Michael Thompson (Getty Images) and Atwal (File pic)
Blaine, MN, July 27: Arjun Atwal closed the week with a fine five-under 66 on the final day of the 3M Open and finished T-53 at the TPC Twin Cities. It was his second start since the ‘Return to Golf’ and he will also tee up at next week’s Barracuda Championship. Atwal totalled seven-under 281.
Michael Thompson carded 67 and coasted to a second career win at 19-under with Adam Long second at 17-under. Nine players Tony Finau, Charles Howell III, Robby Shelton, Cameron Tringale, Charl Schwartzel, Max Homa, Richy Werenski, Emiliano Grillo, and Alex Noren were tied for third at 16 under.
After an indifferent Saturday, where he was unable to build on a good start, Atwal had a solid final round finding 10 of the 14 fairways and 14 of the 18 greens in regulation and he did not miss within 10 feet.
Starting on the tenth Atwal had two birdies on his first nine and then added four more including three in a row from first to third and another one on seventh, at which point he was six-under for the day. A bogey in ninth ended his day at five-under 66.
The final leaderboard at 3M Open
Atwal also gained from a chip-in from 30 feet on Par-4 third hole. It was a good day on the greens and he also hit well, so going into next week’s Barracuda Championship, which is played on a stableford format.
Thompson birdied two of the last three holes for a 67 and emerged a two-shot winner on a close final day which concluded a windy and muggy week. Due to early morning storms, the original one-tee start at 7:20 a.m. was changed to a split tee start from 9:59 a.m. to noon.
Thompson was steady stayed out of danger. He came with a one-shot lead to the 18th and then had a 15-footer for two-putts to win. He just needed one.
Thompson’s first win in seven years, and his second PGA TOUR victory moved him to No. 39 in the FedExCup standings and it earned him a spot into next week’s WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational.
The 35-year-old Thompson and Adam Long, 2019 The American Express champion, who needed a birdie on 17th in the second round to make the cut, was second, were the top two players inside the top 10 not otherwise exempt to the 2020 U.S. Open, so they get invites, to the Major, too.
Thompson tied for eighth at the Travelers Championship in Connecticut and missed the cut in his last start at the Workday Charity Open in Ohio two weeks ago. For this win, he not only secured a spot in the U.S. Open but also won $1,188,000, his biggest career cheque.
After holding at least a share of the lead each round this week, Richy Werenski finished T3, while defending champion Matthew Wolff finished T12.
From an Asian point of view, China’s Xinjun Zhang closed with a 67 to finish T12, a week after a T10 at the Memorial Tournament.
Robby Shelton, who missed four straight starts closing with a 7-under 64 and was T-3.
Charles Howell III (T3) posted his 96th top-10 finish in his 569th official start; moves to No. 54 in the FedExCup as he seeks to keep a streak alive of finishing inside the top 100 every season of the FedExCup era (14 seasons)
Chasing his second TOUR victory and finishing T3, Finau has the most top-eight finishes (25) of any player without a win on TOUR in the last four seasons
Charl Schwartzel entered the week with three events left to satisfy his Major Medical Extension, needing approximately 106 additional points to equal No. 125 on the 2018-19 FedExCup points list but came up just shy of meeting the requirements this week with 103.89 points earned
In stroke play over the last four seasons, Finau has finished 35 rounds inside the top three, by far the most without a win on TOUR over that stretch. Tommy Fleetwood (20) has the second most.
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