2024 3M Open: Course & Field Preview, Key Stats, + Odds

With the 152nd Open Championship and golf's four majors in the rearview mirror, the PGA Tour returns to the United States this week for the sixth edition of the 3M Open at TPC Twin Cities. Located in Blaine, Minnesota, TPC Twin Cities previously hosted the 3M Championship on the Champions Tour for 26 years before the 3M Open was added to the PGA Tour schedule in 2019.

After two consecutive tournaments across the Atlantic Ocean in Scotland, it's unsurprising to see a lack of star power in the 156-player field this week. However, 2022 winner Tony Finau returns to Minnesota again this year and is joined by Sam Burns, Sahith Theegala, Akshay Bhatia, Keegan Bradley , and Open Championship runner-ups Billy Horschel and Justin Rose. Notable up-and-comers Nick Dunlap, Michael Thorbjornsen, Luke Clanton, and Neal Shipley are also teeing it up at TPC Twin Cities.

THE ODDS

Tony Finau (+1100), Sam Burns (+1600), Akshay Bhatia (+2200), Billy Horschel (+2200), and Sahith Theegala (+2800) enter the week as the betting favorites, according to BetRivers Sportsbook.

Luke Clanton (+2800), Tom Hoge (+3000), Keegan Bradley (+3300), Keith Mitchell (+3300), Taylor Pendrith (+3300), Cameron Davis (+4000), Adam Hadwin (+4000), Kurt Kitayama (+4000), J.T. Poston (+4000), and Erik van Rooyen (+4000) are the rest of the players listed below 50/1 odds.

Nick Dunlap (+5000), Austin Eckroat (+5000), Ben Griffin (+5000), Emiliano Grillo (+5000), Mackenzie Hughes (+5000), Maverick McNealy (+5000), Patrick Rodgers (+5000), Justin Rose (+5000), Sam Stevens (+5000), Mac Meissner (+6000), Doug Ghim (+6600), Max Greyserman (+6600), Harry Hall (+6600), Lee Hodges (+6600), Chan Kim (+6600), Jake Knapp (+6600), Thriston Lawrence (+6600), Seamus Power (+6600), Neal Shipley (+6600), Adam Svensson (+6600), and Michael Thorbjornsen (+6600) fill up the jam-packed middle tier of the betting board.

Rico Hoey (+7000), Patrick Fishburn (+8000), Beau Hossler (+8000), Andrew Novak (+8000), Ben Silverman (+8000), J.J. Spaun (+8000), Jhonattan Vegas (+8000), Matt Wallace (+8000), Kevin Yu (+8000), Chesson Hadley (+9000), Ryo Hisatsune (+9000), and Andrew Putnam (+9000) round out the group of players under 100/1.

For the complete tournament odds board, click here .

*Odds subject to change*

PAST WINNERS

2023: Lee Hodges (-24)

2022: Tony Finau (-17)

2021: Cameron Champ (-15)

2020: Michael Thompson (-19)

2020: Matthew Wolff (-21)

KEY STATS

SG: Approach

SG: Off The Tee

Driving Distance

Opportunities Gained

Par 4s: 450-500 Yards

Proximity 150-175 Yards/175-200 Yards

Par-5s: 550-600 Yards

SG: Putting (Bentgrass)

Birdie Or Better: Gained

THE COURSE

TPC Twin Cities is a 7,431-yard par-71 designed by Arnold Palmer in 2000 with a recent renovation in 2018 led by former World No. 1 and Minnesota native Tom Lehman. Located less than 15 miles from the Minneapolis/St. Paul area, the course features large Bentgrass green complexes, four-inch Kentucky Bluegrass rough, 72 sand bunkers, the 16th-widest fairways on Tour, and a staggering amount of water hazards.

Despite being located in central Minnesota, TPC Twin Cities gives off the vibes of a classic Florida track with the way water hazards serve as the course's primary defense. Among the 18 holes, 15 see water come into play, and avoiding these hazards is paramount to being in contention once the weekend rolls around. Because of all the lurking water around TPC Twin Cities, the course has been compared to an easier PGA National (Cognizant Classic).

With a par-71 layout, the players will face 11 par-4s, four par-3s, and three par-5s this week.

Among the 11 par-4s on the course, five range between 450-505 yards, three between 400-425 yards, and two play shorter than 400 yards. Nos. 2, 3, and 9 (all 450-plus yard par-4s) were the three most difficult holes on the course last year. The average distance of the par-4s is 440 yards.

Three of the four par-3s play over 200 yards, with the longest of the group stretching 228 yards. The 177-yard 4th hole is the shortest, yielding the most birdies in 2023. The average distance of the par-3s is 203 yards.

All three par-5s push the 600-yard plateau but ranked among the four easiest holes last year. The 596-yard 18th hole has produced a few firework finishes in the tournament's short history, including Matthew Wollf making an eagle to snatch up his first PGA Tour win in his third professional start.

Comparable to the Rocket Mortgage Classic a few weeks ago, the 3M Open has only been part of the PGA Tour's schedule for a few years, making the data and past results tricky to comb through. However, there's no denying that bombers have shined at TPC Twin Cities, with Wolff, Champ, and Finau being three of the five tournament winners. All three are known for their length with the driver, which suggests this may be a bomber's paradise.

TPC Twin Cities played as one of the easiest tracks on Tour in 2019, 2020, and 2023, with the winning score reaching at least 19-under in all three years. But the other two editions have featured firmer and windier course conditions, leading to lower winning scores. Regardless of the course's difficulty this year, players must play a clean game from tee to green to stay clear of the landmines laid out. With the green complexes above the Tour average in size, proximity to the hole and birdie-making are essentials to victory. Racking up pars won't get the job done at the 3M Open.

All in all, I'll target elite total drivers who are in sturdy form with their long irons and can rack up birdies in bunches. I'll also look for players with sound history on this course and others featured on Tour in the Midwest United States.

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