By TOM LaMARRE
With the four major championships behind us for 2023, the PGA Tour and its golfers turn their attention to the FedEx Cup playoffs, which begin in two weeks after the final events of the regular season.
First is the 3M Open at TPC Twin Cities in Blaine, Minn., beginning Thursday, followed by the Wyndham Championship next week at Sedgefield Country Club Greensboro, N.C.
After that, the top 70 players and ties will compete in the playoff opener, the FedEx St. Jude Championship at TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tenn., followed by the top 50 in the BMW Championship on the North Course at Olympia Fields Country Club in Olympia Fields, Ill., and then the top 30 play in the Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta.
Tony Finau, defending champion in the 3M Open, claimed one of his six PGA Tour victories by three strokes over Emiliano Grillo of Argentina and Sungjae Im of South Korea last season, and he has absolutely nothing to worry about in regard to the playoffs as he stands 10th in the FedEx Cup standings.
Finau is making his fifth consecutive start in the 3M Open and he obviously loves TPC Twin Cities, as he tied for 23rd 2019, tied for third in 2020 and tied for 28th in 2021 before posting four scores in the 60s to win last season. He has broken 60 in 14 of his 16 rounds on the course.
Because Finau is in such good shape in the FedEx Cup standings, he has something else on his mind—the United States team for the 44th Ryder Cup Matches on Sept. 29-Oct. 1 at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club near Rome, Italy.
“The Ryder Cup’s always has been on my mind from the start of the year, it’s a goal of mine,” said Finau, who played for the U.S. Team in 2018 in Paris and 2021 in Whistling Straights, Wis. “The good news is I’ve been in this position before, I’ve made the teams before and hope to show some good form to make my case for myself over the next few weeks.
“I think if winning and experience holds a lot of weight, then I feel like I’ve done enough. If consistency and form is the formula that the captains are looking for, then the answer’s probably no. That’s how I see it, I’m looking at it.
“But the great thing for me is the picks aren’t tomorrow, the picks are still in about a month. I’ve got four tournaments to make my case if there is a question and that’s what I intend to do.”
One player who isn’t concerned about the Ryder Cup right now, but simply wants to make the playoffs in two weeks is two-time PGA champion Justin Thomas, who has been slumping and is 75th in the FedEx Cup playoffs.
Thomas is not alone, as many other players in the field for the next two weeks will be counting points.
“I really feel like great things are coming,” said Thomas, who won the FedEx Cup in 2017. “Obviously, I’ve not had very many good results or not much positive to show. You know, I’ve played a lot better golf than I feel like the scores and finishes have shown.”
Thomas has 17 PGA Tour victories and could use another one this week or next.
BEST BETS
1. Tony Finau, United States—The defending 3M Open champion won by three strokes over Emiliano Grillo and Sungjae Im last year, and has three victories since to give him six on the PGA Tour. Finau has 11 results in the top 25 this season, including wins in the Houston Open and the Mexico Open, and sits 10th in the FedEx Cup standings. Tied for third in the 2021 3M Open.
2. Sepp Straka, Austria—Claimed his second victory in as many years on the PGA Tour earlier this month in the John Deere Classic, and also lost in a playoff at the Sanderson Farms among nine finishes in the top 25 this season. Straka is coming off a tie for second in the 151st Open Championship and his best result in three starts in the 3M Open was a tie for 18th in 2020.
3. Justin Thomas, United States—The two-time PGA champion has not won since claiming his second last year for a 17th PGA Tour victory, and he has slumped this season with only four top-10 results and stands 75th in the FedEx Cup standings with a little work to do to qualify for the playoffs. Thomas is making his debut in the 3M Open and should play the Wyndham next week.
4. Sungjae Im, South Korea—Six-time winner as a pro, including two titles on the PGA Tour, Im has 14 finishes in the top 25 this season to rank 35th in the FedEx Cup standings, with only a little work to make it all the way to the final at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta. He is making his third appearance in the 3M Open and tied for second last season after a tie for 15th in 2019.
5. Patrick Rodgers, United States—After leading for most of the final round last week in the Barracuda Championship, Rodgers lost in a playoff to Akshay Bhatia and remains winless on the PGA Tour. The 11-time winner at Stanford has only one professional victory and has nine top-10 finishes this season to rank 38th in the FedEx Cup standings. Tied for 32nd in 2020 3M Open.
6. Hideki Matsuyama, Japan—The 2021 Masters champion has eighth victories on the PGA Tour and 17 as a pro, but is winless this season with nine finishes in the top 25 and stands 54th in the FedEx standings with a little work to do before the playoffs. Matsuyama posted a tie for seventh in the 2019 3M Open after starting with 64, but withdrew after an opening 77 last year.
7. Cameron Young, United States—The 2021-22 Rookie of the Year on the PGA Tour remains winless on the circuit after tying for eighth in the 151st Open Championship to give him eight results in the top 10 this season, putting him 41st in the FedEx Cup standings. Young, who has won four times on lower professional tours, is making his inaugural appearance in the 3M Open.
8. Emiliano Grillo, Argentina—Captured his second PGA Tour victory, both in playoffs, in the Charles Schwab Challenge this year, and has four titles as a pro. Grillo has nine finishes in the top 25 this season, including a tie for sixth in the Open last week, and stands 23rd in the FedEx Cup standings. He tied for second in the 3M Open last season and tied for third three years ago.
9. Ludvig Aberg, Sweden—The 23-year-old Aberg had 17 victories in big events as an amateur, some while playing at Texas Tech, and earned the Jack Nicklaus Award, the Ben Hogan Award and the Haskins Award as the best college player earlier this year. He also has won twice on the Swedish Pro Golf Tour in 2020 and tied for fourth early this month in the John Deere Classic.
10. Lucas Glover, United States—The 2009 U.S. Open champion is playing some of his best golf in years, tying for fourth in the Rocket Mortgage Classic, tying for sixth in the John Deere Classic and finishing fifth in the Barbasol Championship in his last three starts. Glover, who has four PGA Tour titles, is playing in the 3M Open for the fourth time and tied for seventh in 2019.
OTHER PLAYERS TO WATCH: Adam Hadwin, Canada; Cam Davis, Australia; Sahith Theegala, United States; Beau Hossler, United States; Gary Woodland, United States; Mark Hubbard, United States; Tom Hoge, United States; Taylor Pendrith, Canada; Matt Kuchar, United States; J.T. Poston, United States; Cameron Champ, United States.
SLEEPERS
1. Ryan Fox, New Zealand—The 16-time winner as a pro, including three on the DP World Tour, has seven finishes in the top-25 this season, including a T-12 in Scottish Open recently.
2. Aaron Rai, England—Six-time winner as a pro, including two on DP World Tour, has eight finishes in the top 25 on the PGA Tour this season, including T-3 in the RBC Canadian Open.
3. Justin Suh, United States—Winner of the 2022 Korn Ferry Tour Championship has five finishes in the top 25 on the PGA Tour this season, including a T-6 in Players Championship.
4. Peter Kuest, United States—Kuest captured the 2020 Utah Open and in seven events this season has a T4 in the Rocket Mortgage, a T-14 in the Byron Nelson, a T-17 in the John Deere.
5. Nicolai Hojgaard, Denmark—Has three pro victories, two on the DP World Tour, and was solo second at Puntacana, T-6 in Scottish Open, T-23 in the Open Championship this year.
For first-round tee times, visit: https://www.pgatour.com/leaderboard
