3M Open tips: Brian Keogh's picks for Minnesota, including a 36 chance

A million reasons to win

The Major season is over, but the race to make the FedEx Cup playoffs is hotting up, and this week's 3M Open at TPC Twin Cities in Minnesota offers a golden opportunity to grab a $1.35million win.

While most of the big boys are resting after the exertions of The Open at St Andrews, the field includes six of the world's top 50 and 13 of the top 100 headed by world number four Hideki Matsuyama, 17th-ranked Tony Finau, world number 24 Sung-Jae Im, 40th ranked Joohyung Kim, world number 47 Tom Hoge and 49th ranked Cameron Tringale.

With rumours of his defection to LIV Golf hanging over Matsuyama, we're leaving the former Masters winner out of our picks this week and looking to Finau to build on his final round 66 at St Andrews on Sunday.

Finau should make the shake-up

The two-time PGA Tour winner is due another victory and at 36-under par for his three visits to TPC Twin Cities, we're expecting him to at least feature in the shake-up for the title.

Tied 23rd in 2019 and tied third in 2020, Finau was tied 28th at TPC Twin Cities last year but looks to have the class to at least feature strongly in a relatively weak field.

The course certainly favours the bombers, and while Sung-Jae Im only ranks 77th for driving distance, he's 13th for greens hit in regulation, which will be an asset at a venue where deep rough, tucked pins and steady winds made it a challenge last year when the scoring average for the par-71 was 70.44.

The 3M Open field includes six of the world's Top 50 as many of the top players are resting after The Open at St Andrews

Rookie provides value

Winner Cameron Champ finished on 15-under par and we expect similar scoring this year, which makes us bullish about rookie Sahith Theegala, who is now ranked 62nd in the world.

Tied seventh in the Valspar and fifth in the Memorial Tournament behind Billy Horschel, he might have won the Travelers Championship last month but made a mess of the 72nd hole and finished tied second, two shots behind Xander Schauffele.

Theegala acquitted himself well on his Open Championship debut at the Old Course, where he had a top 40 finish. He loves to open his shoulders, and that aggressive style will work well at TPC Twin Cities, where Matthew Wolff, Michael Thompson and Champ have been crowned champions in the last three years.

Hadwin has course pedigree

Our fourth pick is Canadian Adam Hadwin, who is something of a specialist around TPC Twin Cities.

He shot four rounds in the sixties in 2019 to finish fourth on 18-under par and, after skipping the event in 2020, he returned last year and finished tied sixth, despite carding a third-round 73, to finish just four shots behind Champ on 11-under par.

Recommended bets

Tony Finau @ 17.5

Sung-Jae Im @ 20

Sahith Theegala @ 30

Adam Hadwin @ 36