BLAINE, Minn. – Justin Suh tries not to think about it too much, but he’s reminded every week. After each tournament, Suh gets a text from the PGA TOUR that details exactly where he stands in the FedExCup race.

Those texts are received with a bit more anxiety as the Playoffs loom. Currently 76th in the FedExCup standings, Suh finds himself on the bubble. He must make up ground over the next two weeks to earn a top-70 spot required to play in the FedEx St. Jude Championship.

His first-round 65 at the 3M Open on Thursday is a good start. Suh carded eight birdies and two bogeys at TPC Twin Cities to vault himself into connection and up the FedExCup standings.

“I’m just trying to play good golf,” said Suh, who has made eight straight cuts but managed only one top-20 finish in that span.

A change to his driver helped secure a solid start Thursday. In between starts at the Rocket Mortgage Classic and the Barracuda Championship, Suh tested a handful of new shafts. The first-year member had noticed a loss of distance in recent months and sought answers both in his swing and equipment. Suh averaged just over 300 yards off the tee during the first round, a 5-yard increase on his season average. Through the morning wave, Suh ranked inside the top 30 in Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee and coupled that with a hot putter. Suh made birdie putts of 25, 17, 17 and 15 feet.

But what was the exact shaft change to the driver? Suh’s not the right guy to ask.

“I don't really know what they did, I'm not very – I never really ask, I just kind of look at the numbers and see if it goes in my window,” he said. “I don’t even know what it’s called to be honest.”

Suh hopes a similar unsuspecting mindset will help him block out any pressure of locking up a Playoffs spot. Through one round in Minnesota, he’s on the right track.

NOTABLES:

Lee Hodges, who entered this week 74th, needed only 24 putts Thursday to fire a bogey-free 63, one off the course record... Hideki Matsuyama gained nearly seven shots tee-to-green in an opening-round 64. Currently 54th, Matsuyama is eyeing a top-50 spot, which guarantees exemption into Designated events in 2024... Billy Horschel's 5-under round of 66 puts him in contention, but he’ll need more than a top-10 finish to make the Playoffs. Horschel entered the week at 119th.

FEDEX ST. JUDE CHAMPIONSHIP BUBBLE WATCH

Here are the players projected to move inside the top 70 of the FedExCup after the first round of the 3M Open. The top 70 will advance to the FedEx St. Jude Championship, set for Aug. 10-13 at TPC Southwind outside Memphis, Tennessee:

PROJECTED IN

Lee Hodges (No. 74, projected to No. 33): A first-round 63 on the back of eight birdies has positioned Hodges nicely to secure his place in the FedExCup Playoffs. Projected at No. 33 in the standings after the first round of the 3M Open, the Alabama product is now projected to not only advance to the Playoffs but get on the precipice of the TOUR Championship.

Justin Suh (No. 76, projected to No. 63): An overall solid day of play from Suh in the first round at the 3M Open has him just two strokes off the lead. With a relatively clean card featuring eight birdies and two bogeys, Suh, the 2022 Korn Ferry Tour Player of the Year, is in good position to make the Playoffs in his first season as a TOUR member.

PROJECTED OUT

Sam Ryder (No. 69, projected to No. 71): A respectable effort of a 1-under 70 in his opening round at the 3M Open still saw Ryder’s FedExCup projection slip to just outside the top 70. He’ll need another solid round on Friday to make the cut and effort to climb spots in the standings as opposed to losing them.

K.H. Lee (No. 70, projected to No. 73): Currently standing as the final golfer qualified to make the FedExCup Playoffs at No. 70, Lee struggled in Round 1 to a 3-over 74. Lee has made the Playoffs in each of the last four seasons and will need a quality day on Friday to make the cut and remain within the top 70.

BIG MOVERS

Hideki Matsuyama (No. 54, projected to No. 40): A bogey-free 64 from Matsuyama sees him just one stroke off the lead. Sitting comfortably inside the cut line to make it to the FedEx St. Jude Championship, Matsuyama could use a good week to keep alive his streak of making it to the TOUR Championship in all nine of his TOUR seasons.

Tyler Duncan (No. 113, projected to No. 79): One of the bigger movers of the day in terms of the projected FedExCup standings, Duncan posted a bogey-free 64 after opening in 31.

Nick Hardy (No. 50, projected to No. 46): Hardy made a gutsy call on his final hole of the day, No. 9, bending his club around a tree en route to sticking his approach shot on the green and setting up his eighth and final birdie. Hardy started the week at No. 50 and a good week would guarantee the Illinois alum’s return to Olympia Fields for the BMW Championship.