Tuesday’s Fantasy Insider will include reviews of defending champion Michael Thompson, Patrick Reed, Sergio Garcia, Rickie Fowler and other notables.
Since the Travelers Championship in late June, and as is the experience every summer, the recent lineup of courses testing full fields on the PGA TOUR gives every member targeting a coveted spot in the FedExCup Playoffs a fair and consistent opportunity to get the job done. TPC Twin Cities and the 3M Open has slipped into this cadence like it’s always been there, lock step with the others.
The par 71 tips at 7,431 yards. After debuting to a scoring average of 69.455 in 2019, numerous modifications were made to toughen the track. They seem to work because last year’s scoring was almost a half-shot higher at 69.948, but gusty winds in the second round were responsible. The opening round was only 0.14 strokes higher, and the third and final rounds scored lower than the inaugural.
With no changes to the course, this week’s forecast supports a return to a redder number. No worse than light winds are expected throughout the tournament and they’ll do little to cool air that will warm well into the 90s. Rain might fall later on Friday and/or on Saturday, but an extended delay would be surprising.
Bentgrass greens right around a TOUR-average of 6,500 square feet are ready to roll up to 12-and-a-feet on the Stimpmeter. Primary rough once again will be trimmed to three-and-a-half inches.
Like all of the courses hosting opens of the last few weeks, the setup at TPC Twin Cities favors hitting greens and sinking putts. Michael Thompson’s primary weapon always has been his putter, so it was not at all shocking that he paced the 2020 field in Strokes Gained: Putting. He also ranked T3 in greens hit (15 per round) to lay the groundwork for his 72-hole aggregate of 19-under 265, but he also slotted second in scrambling (10 of 12). Inside 10 feet alone, he was 61-for-64.
ROB BOLTON’S SCHEDULE
PGATOUR.COM’s Fantasy Insider Rob Bolton recaps and previews every tournament from numerous angles. Look for his following contributions as scheduled.
MONDAY: Power Rankings
TUESDAY*: Sleepers; Fantasy Insider
SUNDAY: Qualifiers, Reshuffle, Medical Extensions, Rookie Watch
* – Rob is a member of the panel for PGATOUR.COM’s Expert Picks for PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf, which also publishes on Tuesday.
