RADIO
As the 2023 season continues to tick by, the year's final major championship is now in the books. This week's 3M Open will mark the PGA Tour's return to the United States for the first time in two weeks, as players must now eye the looming FedEx Cup Playoffs.
In this article, you will find my 2023 3M Open Power Rankings, which gives a first look into the top 10 golfers who are primed to make a significant impact in this year's edition of the event. These players should be considered serious contenders at TPC Twin Cities this week and are legitimate threats to take home the 3M Open title.
Hopefully, these rankings provide some insight into the current landscape of the PGA Tour and the upcoming tournament. Players have been evaluated on recent performances, statistical analysis, and course history. With a unique field of competitors and a TPC Twin Cities golf course that provides plenty of birdies and excitement, the 2023 3M Open promises to be a fun tournament for golf fans.
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#10. Adam Hadwin
It's been a year defined by spike performances for Adam Hadwin, as the Canadian has battled consistency issues in 2023, but has also popped for top-15 finishes at the WM Phoenix Open, Players Championship, RBC Canadian Open, and most recently, a runner-up result at the Rocket Mortgage Classic.
Hadwin does appear to have his irons figured out in recent weeks. He's now gained strokes on Approach in five consecutive starts and ranks ninth in the 3M field in Strokes Gained: Approach over the last 24 rounds.
In addition to the trending ball striking, the Canadian has looked at home in previous trips to Minnesota. Hadwin has never missed a cut in three career 3M Open starts with a T4 in 2019 and a T6 in 2021 at TPC Twin Cities.
#9. Eric Cole
The career journeyman continues to impress on the PGA Tour. Since logging a runner-up finish at the Honda Classic at the start of the year, Cole has displayed surprising consistency while making tons of starts. The 35-year-old rookie has logged a total of eight top-25 finishes in 2023 while making the cut in eight of his last 10 starts. Most recently, he was near the top of the leaderboard at the Genesis Scottish Open throughout the first three days before a horrible final round in nasty weather sent him tumbling into a T60.
This will mark his first career start in the 3M Open, but Cole has flashed the sort of sharp iron play that's needed at TPC Twin Cities. He's gained an average of 2.1 strokes on Approach per start over his last 10 tournaments and grades out 15th in this week's field in SG: Approach.
Four straight birdies 👀
Eric Cole stays hot and moves to T2 @ScottishOpen. pic.twitter.com/ulsExImPWf
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) July 15, 2023
#8. Ludvig Aberg
The rookie sensation is set to make his first career start in the 3M Open, though Aberg has already proved himself a very quick study during his brief time on the PGA Tour.
The Texas Tech alum has logged three top-25 finishes in his five starts since turning professional in June, with a T4 at the John Deere Classic standing as the highlight.
He's showcased elite ability with the driver and ranks third among 3M entrants in SG: Off The Tee. Aberg has also proven himself capable of making birdies in bunches (sixth in field Birdies or Better Gained), a skill that will be needed this week at TPC Twin Cities.
#7. Sepp Straka
The lumbering Austrian has put together an impressive stretch of golf in recent weeks. Straka captured the John Deere Classic title earlier this month and recorded an eye-opening runner-up finish in the Open Championship as an encore thanks to sizzling iron play that ranked second in the field at Royal Liverpool for the week.
Straka will try to keep the positive mojo flowing in Minnesota this week. He's had mixed results at the 3M, missing the cut in two of his three career appearances. However, a T18 in the 2020 edition of the event is evidence that TPC Twin Cities is a good fit when he's in form. There's little question about his current play and Straka should be considered a serious contender at the 3M this week.
Sepp Straka borrowed Kevin Kisner’s longtime caddie Duane Bock before the John Deere Classic.
Then he won the John Deere. Now he’s T2 at the Open! Straka said their future is still TBD — but pretty dreamy start for the duo. pic.twitter.com/ck39Xni9rU
— Dylan Dethier (@dylan_dethier) July 23, 2023
#6. Emiliano Grillo
The native of Argentine heads to Minnesota fresh off the best major championship result of his career, a T6 at Royal Liverpool. Grillo put on a ball-striking clinic at the Open, finishing the week ranked 11th in the field in SG: Approach and 14th in SG: Off The Tee.
It was just his latest excellent performance in what's been a resurgent 2023 campaign that was highlighted by a win at the Charles Schwab Challenge in May.
While consistency has never been Grillo's strong suit, his upside has always been desirable, and we catch him on a real heater as he heads to a TPC Twin Cities layout on which he's been downright dominant. The Argentinian has scored a T3 and a T2 across his last three 3M Open starts.
Emiliano Grillo shoots 65 in round two of the 3M Open to reach 10-under through 36 holes, marking his eighth round of 65 or better this season. In 2020, Grillo shot 64-65 on the weekend to finish T3 at the 3M Open. pic.twitter.com/lvUqEWjNlC
— PGA TOUR Communications (@PGATOURComms) July 22, 2022
#5. Justin Thomas
JT's recent struggles have been well documented, though an opening- round 82 last week at Royal Liverpool was nonetheless shocking. Thomas did battle back to post a 72 in the second round of the Open, though the two-time major champion is clearly battling his game right now.
It all adds up to making Thomas very hard to peg this week, hence his landing smack dab in the middle of our 3M Power Rankings...a spot that could arguably be much higher or much lower. That's the trouble with JT at the moment - we don't really know which golfer we're getting. He added the 3M to his schedule because he currently is on the outside looking in at both the FedEx Cup Playoffs and the U.S. Ryder Cup team, so he will be motivated to perform well against this mediocre field.
#4. Sungjae Im
There sure seems to be a theme to this week's Power Rankings, as it's dotted with quality players that have underperformed a bit this year. Young Sungjae Im fits that bill.
After a hot start to 2023 that included five top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour and a win on the Korean Tour through May, Im has been relatively quiet in recent months, with a top-25 last week at the Open Championship being his most noteworthy recent outing.
Perhaps he can carry the positive momentum to Minnesota this week and an event where he's performed well in previous appearances. Im boasts a 67.50 career scoring average in the 3M Open - the best mark in this week's field - and recorded a runner-up finish in last year's edition. He's a talented golfer that won't stay dormant forever. This could be a breakout for the hard-working South Korean.
#3. Cameron Young
The 2022 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year has struggled mightily, for the most part, this year. However, Young has shown signs of life recently with two of his best outings of 2023 coming in his last two starts - a T6 at the John Deere and a top-10 at the Open Championship.
An interesting equipment note...he played his breakout 2022 season with a Titleist Pro V1 Left Dot golf ball but switched to a Pro V1X model to begin 2023. Young recently switch his ball back to the Left Dot ahead of his T6 effort at the Deere.
Young led the field in both SG: Approach and SG: Off The Tee at Royal Liverpool. He brings his rejuvenated ball striking to a TPC Twin Cities layout that's been susceptible to bombers such as former winners Matthew Wolff, Cam Champ, and Tony Finau.
#2. Hideki Matsuyama
After battling through some nagging injuries at the outset of 2023, Matusyama has regrouped to quietly put together a rock-solid 2023 campaign. The Japanese superstar heads to Minnesota off a sharp effort in the Open Championship that marked his seventh top-25 result in his last 10 starts.
Matsuyama's consistency has been powered by his elite iron play. He grades out first in this week's 3M field in SG: Approach over the last 24 rounds, and as a byproduct, also ranks first in the field in SG: T2G over the same timeframe. As is often the case for the 2021 Masters champion, a balky putter has been his downfall. Matsuyama has lost an average of 2.1 strokes putting over his last five starts.
His white-hot iron play could certainly translate to success on a TPC Twin Cities layout that has rewarded sharp approach play in its previous editions. Matsuyama was forced to withdraw from last year's 3M, but did record a T7 result in the 2019 edition of the event.
Hideki Matsuyama has been using a different @ScottyCameron Newport 2 since the Rocket Mortgage — and it's insanely cool. pic.twitter.com/k3oYyjcKko
— Jonathan Wall (@jonathanrwall) July 19, 2023
#1. Tony Finau
While Finau is not currently in peak form, he's displayed a penchant for turning things on against weaker fields, with his victory in last year's 3M Open being a prime example.
Big Tony most recently displayed that ability when he popped up to win the Mexico Open earlier this year. That victory has been the highlight in what's otherwise been a ho-hum 2023 for the player that went on a torrid winning streak to close out 2022.
There's a chance Finau could rekindle that late-season magic again this week, as he's shown an obvious liking for this TPC Twin Cities layout. In addition to last year's 3M win, Finau recorded a T3 in the 2020 edition and his 67.69 career scoring average in the Minnesota event is the second-best mark in this week's field.
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