3M Open Tournament Sees Withdrawals

With the Open Championship having concluded with a win for Scottie Scheffler, it is time for the next event.  The next event is the 3M Open from the 24th until the 27th in Minnesota.  With the tournament beginning in only a few hours, there have been some withdrawals from the tournament.  Not as many as the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, but enough to make some significant changes.  The withdrawals are a bit surprising given how many of them have victories in their names.  In the list of alternates, there is one player of note who can really make the tournament go in his favor.

Who Won’t Be At The 3M Open?

On the PGA Tour official communications account on Twitter, a list of withdrawals has been announced along with the alternates who will be taking those players’ spots at the 3M.  This list includes players who have some PGA victories under their belts and a decent shot at the tournament.  This includes Brian Campbell and Thomas Detry.  These two players are within the top fifty for the FedEx Cup this year.  The speculation as to why they withdrew lies in The Open Championship being the last tournament, as well as being an entire ocean away.  The final major, mixed with travel time, has most likely left players worn out, as well as the pace of play issues that occurred.  Another withdrawal is Ryan Gerard, who just claimed victory at the Barracuda Championship last week.

Who Will Be Stepping In?

Every withdrawal from a tournament means an opportunity for the alternate, like in the RBC Canadian Open.  At this year’s 3M Open, the alternates include Joseph Bramlett, Dylan Wu, and Pierceson Coody.  Although not having the best records, they can still find a way to take advantage of this opportunity.  Maybe like Danny Walker, they can bring energy to the field that the crowd can latch onto. 

One notable alternate player who joined the field is Haotong Li.  Li was just at the Open Championship at Royal Portrush and managed to finish T4.  With that performance, he managed to secure a spot in next year’s Masters Tournament.  He is most likely to hold his own at the 3M and has a strong possibility of finishing in great standing.  Given his performance at Royal Portrush, it is very possible that Li can finish in the top ten, or even the top five.

Off To The 3M Open!

With the playing field set and the tournament ready to begin.  The 3M Open will be starting Thursday morning in Minnesota for the seventh year in a row.  With the alternate players in place, who knows what will happen during the tournament?  It is always possible for a surprise contestant to make it to the end and be within reach of the prize.  Although the majors are done for the year, there are still plenty of tournaments to keep an eye on before the FedEx Cup or the Ryder Cup.  However, the season is nearly in the home stretch.  Every move from here on can make or break the players.