PGA handicapper Matt MacKay is here with his latest power rankings ahead of Round 1 on Thursday from TPC Twin Cities in Blaine, Minnesota.
PGA Power Rankings: Top 5 Golfers For The 3M Open
After watching Brian Harman dominate in Hoylake to win his first major at the 151st Open Championship, we'll watch the PGA Tour return stateside for its fifth annual trip to the 3M Open at TPC Twin Cities in Blaine, Minnesota.
The 3M Open couldn't be more different from links golf if it tried. The par 71 runs over 7,400 yards in length and features numerous water hazards, along with narrow, tree-lined fairways, with a return to shallower sand traps compared to the pot bunkers at Royal Liverpool this past week. Defending 3M Open winner Tony Finau returns to defend his title as the odds-on betting favorite, sitting at 16/1 with leading bookmakers.
Finau was also the defending Rocket Mortgage Classic champion, but he failed to make the cut a few weeks ago during a birdie fest that saw Rickie Fowler end his four-year losing slump during a three-man playoff.
Just behind Finau is Cameron Young at 14/1 odds, followed by Sungjae Im (16/1), Hideki Matsuyama (16/1), and Justin Thomas (20/1), rounding out the top-five outright betting favorites at the 3M Open this week. Harman's 120/1 victory stunned the golf world, as he held a share of the lead in all four rounds. It's unlikely we'll see a 120/1 golfer replicate this feat in a much less talented field at TPC Twin Cities. However, there's still some good value to bet on this board.
Let's find out when the opening tee times will take place, how to watch the 3M Open and review current outright betting odds. Then, we'll do a course overview of TPC Twin Cities before ending with my top-five power rankings to explain why each golfer's outright odds deserve to be bet on ahead of the fifth annual 3M Open from Blaine, Minnesota.
Click here to read Niall Lyons' 2023 3M Open tips and preview.
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3M Open Course
TPC Twin Cities is a par 71 track that runs north of 7,400 yards while featuring three par 5s and four par 3s. Designed by Arnold Palmer in 2000 alongside Tom Lehman, a former golfer and Minnesota native, TPC Twin Cities is located just a few miles outside of downtown Minneapolis in Blaine, Minnesota. Recently, more sand traps, narrower fairways, and tee box relocations have been introduced to increase the difficulty of logging low scorecards during this event.
Greens are bigger at TPC Twin Cities than we've grown accustomed to seeing; however, they are protected by numerous sand bunkers with plenty of water hazards forming a second layer of defense. Doglegged fairways occur frequently, while bodies of water form constant reminders that errant tee shots and approach shots can wind up adding a stroke to players' scorecards. Driver accuracy, strokes gained approaching the green, sand save percentage, and of course, putting, will be the primary metrics that separate contenders from the rest of the field at TPC Twin Cities.
| Name | Best Price | Worst Price |
|---|---|---|
| Cameron Young | 14/1 | 12/1 |
| Sungjae Im | 16/1 | 12/1 |
| Hideki Matsuyama | 16/1 | 14/1 |
| Tony Finau | 16/1 | 11/1 |
| Justin Thomas | 25/1 | 18/1 |
2023 3M Open Power Rankings | Matt MacKay Outright Bets
Sepp Straka 28/1
Not many players on the PGA Tour are hotter than Sepp Straka right now. The 30-year-old Austrian logged the second outright win of his seven-year career at the John Deere Classic, shedding a slow start to finish -6-under-par or lower in the final three rounds. Straka has either won outright or logged a T2 in his last two events, which includes the fourth major of the year that just wrapped up at Royal Liverpool.
Whether it's Straka's strong putter, ranked 56th in strokes gained putting, his irons that rank 14th in strokes gained approaching the green, or his driver ranking 18th in total driving, he's the real deal and playing fantastic golf right now. His odds have already shortened from +2600 to +2400 at FanDuel Sportsbook, so jump on this line now before it continues to lose value.
Emiliano Grillo 25/1
If not for going even par in the final round at the 2022 3M Open, we likely would've seen Emiliano Grillo force a playoff against Tony Finau. The Argentinian wound up T2 at -14-under-par, going -4-under-par or lower in each of the first three rounds before fizzling out on Sunday. Grillo won a playoff at the Charles Schwab Challenge a couple of months ago, demonstrating his increased ability to produce under pressure. Grillo ranks sixth in total driving efficiency, third in par 3 birdie or better leaders, and eighth in total birdies. He's comfortable at TPC Twin Cities and should be in the mix for another attempt to secure the outright win on Sunday.
Nicolai Højgaard 55/1
Nicolai Højgaard has not won on the DP World Tour this season, but he's logged a couple of T5 finishes, giving me the confidence to recommend him at 34/1 during the 3M Open. The 21-year-old native of Denmark has won once in each of the previous two years, just not at a PGA Tour event.
He'll have a great opportunity to do so at TPC Twin Cities, relying on his irons and red-hot putting to climb the leaderboard. After all, he just wrapped up T23 and T6 finishes at links courses in much more talented fields than the one he'll compete at the 3M Open. 34/1 is solid value, so let's wager half a unit on the European to pull off his first outright win on U.S. soil.
Lucas Glover 50/1
We've watched Lucas Glover come close to an outright win in each of his past three events played. The 43-year-old has previous finishes of T4, T6, and fifth, staying steadily under par in every round while possessing the ability to finish strong during pressure-packed Sundays. Yes, Glover missed the cut here in 2022, but I'm bullish on his current play trumping his course form from last season. Glover ranks 25th in strokes gained approaching the green, 37th in total driving, including 10th in driving accuracy, plus he's avoiding bad lies and ranked sixth for distance from edge of fairway. Glover tops all others in hole proximity, plus he finds greens in regulation at over a 68 percent rate. Wager confidently at 42/1 odds this week.
Peter Kuest 100/1
Newcomer Peter Kuest has only been competing in PGA Tour events since April, but he's managed to rack up three T20 finishes during this stretch. The 25-year-old American logged a T4 during the Rocket Mortgage Classic, which was another birdie-fest that Tony Finau entered as the defending champion. Kuest has not performed well during the Barbasol and Barracuda Championships during the last two weeks. However, at 65/1 odds, I'm willing to sprinkle a quarter unit on his ability to finish as strong as he tends to start during his debut at TPC Twin Cities this week.
