal Saturday conditions at Royal Troon before a nerveless, bogey-free 65 on Sunday. The top golfer in the world this year heads to Paris next week with a huge chance of successfully defending his Olympic title.
The Olympics does not count towards the FedEx Cup, so just 2 events remain of the PGA Tour’s regular season and the race for a place in the playoffs ramps up at the 3M Open. The event will be staged at TPC Twin Cities in Blaine, Minnesota, which hosts the 3M Open for the sixth time this week. Tournament favorite and 2022 champion Tony Finau missed the cut at the British Open but that could be a blessing in disguise because those who toiled around Troon – Billy Horschel, Justin Rose and Thriston Lawrence included – are in for a much different test this week. Five previous editions of this tournament have been settled by an average winning total of 19.2 under par and runaway winner Lee Hodges reached 24-under last year, combining pinpoint iron-play with a hot putter. Who will capture the title this time around? Let’s get into our 3M Open golf predictions.
3M Open golf picks and predictions
Akshay Bhatia (+2000)
Odds generally available at time of publishing.
Finau looks a worthy favorite but my preference is for Akshay Bhatia, who has few weaknesses and is particularly impressive on approach and on the greens. Bhatia has quickly won 2 PGA Tour titles – last season’s Barracuda Championship and the Texas Open in April – and he came close to a third when finishing runner-up at the Rocket Mortgage Classic in June. While the 22-year-old blew a golden chance on that occasion, he has the self-belief to bounce back quickly and a missed cut at Troon is of little concern given his lack of links experience.
Cam Davis (+4500)
Odds available at FanDuel Sportsbook at time of publishing.
Cam Davis pipped Bhatia to the Rocket Mortgage title and he also looks to have outstanding claims to making a run at this title. The Australian was unfortunate not to get in as first alternate at the Open last week but he could channel that frustration into a triumph at the 3M Open. Davis boasts rock-solid course form figures of 12-28-16-10 from his last four visits to Twin Cities and Rocket Mortgage champions, including Finau, have a fine record in this tournament.
Neal Shipley (+10000)
Odds available at FanDuel Sportsbook at time of publishing.
Nick Dunlap won for the first time as a pro at the Barracuda Championship last week and his victory should encourage Neal Shipley, who has made a fine start to life in the pro ranks. Shipley was the low amateur in both the Masters and the US Open and he finished sixth, just 2 shots shy of a five-man playoff, at the ISCO Championship a couple of weeks ago. He was 40th at the Barracuda but led the field in strokes-gained approach.
Pierceson Coody (+10000)
Odds available at DraftKings Sportsbook at time of publishing.
Like Shipley, Pierceson Coody is a huge talent who is threatening a PGA Tour breakthrough, losing out in that five-man playoff at the ISCO a fortnight ago. Coody has been putting well and while he’ll need to tighten up his irons, he very much fits the mould of previous winners Matt Wolff and Cameron Champ.
Zac Blair (+17000)
Odds available at DraftKings Sportsbook at time of publishing.
Another ISCO runner-up, Zac Blair, could pop up at huge odds. He was 13th on 3M Open debut a year ago and struck his irons superbly when just being denied by Harry Hall at Keene Trace.
