The closing leg at Saturday’s 3M Open provided many intrigues with a drivable par-4, a tough par-3 that was playing almost the same average as the par-4 scores and a closer par-5 where anything could – and it happened. It’s a fabulous three-hole stretch and it blew the rankings at the end of the day in Round 3.
Michael Thompson and Richy Werenski maintain the co-guide they held on Friday evening after they both turned 68 on Saturday (68 roller coasters, but still 68). Let’s take a look at the rest table and who has the opportunity to come to the TPC Twin Cities on Sunday evening.
T1. Michael Thompson (-15) – It almost broke for Thompson in the last few holes. After a birdie jumped out on the 15th, he had to get up and down at no. 16, bogey at no. 17 and hit him in the water off the tee at 18. However, somehow he drives after getting up and down again from the bunker at no. 18. His swing looked really good for the first 15 holes, but he came home a little risky. Thompson is a good player, but it’s something to remember in the final round.
T1. Richy Werenski (-15) – Incredibly, while Werenski seemed to fade a little on Saturday, he rebounded making birdies in three of his last four holes and put all four. I still don’t believe in Werenski and keep showing me I’m wrong. A win on Sunday – the first of his career – would be a fabulous story in what has so far been a dream week for him.
T3. Tony Finau, Charl Schwartzel (-13) – Finau did what he had to do on Saturday: he kept his head at an impressive distance and did not make his way out of four or five going into the final phase. He still has control of the tournament despite having been driven so badly on Saturday. Now it’s time to close for Finau. He has had 33 (thirty three!) Top 10 in his last four years with no wins. He must change that number soon if he really wants to be considered one of the 10-15 best players in the world.
5. Max Homa (-12) – After a rough Friday, Homa was shut down on Saturday with a stellar 64. He spoke after his round about how good he felt with swing, but he didn’t see anything fall on the keys. This has changed this week since it is currently eighth in putting.
“I know where my game is typically all the time and I knew it was really cool,” said Homa. “As I said a couple of days ago, the putts weren’t coming in and it made me feel somehow anxious at all times that you just can’t make a mistake. Finally I feel like I have released the swing and I ‘still hit better than I was before, I guess. So puttin ‘on the top always helps. “
T6. Cameron Tringale, Denny McCarthy, Alex Noren, Harris English, Ryan Moore, Nick Watney, Cameron Davis (-11) – English was my choice for the week, and he quietly turned 65-67 on Friday and Saturday to reach the rankings after a poor first round. He’ll likely need something new in the mid-60s on Sunday to have a chance to win, but the best season of his career will likely go on with a sixth top 10 in just 15 events.
CBS Sports has been with you all the time updating this story with the latest Moving Day scores, updates and highlights. See live scores at the top of this story or a more detailed ranking.
