Off the Open Championship last week we are not getting a great field for the 3M Open back in North America. I hope you followed my suggestion to throw some units on Cam Smith last week (and, yes, I made some other "losing" suggestions too, as always).
All you have to do is look at the odds to see how wide-open this week's event is. No player is under 10-1 and having Tony Finau at the top of the odds table is not the norm.
Finau and Hideki Matsuyama are the only players in the field in who are in the top 20 in the world golf rankings. That does not mean we won't get a competitive event, but it might feature some names we don't see as often near the top of the leaderboard.
The FEDEX Playoffs are coming so the best thing about this event might be what points the golfers can gobble up in a wide-open field.
Dates: July 21-24
Course: TPC Twin Cities, Blaine, Minnesota
Purse: $7,500,000
Davis Riley 25-1
Riley did not play in the Open or the Scottish Open so he should be well rested for this event. His numbers might not leap out at you but he has four top 10 finishes in his last 10 events, including a second at the Valspar. He is exactly the kind of player who can take advantage of a more limited field.
Chris Gotterup 45-1
You can be forgiven for not knowing a ton about the 2022 top college golfer as he has less than 10 PGA events under his belt. In those events, he has a 4th and a 7th place finish. With the limited field, this is the perfect week to get focused, play your game and surprise.
Cameron Champ 70-1
Is it not often that you get a returning champ at this good of a price. Previous form is always a good indicator and this event has only been a part of the PGA Tour for a few seasons so not everyone is super familiar with it. You are getting this price because Champ has missed five cuts in a row.
Nick Hardy Top 10 +400
Hardy did not make the trip across the pond either. His three best results have all come in 2022 and with a limited field I like his chances to stay with the leaders. His game is very well suited to the course.
Adam Hadwin Top 20 +140
This is not going to net you a big payoff but you can see he is very near the top of the odds table and expected to play well this week. He doesn't have the past numbers at the 3M but he has played well on similar courses before.
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