Lee Hodges Maintains Lead Despite Weather Interruption in 3M Open, Justin Thomas Misses Cut Again

Photo Cliff Hawkins / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / AFP

The 2nd round of the 3M Open, interrupted for more than three hours by dangerous weather, ended just before dark with still the same leader: Lee Hodges, arrested after the 8th, who then came out of the clubhouse to complete a card of 64 and point to -15, thanks also to his superb 63 on Thursday. As for Justin Thomas, he was unable to take advantage of an improbable miracle and missed the cut, for the fifth time in seven tournaments.

The 3M Open was disturbed by the weather on Friday, but its leader was not disturbed at all: Lee Hodges110th player in the world, added a 64 to his 63 the day before, to point to -15 with four strokes ahead of Tyler Duncan (2nd, -11) and five on an infernal quartet of compatriots, at -10, composed of Kevin Streelman, JT Poston, Brandt Snedeker, back after a big operation, and Tony Finau, the defending champion in Minnesota. This same Finau who missed an eagle by a few millimeters but remains more than ever in the race for a double, in case Hodges weakens a little this weekend.

How does that 𝙉𝙊𝙏 go in?!@TonyFinauGolf was this close to an eagle hole-out @3MOpen. pic.twitter.com/6nxdK2RUnw

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) July 28, 2023

Streelman and Poston had joined Hodges

The very provisional co-leaders on Friday evening, for a little over three hours, were Kevin Streelman et JT Poston, who had played respectively in 68 and 66 during this 2nd round. Because Lee Hodgesalone in the lead on Thursday night, was stopped after the 8th, when he too had gone 10 under par when play was suspended by the organizers, .

Art by @JT_ThePostman 😅 pic.twitter.com/g2Jd1anJ96

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) July 28, 2023

Hideki Matsuyamawinner of Masters 2021, also suffered a long break in the session, after the 12th, but it is still in the top 10 before a Moving Day which promised to be fierce, Saturday at TPC Twin Cities of But

Justin Thomas, the black series

There was no miracle for Justin Thomas who planned to pass the cut in this tournament, after a 69 Thursday (46th). Despite his new putter Scotty Cameron, he just played a little less well on Friday (71) and lost about forty places in a few hours. He finished 90th (-2) and failed two shots from the cut, finally set at -4. This is his 5th missed cut in his last seven official outings.

Battling until the end.

Despite birdies on four of his last five holes, @JustinThomas34 will miss the cut @3MOpen.

He’ll need a strong finish next week @WyndhamChamp to qualify for the #FedExCup Playoffs for the ninth straight year. pic.twitter.com/dyv3xtM16z

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) July 28, 2023

Thomas has never finished worse than 32nd in the FedExCup standings and has consistently made the playoffs for the past seven seasons. Arrived at the 3M Open in 75th place in the FedEx ranking, he still has the Wyndham Championship, next week, on the course of the Sedgefield Country Club where he has not played since 2016 (missed cut) to save his season. It was in this tournament that he made his debut on the PGA Tourat 16 years old.

He is not the only kingpin to have been ejected from this tournament on Friday evening: the Austrian Sepp Straka2nd in The Open last week, also flew out on Saturday morning, as did Cameron Young et Joel Dahmenamong other brand eliminated.

Ludvig Aberg monte, Martin Trainer descend…

It was a weather-unsettled Friday and there was a lot of movement on the leaderboard, including a meteoric rise from the Swedish rookie Ludvig Aberg, who gained 91 places (22nd, -6) in a few hours thanks to a card of 64, in the morning, while the weather was still mild. And a spectacular dive from the Franco-American Martin Trainer, who was 24th Thursday evening but did the opposite: 119 places lost (143rd, +5) with a catastrophic 79.

What a round from Ludvig Aberg 👀

He vaults 102 spots up the leaderboard and is currently T11 @3MOpen. pic.twitter.com/SWvcd4WMhc

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) July 28, 2023

The suspense is all the more intense as the start of the play-offs of the FedEx Cup is scheduled to Memphis, from August 10 to 13, for the 70 qualifiers who are not yet known. There are still points to be gleaned this week in the Minnesotaand there will be more next week at the Wyndham Championship, with the same goal: a ticket to the St. Jude FedEx Championshipin the Tennessee.

Le leaderboard

Photo: Cliff Hawkins / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / AFP

2023-07-29 09:00:00


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