BLAINE, Minn. – Justin Thomas arrived in Minnesota in hopes of climbing the FedExCup standings and ensuring his spot in the Playoffs. Instead, he left the 3M Open empty-handed and with only one week remaining to turn around the toughest season of his career.

Thomas followed a first-round 69 at TPC Twin Cities with an even-par 71 on Friday to miss the cut at the 3M Open, his fifth missed cut in his last seven starts. He made six birdies Friday – including four on his final five holes -- but was undone by two water balls at the par-5 18th, his ninth hole of the day, another double-bogey after hitting into the penalty area at the par-3 fourth hole and a bogey on his second-to-last hole after his first chip failed to reach the green.

Thomas, who began the week ranked 75th in the FedExCup standings, now heads to the PGA TOUR’s Regular Season finale in an 11th-hour attempt to make the postseason.

Thomas has never finished worse than 32nd in the FedExCup and has qualified for the TOUR Championship in each of the past seven seasons. He specifically added the 3M Open and the Wyndham Championship to his schedule to chase a spot in the Playoffs. Now there is no margin for error left.

Thomas debuted a counter-balanced putter this week, his first time using one since his rookie season, in an attempt to improve his putting. He ranks 159th in Strokes Gained: Putting this season. He used the new flatstick to make a 30-footer for birdie on his final hole Friday, but his rally was undone by too many penalty strokes and his bogey on the par-3 eighth, which came after three consecutive birdies.

“I want to be in Atlanta and I'm going to have to get there somehow,” Thomas said earlier this week.

His only route now is through the Regular Season finale at Sedgefield Country Club, a course he hasn’t played since he missed the cut at the 2016 Wyndham Championship. He hasn’t finished better than T56 in three appearances. The Wyndham is where Thomas made his PGA TOUR debut as a 16-year-old. He shot 65 in the first round, a score that portended big things for the teenager.

But the former FedExCup champion, who owns two PGA Championships and won the 2021 PLAYERS, has struggled this season. This will be his sixth missed cut of the season, compared to a career-low three top-10s.

The result has implications not only for the Playoffs but the Ryder Cup in September. Thomas has been a staple of the United States’ recent team events, appearing in three Presidents Cups and two Ryder Cups. Like the FedExCup standings, Thomas finds himself on the outside looking in for an automatic qualifying spot and will need a captain’s pick to play in Rome. Potentially sitting out the Playoffs while other candidates compete against some of the season’s strongest fields will certainly sting, however.

Thomas has one more chance to avoid that fate.

NOTABLES

Kevin Streelman has never missed the Playoffs in his PGA TOUR career, and he will need more rounds like Friday’s 68 to keep it that way. The 44-year-old entered the week 120th; a win would move him inside the top 70. At 10 under, he is in the mix… J.T. Poston, currently 60th in the standings, is looking to lock up a playoff spot this week. Back-to-back rounds of 66 are helping his cause… A missed cut will not help K.H. Lee’s chances, who entered the week 70th…The same goes for Davis Thompson after a missed cut. He started the week 72nd… Joel Dahmen managed a bogey-free second-round in need of a big week, but only three birdies left him at 2 under and with an early flight home....Tyler Duncan, currently 113th, is projected inside the top 70 if his position holds as sole runner-up… Keith Mitchell holed 118 feet of putts to jump into the top 10, a similar finish would provide cushion as he entered the week in 66th…S.H. Kim’s 64 kept him around for the weekend. He needs to climb further up the leaderboard to crack the Playoffs. He entered the week 82nd… A bogey on the par-5 18th pushed Cam Davis outside the projected top 70. He’ll be around for the weekend to improve his position… Ben Griffin’s position at 68th is tenuous and he will need more than his current T31 placing to stay inside the bubble… That’s the case for Ben Taylor, too. He’s projected to make the cut on the number, but at 70th he will need a better weekend to stay on the right side of the Playoffs.

FEDEX ST. JUDE CHAMPIONSHIP BUBBLE WATCH

Here are the players projected to move inside the top 70 of the FedExCup after the second 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. 68): Suh followed up a solid first round at the 3m Open with an even-par second round, carding three birdies in the front nine but cancelling them out with some bogeys later in the round. Nonetheless, steady play keeps the 2022 Korn Ferry Tour Player of the Year in good position to make the Playoffs in his first season as a TOUR member.

PROJECTED OUT

Ben Griffin (No. 68, projected to No. 71): Despite making the cut and sitting T33, Ben Griffin is projected to fall just outside the Playoffs line. Making the Playoffs in his first full year on TOUR would be quite the accomplishment for the young man from North Carolina. Luckily, he still has 36 holes to lift himself above that narrow margin.

K.H. Lee (No. 70, projected to No. 73): A valiant effort on Friday from Lee almost helped him make the cut at the 3M Open. He’ll have to use his 4-under 67 in Round 2 as a springboard at the Wyndham Championship next week as he tries to battle his way back inside the Playoffs cut line and extend his Playoffs streak to five straight seasons.

BIG MOVERS

Kevin Streelman (No. 120, projected to No. 98): An eagle at the 18th in Round 1 moved Streelman into a tie for second. That eagle may have sparked his tournament as he went out and fired a bogey-free 68 in Round 2 to move to 10 under. Starting the tournament at No. 120 in the FedExCup Standings, he was out of sight, out of mind, but now Streelman has a shot at making the Playoffs if he can keep up this form.

David Lipsky (No. 93, projected to No. 84): Firing the round of the day on Friday at TPC Twin Cities, Lipsky carded a 7-under 64 that has him positioned just outside the top 70 in the FedExCup Standings. A nice weekend from Lipsky could see him find his way into the top 70 and inside the threshold for the Playoffs.

BUBBLE BOY

Ben Taylor (No. 67, projected to No. 70): Our bubble boy heading into the weekend is Englishman Ben Taylor, who sits T59 after rounds of 70 and 68. This is the first time Taylor has been within the top 100 this late into the season in his PGA TOUR career.