Niall Lyons picks out six to follow at the 2026 3M Open at Twin Cities in Minnesota.
The Arnold Palmer designed Twin Cities in Minnesota hosts the 3M Open for the 8th year on the trot. 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. 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.
In 2022 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.
Three years ago Hodges topped the tee to green statistic for the week when winning, with approach play being the key element. Vegas was one of the longest in the field when winning in 2024.
Last year Kitayama, Stevens, Knapp and Coody all featured meaning the longer hitters dominated.
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.
3M Open Former Winners / Winning Score:
- 2025 - K.Kitayama (-23)
- 2024 - J.Vegas (-17)
- 2023 - L.Hodges (-24)
- 2022 - T.Finau (-17)
- 2021 - C.Champ (-15)
- 2020 - M.Thompson (-19)
- 2019 - M.Wolff (-21)
3M Open Betting Stats
Niall Lyons' 3M Open Betting Tips
| Player | Bet | Odds | Stake | Terms | Bookmaker | Bet Here |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Max Homa | Each-way | 40/1 | 1.5pts E/W | 1/5 odds, 8 places | Ladbrokes / Coral | Click Here |
| Davis Thompson | Each-way | 75/1 | 1pt E/W | 1/5 odds, 8 places | Bet365 | Click Here |
| Aldrich Potgieter | Each-way | 75/1 | 1pt E/W | 1/5 odds, 8 places | Bet365 | Click Here |
| Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen | Each-way | 55/1 | 1pt E/W | 1/5 odds, 8 places | Bet365 / Ladbrokes / Coral | Click Here |
| Neal Shipley | Each-way | 225/1 | 1pt E/W | 1/5 odds, 8 places | Bet365 | Click Here |
| Cam Davis | Each-way | 400/1 | 0.75pt E/W | 1/4 odds, 5 places | PricedUp | Click Here |
The big question nowadays is when is the right time to back Scottie Scheffler. Having been a 9/2 shot last month at the Travelers up against the likes of Schauffele, Young, Aberg, Fleetwood and Fitzpatrick amongst others, the 11/4 on offer this week has to be seriously considered. Kitayama and McNealy tucked in behind Scheffler in the betting is a huge downgrade in terms of opposition and with Scheffler's approach game purring last week this looks like a massive chance to end his winless streak dating back to January. Others in the market look like more value bets though to my eyes and I have to stick to that gut feeling.
Max Homa at 40/1 (Eight Places)
Max Homa was a shade disappointing when we selected him at the ISCO a few weeks ago but a promising top 30 finish at the Open last week means he makes the grade once again. Homa's long game was really solid at Birkdale ranking 32nd off the tee and 26th on approach and he would have been higher up the leaderboard had his short game fired a little more.
The long game is what matters most around Twin Cities and having finished 3rd here in 2020 he might just fancy his chances of a similar or if not better effort.
Having once been ranked 5th in the world it has been a steep trajectory downwards over the last few years but signs lately are hugely positive. Bar Scheffler, this is a relatively weak affair that Homa must be targeting in the near future.
Across Detroit Golf Club, here and Bay Hill he boasts a really solid record without ever having managed a victory but with his putter being really hot and a long game in good shape he must have a great chance of getting back into that winners enclosure in Blaine.
Davis Thompson at 75/1 (Eight Places)
Davis Thompson went off a similar price to Max Homa at the ISCO a few weeks ago and for my money there is too much separating them in the market this week and if I think Homa is worth a bet, then Thompson must be too.
He missed the cut at the ISCO but it's worth noting that his iron game was in decent shape that week. As it was the week before when ranking 19th on approach and 6th off the tee at the John Deere Classic.
His record here is a little grim having missed two missed cuts but on both occasions he drove the ball extremely well only to have really poor weeks with the irons.
Arriving here this week his iron play is in a much better position to make hay on this golf course and being long and straight with the driver is a huge advantage around Twin Cities.
I'm convinced his next victory will arrive on a driver heavy golf course that yields low scores so I'm keen to include him here.
Aldrich Potgieter at 75/1 (Eight Places)
The 2025 edition of the Mexico Open went against the grain with a handful of shorter hitters making the frame there. However, Aldrich Potgieter was in the playoff that week and together with his victory at Detroit Golf Club he has a body of work that suggests courses that yield to the longest hitters in the game are where best his strengths lie.
The South African went close to qualifying for the Open last Monday in the mini qualifier but luckily managed a spot in the field when Louis Oosthuizen was forced to withdraw.
He managed to make the cut at Birkdale eventually finishing 59th which was a fair effort. His short game is the weakness but after two weeks on the firm links turf you'd imagine the test here at Twin Cities should prove a lot easier.
He continues to gain plenty on the field off the tee which is important around here and a slightly better week with the irons could put him in the mix come the weekend.
Rasmus Neergaard Petersen at 55/1 (Eight Places)
It remains to be seen how those who played the Open last week will fare after this trip to the States but I will risk Rasmus Neergaard Petersen after a spectacular top 10 at Birkdale. The Dane didn't even have a great week on the greens at Birkdale instead making his gains with the rest of the game ranking 3rd in strokes gained tee to green.
In a field of that magnitude that is an eye catching effort and may be the start of something special. He has struggled to make his mark on the PGA Tour but that effort last week will go a long way to retaining his tour card.
He is now ranked inside that lucrative top 100 in the Fedex rankings which could be a huge relief and we may now see the best of him.
This golf course sets us perfect for his game and he should arrive full of confidence.
1pt each-way R.Neergaard Petersen 55/1 (1/5 8) Bet365, Ladbrokes, Coral
Neal Shipley at 225/1 (Eight Places)
Neal Shipley may not be on the radar of many this week having gone CUT-51-65-CUT-CUT in his last five events but his effort at the ISCO last time out is worth diving into now he is arriving at a golf course that really rewards long and straight driving.
Shipley's long game was solid enough in round one there but it was round 2 where he really took off. 7th on approach, 2nd around the green and 2nd off the tee meant he ranked 1st from tee to green on day two there.
He shot 4 under in round two there ranking 136th in the field in putting. That is a sign of what he is capable of and should he manage a good week with the putter then he could be in business on a golf course that is ideal.
Cam Davis at 400/1 (Five Places)
One I can't ignore at big prices is Cam Davis. The Australian is enduring a miserable time on tour with his last top 10 finish coming over 18 months ago at Pebble Beach.
Let's take a look at his pedigree for a tournament like this though. Both of his wins on the PGA Tour have come at Detroit Golf Club which holds the Rocket Mortgage Classic. That event is dominated by the long hitters and although Davis doesn't hit it as far as what he used to he can still get the ball out there.
Those victories can be married with really solid form at this golf course. From 2020 through to 2024 his form here read 12-28-16-10-19. His 21st place finish in Scotland two weeks ago was his first top 25 in over 14 months so at huge prices he looks one worth chancing.
