Seamus Power returns to action today as the sole Irish representative in the field at the PGA Tour’s 3M Open at TPC Twin Cities in Blaine, Minnesota.
The 3M Open marks the seventh tournament since the PGA Tour season resumed in June amid the Covid-19 pandemic and is one of just two of the 14 events on the revamped schedule that kept its original date (July 23-26).
Five events and four weeks remain until the start of the FedExCup Playoffs and the culmination of the Wyndham Rewards Top-10, a bonus pool rewarding the Top-10 in the FedExCup Regular Season.
For Power’s part in the play, the now 33-year old delivered a season’s best performance a fortnight ago at the Rocket Mortgage Classic.
A final round 72 was his worst by some three strokes in a week where Power tied 12th and collected a cheque worth $131,875 and some valuable FedEx Cup points to go with it.
His failure to finish in the top-10 on the final day may have lost him his chance to tee it up at the following week’s Memorial Tournament but it means Power avoided the brutal slog that was four rounds at Jack’s place.
Needing to take advantage of every start he’s given, the West Waterford professional finds himself in 179th in the FedEx Cup rankings but he’s coming in fresh as he aims to make a late surge towards the top-125 in the FedEx Cup standings who will proceed to this year’s play-offs.
It will be no easy task this week, however with a stellar field lining out on Thursday for the opening round.
World No. 4 Dustin Johnson heads the betting despite a nightmare 80-80 missed cut showing at Muirfield Village last week. His appearance prior to that though, DJ had captured his 21st Tour victory at the Travelers Championship and looks to extend his streak qualifying for the Tour Championship to 12 seasons.
Playing with Johnson, Tony Finau held the solo 18-hole lead and shared the 36-hole lead at last week’s Memorial Tournament before finishing eighth, his fourth top-10 of the season. Question marks will hover over Finau’s finishing ability given some bizarre shot selections over the weekend last time out but he’ll be hoping that if he can knock on the door enough, eventually victory might open it.
Completing the star three-ball of the week is England’s Tommy Fleetwood who will make his first start on Tour since March as he competes in the 3M Open for the first time. Gunning to get in the groove ahead of a Major tilt at the PGA Championship in two weeks’ time, Fleetwood is yet to win on US soil but arrives primed with a game to do so.
Seamus Power tees off in the first group of the day at 12.50pm Irish time.
Full scoring HERE
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