BLAINE, Minn. – The leaderboard at the 3M Open is topped by a couple of crafty veterans who haven’t been there much of late, but some young challengers are lurking heading into the final round at TPC Twin Cities.
Jhonattan Vegas fired one of four rounds of 63 on Saturday to climb to 16-under 197 and claim a one-stroke leader over Matt Kuchar.
Vegas, 39, is playing on a major-medical extension after undergoing two surgeries the previous two years and entered the week at No. 149 in the FedEx Cup. He’s seeking his first win since the 2017 RBC Canadian Open. Kuchar, 46, entered the week at No. 155 in the FedEx Cup and winless since the 2020 Sony Open in Hawaii.
Midway through Saturday’s third round there was a five-way tie for the lead after 36-hole leader Taylor Pendrith, who played his first 38 holes without a bogey, hit a string of three bogeys in four holes and then made a double at No. 11. He finished at 2-over 73 and drifted back to T-9.
TPC Twin Cities is known to be a birdie-fest but with 27 water hazards and throw in wind gusting to 28 miles per hour and it was a recipe for a day of volatility on the leaderboard.
Patrick Fishburn, Maverick McNealy, Kuchar and Vegas took advantage of a few tees being moved up and still lit up the Arnold Palmer design to the tune of 63. Sahith Theegala, who is lurking four back (T-4), took his hat off to the players who went low and McNealy and Fishburn both agreed it likely will take another low round on Sunday to take home the trophy.
“I think tomorrow’s going to be even more difficult, greens are going to be even firmer, winds are going to be up just as high,” McNealy said. “As you can see by the guys on the leaderboard, you’re still going to have to go make a bunch of birdies tomorrow.”
Here are five things to know from the third round of the 2024 3M Open.
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