Rory McIlroy has attracted his fair share of criticism this season over the number of tournaments he has chosen to sit out. As we approach the beginning of August, the Northern Irishman has made just 11 starts on the PGA Tour - and four of those have been majors.
World number one Scottie Scheffler has plotted a very different course. This week he tees it up at the 3M Open for the first time - it will be his 17th start on the PGA Tour in 2026, just days after narrowly missing out on successfully defending The Open Championship. The American closed with a three-under-par 67 at Royal Birkdale to finish tied for fourth on seven under par, underlining the consistency that has kept him at the top of the world rankings.
Much has been made of Scheffler's failure to add to his victory at The American Express and the shock of his missed cut at the Genesis Scottish Open. It would have been all too easy for him to take this week off after another strong showing in a major championship. Instead, he has opted to make his debut at the 3M Open as he looks to build momentum heading towards the FedEx Cup Playoffs.
Image Credit: ©Rolex/Thomas Lovelock
He said: "I'm looking forward to playing the 3M Open for the first time. I have heard great things about the event and I'm excited to get to Minnesota and compete at TPC Twin Cities."
Jordan Spieth is another who is playing here for the first time and he has a very different agenda. A 13-time winner, Spieth is looking for his first victory since the RBC Heritage in 2022. He hasn’t managed a single top-10 finish in 2026 but there have been eight top-25s. He is outside the top 50 in both the FedEx Cup standings and world rankings and needs to find a way to arrest that slide.
Much the same can be said of the big-hitting Tony Finau. He was tied sixth at the CJ Cup but there have been a clutch of missed cuts and he has seen his world ranking tumble to 123.
Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama has gone off the boil somewhat after a superb start to the campaign saw him finish tied 13th at the Sony Open, tied 11th at the Farmers Insurance Open, second at the Phoenix Open and tied eighth at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. It has all been pretty average since then but the good news is that he has remained fit.
Twelve months ago Kurt Kitayama began the weekend eight shots behind the leader, having made the cut by just one stroke after the first two rounds. He then produced one of the best weekend performances of the 2025 season to secure his second career win on the PGA Tour. Kitayama charged into a tie for third on Saturday with an 11-under 60. Then he followed it up with a final-round 65 to pull away from the field in Minnesota.
With the win, Kitayama jumped from 110th to 53rd in the FedEx Cup standings, locking up a spot in the first playoff event at the St. Jude Classic and giving himself a great chance at pushing into the top 50, which qualify for the BMW Championship and secure a spot in all eight signature events for the 2026 season.
You may find this hard to believe but after this week there are just two regular events left before the FedEx Playoffs get under way and that means there are lots of golfers in the field who are playing for their futures.
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, in 2024 by Jhonattan Vegas and last year by Kurt Kitayama.
Tournament Guids & Picks
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
Form Guide
Scotte Scheffler is a machine and will start the week as a red-hot favourite to win here on what will be his first appearance.
Prize Money
Total prize money is $8.4m, with $1.65m going to the winner along with 500 FedEx Cup points
How to Watch
Thursday, July 23, Sky Sports Golf, 7pm; Friday, July 24, Sky Sports Golf, 7pm; Saturday, July 25, Sky Sports Golf, 7pm; Sunday, July 26, Sky Sports+, 6pm
Five to Follow
Scottie Scheffler. All depends on his putter
Corey Conners. Grinds out top 10s for fun
Rasmus Højgaard. Wonderful short game
Hideki Matsuyama. As fit as he has ver been
Jordan Spieth. Desperate for a good finish
To win:
Scottie Scheffler. Different class
Each way:
Corey Conners. As consistent as anybody
Each way:
Rasmus Højgaard. Beautiful ball striker
Five Outsiders to Watch
Cameron Champ. Remember him
Max Homa. Playing for his future
Johnny Keefer. Exciting prospect
Haotong Li. Hugely entertaining
John Parry. Terrific ball striker
