There were not as many fireworks in Round 2 on Friday as there were in Round 1 on Thursday at the 3M Open. However, we still have plenty of exciting stories for the weekend at TPC Twin Cities, including what would be a monumental bounce from someone who melted a bit last weekend at the Memorial.
Let’s jump into the leaderboard for Round 2 and take a look at what to watch for in the third round.
T1 Richy Werenski, Michael Thompson (-12) – The main question I received on Friday was which of these players (if they had any!) Had the most staying power. For me, it’s Thompson for countless reasons. He has had a solid career in which he won before (2013 Honda Classic) and finished second in a major race (2012 US Open). But even more than that, its statistical profile this week is more sustainable. Yes, he is forgetting it, but he is also hitting the ball well. Werenski’s 11 punches are more the result of simply having a scorching putter. That’s not as likely to last Saturday and Sunday.
S3 Tony Finau, Talor Gooch (-11) – Speaking of lasting on Saturday and Sunday … Tony Finau has a great weekend on deck. Here are the facts: Of the big names still on the field at this tournament, Finau is playing (by far) the best golf. So what goes through your mind on Saturday and Sunday afternoon? What is in the well when you go late every day? Finau getting rid of his caddy after last week tells me that he knows that something (something!) Needs to change and that he needs to get a good victory. So that’s promising. He may not do it in the end, but you still want to fight someone who, despite his scandalous talent, turned around last weekend at Muirfield Village. He has 33 top-10 finishes in the past four years and zero wins. It’s time to go find one against a field you must beat.
S6 Cameron Davis, Matthew Wolff (-9) – Wolff’s tee-to-green game faded a bit on Friday, but I doubt that will happen two days in a row. He was powered by a great putter in Round 2, which could be his salvation this week when he recalls how he built a four-round run by repeating his first Tour victory. This event needs some juice, and Wolff will be happy to do it on Saturday and Sunday. He could become the youngest player to win an event in two consecutive years in more than a century.
MC. Brooks Koepka (-1) – The four-time main winner looked miserable on Friday: he threw sticks, worked on his knees, and generally had a bad time playing golf. It was painful to see him. He made a 38-foot birdie putt on Friday and still finished almost last in the week. There are a few problems to solve before he plays for his third consecutive PGA Championship here in two weeks, and I’m not sure that just playing more golf at next week’s WGC event in Memphis will help solve those problems. This is his second lost cut in his last three events.
MC. Tommy Fleetwood (+1) – It has been a disappointing re-entry on the Tour for Fleetwood who, in a very unmarked move for him, missed hits on the field both Thursday and Friday with his approach shots. It’s easy to explain this as removing rust but, remember, before the Tour stopped due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Fleetwood missed the cut (badly) at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and shot 78 in Round 1 of the Championship. Players. His golf has been inferior in three consecutive tournaments.
CBS Sports was with you the entire time updating this story with the latest scores, updates and highlights below. Check out live scores at the top of this story or a more detailed leaderboard.
