Niall Lyons has five tips for the 3M Open in Minnesota.
3M Open
The curtain has been lowered on the Major season and focus now turns to the Fedex Cup which ends next month with only two full field events left to play in the 2022-2023 season. The Arnold Palmer designed Twin Cities in Minnesota hosts the 3M Open for the 5th year on the trot and as is usually the case struggles to attract the best names in the game.
Finau, Young and Thomas head the star names as many will take a few weeks off before the playoffs begin in three weeks time. The first renewal of this event back in 2019 saw Wolff hold off Dechambeau and Morikawa in a thrilling affair which was dominated by an excellent tee to green game. Wolff topped that stat when winning here and Morikawa was 2nd in the same category finishing one shot behind.
3M Open Tips
That hasn't quite been the case since with Thompson not faring as well from tee to green when winning but sitting atop the putting stats for the week. Similar played out in 2021 when Champ's long game wasn't the story behind him winning, but more so ranking 1st in SG Putting for the week.
Last year it returned to tee to green specialists with the top 3 Finau, Grillo and Im all ranking inside the top 5 in SG tee to green. Clearly the big hitters can go well here but it's not necessary and if you lack in that department you certainly have the chance to make up for it on the greens.
Cameron Davis at 40/1 (Eight Places)
With Finau, Champ and Wolff three of the last four winners I'll be keen to have a few ball busters in my team and Cameron Davis fits the bill. The Aussie had a difficult start to the year with the putter being the main issue but has since turned it around and managed some impressive results, most notably the 4th placed finish at the PGA Championship.
Twin Cities looks like the perfect venue on which his game could translate well on and having finished 16-28-12 in his last three appearances here looks worthy of support around the 40/1 mark. The greens here are some of the easiest on tour and I'd expect this to be to his liking given he has struggled most of the season with the putter.
Other venues worthy of note are PGA National where Michael Thompson has won on and here at Twin Cities, whilst Sungjae Im has a victory at the Honda and a runner up here. The Honda Classic venue has danger around every corner and a lot of water, similar to the setup here. Detroit golf club is another that holds the Rocket Mortgage worthy of note and Davis has a very solid record on those two tracks.
Two top 20s and a victory in Detroit and a top ten at the Honda as well as his decent efforts here certainly make him one to watch. He'll be keen to get back on the horse having waited patiently at Hoylake all week as first reserve and not managing to a his spot in the field.
1.5pts each-way C.Davis 40/1 (1/5 8) Bet365 8 place market, WilliamHill
Adam Svensson at 80/1 (Eight Places)
Adam Svensson has had some injury struggles throughout the season but looks to be coming out the other side of it and around the 80/1 mark looks very interesting. Ball striking has always been the Canadian's strength but his iron play has dipped significantly in the last three months.
There have been instances of really good stuff among the bad though leading at halfway at Sawgrass in March, lying 4th at halfway at Quail Hollow then sitting 10th after two rounds of the PGA Championship. Recently there have been better signs and it's worth noting his iron play has now improved four weeks on the spin.
That is a huge positive as is the four rounds in the 60s recently posted for a top 25 finish at the John Deere. Svensson has one top 20 posted here as well as a top ten at the Honda and the reigning RSM Classic champion arrives here having sneakily improved in most departments lately.
1pt each-way A.Svensson 80/1 (1/5 8) Bet365 8 place market, Skybet, Paddypower, WilliamHill
Taylor Pendrith at 60/1 (Eight Places)
Taylor Pendrith is another slugger who can continue some good recent form on a suitable layout. The Canadian missed the cut last week at the Barracuda but I don't believe it a course perfect for his game. He can attack this golf course on which length off the tee has proven time and time again to be a huge advantage.
14th in Detroit added to his previous runner up finish there whilst two solid made cuts at the Honda is another positive for his game translating well here on debut. I'm happy to overlook last weeks effort given the scoring nature of the event and he should feel much more at home at Twin Cities this week where he can get his career well and truly back on track following fitness concerns.
1pt each-way T.Pendrith 60/1 (1/5 8) Bet365 8 place market
David Lingmerth at 250/1 (Eight Places)
One of the most interesting 200/1+ shots I've seen in a fair while is David Lingmerth this week and despite his length off the tee being a fair issue, he just has to be played here. He sat inside the top 20 after round 1 last week at Hoylake and 2 over par after three rounds was a very respectable score for the Swede before turning in a 7 over par round on a very difficult Sunday.
Lingmerth has hit form at the right time having qualified for Hoylake courtesy of a 3rd placed finish in Scotland the previous week. He is another with solid form on the courses we look to with a runner up finish at Sawgrass back in 2013 and an 8th placed finish the following year at PGA National. This season he has produced similar with two top tens once again coming at those two courses.
The length of Twin Cities will prove a challenge but he has made his last two cuts here and was inside the top ten after two rounds a couple of years ago. Certainly not a forlorn hope at anything of 200/1 or better.
1pt each-way D.Lingmerth 250/1 (1/5 8) William Hill
Austin Eckroat has plenty to play for in the coming weeks ranking 65th in the fedex standings and will be looking to solidify his place in that final 70 for the St Jude. He looks one who could take to this course but a recent dip in his iron play is enough to put me off.
Eric Cole is another who could go well with the PGA National link but he'll need a better driving display than what he has been producing lately. His irons are in fine shape though and any improvement with the big stick should see him contend.
Ben Griffin at 125/1 (Eight Places)
Another who could go well at triple figure prices is Ben Griffin who had a largely successful couple of weeks on the links. 25th in Scotland was a fair effort and although missing the cut on the number at Hoylake would have been disappointing he can take positives from that having beat plenty of the top golfers in the world on quite a tough test.
Prior to Scotland he finished 33rd in Detroit and during the last couple of months his iron play has been quite impressive, even throughout a spell of missed cuts. Griffin has a top 25 finish in his only appearance at the Honda Classic and looks to have turned a corner lately and 1 more putt dropping over the first couple of days in Liverpool would have seen him add to this solid display of results.
He looks worthy of a place higher up the betting than the current 125/1 on the table.
1pt each-way B.Griffin 125/1 (1/5 8) Skybet
