Power Rankings: 3M Open

As the inventor of the Stroked Gained analytics that have become part of the fabric of and conversation about performance on the PGA TOUR, Mark Broadie would espouse that every shot counts. Heck, that’s the title of his book on the subject – “Every Shot Counts.” However, not every shot feels the same in terms of its impact. Strokes Gained measures the measurable. Other things define grit and the alternative.

This is to say that the 3M Open includes a measure of pressure to perform with the FedExCup Playoffs on the horizon. It’s the penultimate stop before the field of 70 for the Playoffs is determined and plays on to chase additional goals.

A field of 156 is assembled for the sixth edition of the tournament in Blaine, Minnesota, all at TPC Twin Cities. Details of what’s in store are below.

The 3M Open ignites a two-tournament stretch across three weeks that’s bisected by the Olympic Men’s Golf Competition. The long-range objective hasn’t been as visible as it is right now, and it’ll only get clearer when the Wyndham Championship is poised to conclude the regular season on the other side.

Just like the current singularity and simplicity of targeting the Playoffs, TPC Twin Cities is as fair as the players would want. It’s right out in front of them, so its timing as a launchpad is as valuable as it is palpable.

The par 71 with three par 5s sets up familiarly at 7,431 yards. Bentgrass greens a little greater than average in size could touch 13 feet on the Stimpmeter if conditions cooperate. Once again, the tallest of the rough will be four inches.

Save a threat of inclement weather late in the tournament, it’s going to be a green-light special. Seasonable daytime highs in the 80s will be felt in earnest with a primarily sunny sky. In correlation to gradual heating, winds will freshen on Friday and Saturday. As always, the timing of when it pushes (from the south) could add a wrinkle for one side of the draw.

TPC Twin Cities is one of the most gettable off the tee and on approach. When converting greens in regulation into par breakers, it becomes a shootout. What Lee Hodges achieved a year ago never is the expectation, but he proved that the extraordinary is possible. All he did was record the only wire-to-wire victory of 2022-23 and with a season-high margin of victory of seven strokes. Like the majority committed this week, he was outside the top 70 in the FedExCup upon arrival.

ROB BOLTON’S SCHEDULE

MONDAY: Power Rankings
TUESDAY*: Sleepers
WEDNESDAY: Golfbet Insider
SUNDAY: Points and Payouts; Medical Extensions; Qualifiers; Reshuffle

* - Rob is a member of the panel for PGATOUR.COM’s Expert Picks for PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf, which also publishes on Tuesday.