3M Open 2025 Preview, Picks & Analysis

WHILE the DP World Tour season is still in full swing, with a host of big tournaments on the horizon, over on the PGA Tour this week’s 2025 3M Open marks a nervy time for a number of professionals who find themselves fighting for their futures.

There are now just two tournaments before the season-ending playoffs so those who find themselves on or near the mark need to get a move on this week and again at the Wyndham Championship because only the top 100 in the FedEx Cup standings after the Wyndham will be keeping their tour cards.

In the week after a major it is customary for the world’s leading golfers to take a break but Sam Burns, Tom Kim, Wyndham Clark, Tony Finau and Max Homa were three men who committed to 3M Open early - and they all have reasons for wanting to produce something special.

It is fair to say that this time last year all four would have expected to be lining up for the USA at the Ryder Cup. But they have all experienced mixed fortunes in 2025.

And none more so than Homa. His fall from grace has been spectacular and extremely worrying. At the start of 2024 he was ranked seventh in the world. He was still 10th when he competed in the 2024 US PGA Championship. He has now fallen outside the top 100 in the rankings and failed to qualify for The Open Championship at Royal Portrush, something that would have been unthinkable only a few short months ago.

His form in 2025 has been horrendous. Ahead of The Open he lay in 98th place in the FedEx Cup standings. In 17 starts he has missed seven cuts, including five in a row. He will draw some hope from a tied fifth at the John Deere Classic but that was a rare bright spot. He has no chance of making Keegan Bradley’s team and looks to be playing for his future.

His most recent victory came at the Farmers Insurance Open back in January 2023.

Wyndham Clark won the US Open in 2023 and soared to number three in the world rankings. His fall has not been quite as dramatic as Homa’s but he has still slipped to 28th. Clark would be the first to admit that he has spent much of his career battling a suspect temperament. For a while he seemed to have it under control but there have been several on-course tantrums this season as he has struggled to rediscover his best form. There were some encouraging signs at the Scottish Open but 78th in the FedEx Cup standings is not what he had in mind. His only top-10 finish came at the Houston Open in March. His US Open win means he has no immediate concerns about his playing privileges but he will want to put things right soon.

Just over 12 months ago, Tom Kim was 16th in the world rankings. He has now fallen outside the top 60 and a look at his results this season reveals the reason why. Still only 23, he is a three-time winner on the PGA Tour but his form in 2025 has fallen a long way short of those standards. He was tied seventh at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in February. Incredibly, that remains his best finish of a troubled year.

Burns is a different kettle of fish. He has no concerns about either his world ranking or his FedEx Cup standing but the 28-year-old is a five-time career winner and most definitely has hopes of making Bradley’s team. His most recent win came at the WGC-Dell Technologies Matchplay in 2023. He missed three successive cuts early in the year but has had four top 10s and 10 top 25s in 2025. He was also second at the Canadian Open. But his performance in the final round of the US Open is difficult to forget. In prime position after three rounds he closed with a dreadful 78 to finish tied seventh.

Another player looking to put in a good peformance will be Maverick McNealy. McNealy has long been one of the best ball strikers on the PGA Tour but there were serious questions asked about his motivation until he won the RSM Classic last November in what was his 134th start on the PGA Tour.

Although he has failed to add to his RSM success, in 19 starts ahead of The Open he had done enough to climb to 16th in the world rankings and 11th in the FedEx Cup. He was second at the Genesis, tied third at the Texas Open and RBC Heritage and tied fifth at The Memorial. It is surely only a matter of time before he wins again.

Twelve months ago Jhonattan Vegas sorted out business in some style as he won the 3M Open. It was his first victory for seven years and earned him a bumper payday but, more important than any of that, it secured his place on the PGA Tour for at least another two fulls seasons. Vegas captured his fourth PGA Tour victory at TPC Twin Cities in Blaine, Minnesota, after a birdie at the final hole saw him beat Max Greyserman by a shot. Greyserman shot a back-nine 6-under 30 to get to 16 under, but Vegas birdied the 16th and 18th holes.

The last time Vegas won was in 2017, claiming the Canadian Open for the second straight year. His 3M win came in his 299th Tour start, and it happened in the midst of a poor year that had him on the verge of losing his playing privileges. After an average approach into the par-five 18th on the front of the green, Vegas faced a lengthy eagle look, but needing a birdie to secure the win, he nestled it close and knocked in the putt.

For Greyserman, a Tour rookie, it was the best finish of his career.

Past Tournament Winners

It was won in 2019 by Matthew Wolff, in 2020 by Michael Thompson, in 2021 by Cameron Champ, in 2022 by Tony Finau, in 2023 by Lee Hodges and last year by Jhonattan Vegas.

The Course

TPC Twin Cities is a par 71 that measures 7,164 yards. It was designed by Arnold Palmer and upgraded by Tom Lehman. The course record is 60, so you know that the scoring is going to be low. It is a tree-lined course that features no fewer than 27 water hazards.

3M Open Prize Money

Total prize money is $8.4m, with $1.65m going to the winner along with 500 FedEx Cup points

Form Guide

Sam Burns has not won since 2023 but has shown some excellent recent form, coming close at both the Canadian Open and US Open.

To win

Sam Burns. Class act

Each way

Maverick McNealy. Looking for Ryder Cup debut

Each way

Tony Finau. Not having his best season

Five to Follow

Sam Burns. Does everything so well

Maverick McNealy. Finally finding his feet on tour

Tony Finau. Great driver of the ball

Wyndham Clark. Needs to get his temper back under control

Tom Kim. Ready for a big week

Five Outsiders to Watch

Max Homa. Needs to get it going

Erik van Rooyen. Sumptuous golf swing

Joel Dahmen. Infuriating player

David Ford. Fabulous amateur

Brendan Valdes. One for the future