Paulie’s Picks: 2021 3M Open

The week after the Open Championship can often bring surprise results, and I expect that to be the case at this week’s 3M Open on the PGA Tour. The top players in the field are making their way back from England and will have to deal with jet lag as well as recover from the physical and emotional stress of a major. So I will look to fade these players and look for others who fit host course TPC Twin Cities well. The key attributes I’m looking for this week are driving distance, overall approach play, birdie rate, and putting.

Here are a few players who didn’t compete in the Open but have a good shot at doing well in the 3M:

DraftKings

Hank Lebioda $7,900

Lebioda is the 10th-ranked player overall in my model this week: he is top 25 in approach, putting, par-5 scoring, and birdies. He has made his past seven cuts and finished in the top eight three consecutive starts. In his two previous appearances at the 3M Open, he placed 26th and 34th, which is pretty good considering he came into the event in bad form both times.

Adam Schenk $7,400

Schenk has been turning his game around lately, finishing fourth at the John Deere Classic and 15th at the Barbasol Championship. He usually plays his best in the Midwest, which is unsurprising because he grew up in Indiana and played college golf at Purdue. In the field at TPC Twin Cities, Schenk ranks top 40 off the tee, approach, putting, birdies, driving distance, and par-5 scoring.

One-and-Done

As you near the end of this fantasy season, your picks should be based significantly on where you are in your league’s standings. Here are players to consider if you need to catch up:

Cameron Davis

A winner a few weeks back in Detroit, Davis now heads to one of his best course fits on the PGA Tour. The Australian contended at last year’s 3M Open en route to a T-12. This week, he is the fifth-ranked player in my model—top 30 off the tee, approach, birdies, driving distance, putting, and par-5 scoring.

Bubba Watson

Bubba is an elite driver of the ball who should have a field day at TPC Twin Cities, especially on the par 5s. He comes in rested, after not being able to travel to the Open Championship because of Covid-19 restrictions. Watson has made seven straight cuts, and in his most recent two events, the Rocket Mortgage Classic and the Travelers Championship, he placed sixth and 19th, respectively. And remember: he led the Travelers with seven holes to play. He is a high-upside pick this week.