Paulie’s Picks: 2020 3M Open

This week the Korn Ferry PGA Tour heads to Minnesota for the 3M Open. The field is by far the weakest since the restart, as many players have opted to rest for the upcoming WGC-FedEx St. Jude and PGA Championship. Only four of the top 25 in the world are playing at TPC Twin Cities.

This is the 3M Open’s second year, and I expect low scores again. The course gives an edge to players who are long off the tee, can attack the three par 5s, and will have wedges into many of the par 4s. Key stats will be off the tee, approach, birdie rate, and par-5 scoring. The winning score will likely be -20 or better, so the winner will need to make birdies by the bunch.

Here are a few picks to consider for your fantasy leagues:

DraftKings

Erik van Rooyen $8,800

All signs point to van Rooyen this week. I’m guessing you never thought I’d say those words. Best known for his short pants, Erik van Rooyen is the No. 43 player in the world, and since he doesn’t have full status on the PGA Tour, he’s in the 3M Open on a sponsor invite. But he does have a connection to the venue. Van Rooyen attended the University of Minnesota and played TPC Twin Cities a lot, so this would be a great place for a breakthrough win. But van Rooyen isn’t just a sentimental pick: he is top 12 in the field in all four key stats. Last week at the Memorial, he was second in Strokes Gained: Approach.

Bernd Wiesberger $7,200

Wiesberger isn’t well known to American golf fans, but he should be. He’s No. 29 in the world, and he won three times last year on the European Tour. If you didn’t know any of that, don’t feel bad; the DraftKings oddsmakers are right there with you. $7,200 is way too cheap for a player like Wiesberger in a weak field like this one. Yes, he missed the cut by a mile last week in his first event back, but his recent form has been good enough to merit your attention.

One-and-Done

Tony Finau

Finau was in contention all week at the Memorial, and now he’s heading to a far easier course that should suit his game just as well. He is top 10 off the tee, on approach, and in birdies. I’d be shocked if he doesn’t continue his stellar play and contend at the 3M Open.

Paul Casey

A lot of people won’t pull the trigger on Paul Casey because he missed the cut at the Memorial. However, he missed that cut only because it took him seven shots to get down from a greenside bunker on a par 3. Unlikely to happen again. Casey is one of the most consistent ball strikers on tour, and this course fits him like a glove. He’s top 10 in all of the key stats.