- The 3M Open is July 25-28.
- Why longshots make a lot of sense at this event.
In my full predictions for this week’s 3M Open, I listed Sam Stevens (+5500), Kurt Kitayama (+5500), Jake Knapp (+7500) and Seamus Power (+8000) as potential outright selections, each of whom checks a box as a longshot in many places.
Not here, though.
At a tournament where Michael Thompson won at 125/1 in 2020 and Cameron Champ mirrored that result from the same price the very next year, thereโs some rationale behind looking into the triple-digit numbers for some serious longshots.
Here are 10 who could each make the case to be on your card this week.
10 Longshots to Target at the 3M Open
Andrew Putnam (+10000)
Well, lemme tell ya: The original draft of this article looked pretty nice with the inclusion of Lucas Glover at 100/1 during a time of the season when he often heats up. But alas, Glover withdrew from the tourney late Monday afternoon, so Iโve replaced him with Putnam, who fits the olโ NFL Draft axiom of โBest Player Available,โ though admittedly perhaps not one whose game specifically suits this golf course.
Pierceson Coody (+10000)
With two top-fives in his last five starts, including a playoff loss at the ISCO Championship, one of the Coody twins looks to be more ready to contend at this level than the other. At 11th in driving distance this season, his power should be a major advantage this week.
Hayden Buckley (+12500)
Past performance isnโt a predictor of future success, however, thereโs reason to believe that Buckleyโs seventh-place finish at the Barracuda, just his second in the past 15 months, could lead to another. His iron play last week was far and away his best of the year and a top-10 when losing strokes with the wedges and putter should indicate that thereโs plenty of room for improvement. He was T-26 in his only previous 3M start two years ago.
Matthew NeSmith (+15000)
If you think the likes of Corey Conners and Tom Hoge are confounding โ players who hit the ball as well as anyone, but rarely make a lot of putts โ then NeSmith has been downright mind-boggling throughout his career. His iron play has actually dipped to a much lower level this year, which accounts for his poorer results, but a playoff loss at the ISCO suggests he might be ready to turn things around.
Nick Hardy (+15000)
Yet another player who hits it really well and putts it like, well, you and I. A return to his Midwest roots could help the Illinois native this week, as he was T-13 at this event last year.
Luke List (+15000)
Thereโs no way to sugarcoat it, the results have been bad lately. Seven MCs in his last eight starts, with just a T-67 at the Rocket Mortgage to break โem up. That said, he wasnโt exactly trending in a great direction when he won last yearโs Sanderson Farms or finished runner-up at this yearโs Genesis Invitational. Thereโs a ceiling here, even if he doesnโt reach it very often.
Adam Schenk (+15000)
An emerging talent, with two runner-up finishes last season, Schenkโs recent performance has mirrored a lot of other players on this list, which is why heโs tagged with such a big price. His only made cuts in his last nine starts have been a pair of events without one and while I have no illusions heโll figure it all out this week, Iโm still mildly intrigued by the price.
Troy Merritt (+20000)
Another who tends to pop up in these inferior-field Midwest-based events, Merritt is over the putting yips which heโd dealt with last summer and heโs gained strokes with his irons in five of his last six starts.
Kelly Kraft (+40000)
Lost amongst Justin Thomasโ 68-78-67-77 and Aguri Iwasakiโs 74-91 at The Open was wild swing of Kraft, who opened with a 64 at the Barracuda Championship, then posted a second-round 80 to miss the cut. The latter is the reason his price remains where it is, but the former should at least offer a little hope from this number.
Ben Taylor (+75000)
Even at this massive price, it wouldโve been ridiculous to mention Taylorโs name as recently as a few weeks ago, considering heโd missed the cut in 16 of his last 17 starts dating back to last year (and the one made cut was a T-64). Heโs now cashed a check in his last three, a T-6 at the ISCO sandwiched by a pair of top-50s. Thereโs still plenty of reason to simply ignore him, but heโs at least shown some signs as the longest of longshots.
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