The 3M Open field was made official Friday and announced by the PGA Tour, and there weren’t many surprises as to who is coming to tee it up next week in Blaine.
The lone previously unknown name of note who committed to the tournament ahead of Friday’s deadline was Adam Scott. The former Masters champion decided to make his first ever trip to TPC Twin Cities after firing a second-round 79 at The Open on Friday to miss the cut.
Scott, the 40th-ranked player in the world, entered the week in 84th in the FedEx Cup points standings and needs a strong finish in either of the last two PGA Tour regular season events — the 3M Open or the Wyndham Championship — to sneak into the top 70 of the season-long points list and earn a playoff spot.
Other notable such as Wyndham Clark (78), Rickie Fowler (71) and Max Homa (102) are also among those on the outside looking in at the current playoff picture who are slated to come to Minnesota next week.
Maverick McNealy is the highest commit in the current World Golf Rankings at No. 17, while past champion Tony Finau and Sam Burns are two of the most accomplished players.
Burns and Scott were in the final group at the U.S. Open on Sunday last month before ultimately giving way to J.J. Spaun.
Other names of note include Jake Knapp, Sahith Theegala, Akshay Bhatia, Si Woo Kim, Tom Kim, Luke Clanton and Sungjae Im.
Local connections are again abundant, with Gophers alum Erik van Rooyen, past state amateur champion Tom Hoge, North Oaks native Frankie Capan III and Spring Lake Park High School grad Troy Merritt all in the field. Merritt is in on a sponsor’s exemption.
The first round of the 3M Open tees off Thursday.
Players can withdraw from the field at any point prior to the tournament, and it’s not uncommon from some to do so directly after the conclusion of major championships, depending on how they finish.
Finau is currently in the top 10 of The Open, but he’s unlikely to decommit from the 3M Open, as he’s long stated how much his family enjoys the trip to this area. But how Burns (currently in a tie for 12th) and Gotterup, who won last week’s Scottish Open and is currently tied for fifth in Northern Ireland, fare over the weekend could potentially determine whether they indeed tee it up next week.
The same could be said for the likes of Fowler and Bhatia, who are currently in the top 30 at Royal Portrush. If they were to make a major weekend run, they could potentially reconsider travel plans. Bhatia bowed out of the event two years ago after winning the Barracuda Championship the Sunday prior.
But, as it stands, 3M Open tournament director Mike Welch called this field “one of the strongest we’ve ever had.”
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