Reduced numbers were again the overarching theme at TPC Twin Cities, although a day after establishing a new course best with a 60, Adam Svensson struggled, carding a 75 for his second attempt. Following the frontrunner’s difficulties, the competitors drew closer to the peak of the leaderboard, with 23 participants now residing within a five-stroke range of the top position as the weekend commences.
Leading the pack is Thorbjørn Olesen, who supported his initial 62 with a 66 in the subsequent round, extending his advantage to 14 under. Olesen stands among the numerous players who arrived this week understanding that a triumph was crucial to advance into the FedEx Cup Playoffs, and having begun the week at the 129th spot in the standings, he is now halfway to securing a berth in the top 70, ensuring his participation in the St. Jude Classic.
Jake Knapp spearheads the pursuing group at 13 under, persistently positioning himself in contention during PGA Tour events, as he aims for his second career victory. Knapp distinguishes himself as the leading driver in the field, accumulating over 3.8 strokes in comparison to the rest of the field directly from the tee this week, leveraging his driving distance as a strategic asset at TPC Twin Cities.
Recognizable figures are present among those circling the upper echelons of the leaderboard, currently holding a joint eighth position at 10 under. Wyndham Clark recorded a 6-under 65 to improve his standing on Friday, thereby affording himself an opportunity to clinch his first title of the year. Chris Gotterup experienced a slight deceleration with a 69, but he is nonetheless once again displayed prominently on the leaderboard as the weekend draws near.
Akshay Bhatia delivered his second 66 of the week to integrate into this grouping, and Joel Dahmen appears to be steering towards one of his most impressive results of the season following a 65, as he endeavors to further solidify his position within the top 100, having commenced the week precariously at 99th. The standout round of the day was executed by Alex Noren, who ascended from beyond the cut line to join the T10 ensemble, courtesy of a 62.
Entering Friday’s play, Max Homa and Rickie Fowler seemed poised to pose a challenge, but neither proved capable of sustaining their momentum from Thursday, thereby receding beyond the top 20. Homa presently occupies T24 at 8 under following a 68, whereas Fowler has fallen back to T32 at 7 under subsequent to a less-than-stellar 70. Both competitors will be compelled to present something extraordinary on Saturday to remain relevant in the closing-round dialogue.
The person in front
1. Thorbjørn Olesen (-14): Olesen can greatly advance his cause this week by securing a victory or, at the very least, a top-5 finish. A win would propel him into the top 60, thereby gaining access to the playoffs, while a top-5 outcome would provide a significant opportunity to move into the top 100, securing his full-time PGA Tour standing for 2026. Although there’s still a considerable path ahead, for someone who began the week positioned at 129th, he has maximized his potential to contend for his inaugural career win and a coveted spot in the playoffs.
Contenders
2. Jake Knapp (-13)
T3. Pierceson Coody, Sam Stevens (-12)
T5. Matti Schmid, Chris Kirk, Takumi Kanaya (-11)
T8. Wyndham Clark, Chris Gotterup, Akshay Bhatia, Joel Dahmen, Emiliano Grillo and four others (-10)
T17. Luke Clanton and six others (-9)
T24. Max Homa and seven others (-8)
T32. Sam Burns, Rickie Fowler, Gary Woodland and 10 others (-7)
Knapp has showcased strong gameplay recently, although has faced challenges in maintaining consistency across all four rounds. This was exemplified at both the Canadian and Scottish Opens, where, despite being competitive heading into Sunday, he lost momentum with an over-par final round. He once again finds himself in a favorable position as the weekend approaches and will aim to execute a complete tournament to secure his second career victory.
Stevens has demonstrated a solid season thus far. His performance on and around the greens has been remarkable over the initial two days, and if he can sustain this putting form, he will pose a threat in the pursuit of his first career win. Coody, the former standout from Texas, is still in the process of establishing himself on the Tour and is positioned to potentially achieve one of the strongest finishes in his budding career.
Schmid, Kirk, and Grillo all commenced the week situated on the periphery of the playoffs, yet are performing in a manner that could secure a solid top-70 position. Furthermore, there are three significant contenders at 10 under, namely Clark, Gotterup, and Bhatia. This trio possesses reduced live odds, and oddsmakers foresee them as having the highest probability of making substantial progress over the weekend.
Clanton persists in producing commendable results as he acclimates further to the Tour, while seasoned players such as Homa, Burns, Fowler, and Woodland aspire to create a noteworthy performance on Saturday, providing themselves with an opportunity to vie for another PGA Tour title.
Notable players not continuing
- Davis Riley (-4)
- Haotong Li (-4)
- Jacob Bridgeman (-3)
- Byeong Hun An (-3)
- Max Greyserman (-3)
- Keith Mitchell (-3)
- Sahith Theegala (-2)
- Davis Thompson (-2)
- Si Woo Kim (-2)
- Sungjae Im (E)
- Maverick McNealy (E)
- Cam Davis (+1)
- Erik van Rooyen (+2)
- Michael Thorbjornsen (+3)
- Tony Finau (+4)
- Tom Hoge (+10)
Due to the prevalence of low scores this week, the cut line was set at 5 under, leading to an early exit for numerous players who were anticipating a strong performance. Maverick McNealy, Sungjae Im, Tom Hoge, and Jacob Bridgeman were among the highest-ranked players in the field this week; nevertheless, they will be absent for the weekend rounds. Keith Mitchell and Byeong Hun An have both slipped out of the critical top 70 in the FedEx Cup standings following their missed cut, requiring them to perform well at the Wyndham Championship next week to regain their position. Cam Davis descended to the 69th spot from his initial ranking of 65th, while van Rooyen declined to 66th, causing some anxiety for both.
Predictions for the 2025 3M Open, as updated
Odds presented by DraftKings
- Thorbjørn Olesen (9/2)
- Jake Knapp (9/2)
- Sam Stevens (10-1)
- Pierceson Coody (10-1)
- Chris Gotterup (12-1)
- Wyndham Clark (14-1)
- Akshay Bhatia (18-1)
- Matti Schmid (18-1)
- Luke Clanton (22-1)
- Chris Kirk (22-1)
- Emiliano Grillo (22-1)
I favored Knapp subsequent to the opening round and continue to consider him a prime contender for victory, although the potential returns are beginning to diminish as reflected in the odds—particularly in consideration of his past Sunday difficulties. Among the chasing group, I view Bhatia as having the capacity to achieve very low scores when his putting game is strong, coupled with a higher degree of consistency compared to some others in the mix. Kirk has also been a recurrent presence on leaderboards this year, and I anticipate his continued prominence through to the conclusion of the event.
