The PGA Tour returns to American soil on Thursday with the biggest name in the game making a first appearance in Minnesota. Scottie Scheffler plays the 3M Open for the first time in his career, becoming the first world No. 1 to enter this event since Brooks Koepka in 2019. He arrives at TPC Twin Cities off a tie for fourth at The Open Championship at Royal Birkdale, where Ryan Fox rallied to lift the Claret Jug.
Fox has since withdrawn from this week’s field. That leaves Scheffler as the clear price to beat. We are backing him. However, the more interesting money sits a long way down the board with a defending champion who has already solved this golf course.
Last Updated: Wednesday, July 22, 2026
2026 3M Open — Time & How to Watch
| Where | TPC Twin Cities, Blaine, Minnesota |
| When | Thursday, July 23 – 4:00 p.m. ET (Round 1 coverage) |
| TV | Golf Channel |
Pre-Tournament Report
This is the third-to-last FedExCup regular season event, and that context shapes the week. A 144-player field will be trimmed to the top 65 and ties after Friday. Nine players inside the top 50 of the world ranking made the trip to Blaine. Beyond Scheffler, the marquee names include defending champion Kurt Kitayama, Hideki Matsuyama, recent Genesis Scottish Open winner Tom Kim, Maverick McNealy and Jake Knapp. Many are chasing the top 70 on the points list, which tends to produce aggressive golf.
The absentee list matters too. Fox withdrew after Royal Birkdale, and S.Y. Noh also came out, with Ryan Brehm taking his place. Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm and most of the rest of the world’s top 10 are not here. That is why one elite player at the top of the market creates such a lopsided board.
As for the course, TPC Twin Cities is an Arnold Palmer design built on a former sod farm that plays to a par of 71 and 7,431 yards. It features 27 bodies of water, most notably at the par-5 18th, where a lake guards the right side of the fairway and the front of the green. Otherwise, this is a birdie course. Kitayama won at 23 under last year, and the week produced five rounds of 62 or better, including two 60s. Distance helps. Still, the more reliable predictor here has been sharp approach play into receptive greens.
The past-champion pattern is worth noting before backing a repeat. Kitayama (2025), Jhonattan Vegas (2024), Lee Hodges (2023), Tony Finau (2022) and Cameron Champ (2021) all won once and never again here. In seven editions, this event has never produced a multiple winner.
2026 3M Open — Top Odds to Win
| Name | Odds |
|---|---|
| Scottie Scheffler | +275 |
| Kurt Kitayama | +2500 |
| Maverick McNealy | +2800 |
| Hideki Matsuyama | +3000 |
| Tom Kim | +3000 |
| Jackson Koivun | +3500 |
| Corey Conners | +4000 |
| Jake Knapp | +4000 |
| Jackson Suber | +4500 |
| Keith Mitchell | +4500 |
Odds accurate as of Wednesday, July 22, 2026 via TheSpread.com. Odds change, get the latest Golf Odds – Props
Top Pick to Win — Scottie Scheffler
The Pick: Scottie Scheffler to win (+275)
The number looks short until you look at the rest of the board. Scheffler is priced at +275 while the second choice sits at +2500. That gap is not a market error. It reflects a field where one player is meaningfully better than everyone else, over 72 holes on a course that rewards precision iron play. Scheffler has been the most consistent player in golf all season, with four runner-up finishes and a tie for fourth at The Open in his most recent start.
The case against is real, and it is not only about the price. Scheffler has converted just one win in 2026, the American Express in January, his 20th PGA Tour title. Everything since has been top finishes without a trophy. He also missed the cut at the Genesis Scottish Open earlier this month, his first early exit in roughly three years. Add zero course history and the risk that a 23-under shootout neutralizes his tee-to-green edge, and passing is defensible.
We still take him. In a week where the second favorite is nine times the price, the honest read is that Scheffler wins here more often than one in four times. That is the whole bet.
Value Play — Kurt Kitayama
The Value Play: Kurt Kitayama to win (+2500)
Kitayama is the one player here who has already solved TPC Twin Cities under tournament pressure. His 2025 win came via a Saturday 60 that tied the tournament scoring record, followed by a closing 65 to edge Sam Stevens by a shot. He led the field in strokes gained approach that week, which is exactly the skill this course asks for. His 2026 has been solid rather than spectacular, with four top-10 finishes and a tie for 14th at the Barracuda Championship last week.
The counterargument is the history. No player has ever won this event twice, and defending champions carry extra obligations all week. Kitayama’s recent results in the U.K. were poor by his standards, and four top-10s without a win suggests a player who has been close rather than sharp. At +2500, however, you are paid fairly for that uncertainty. He does not need to be the best player in the field. He needs the course to fit, and it does.
Tournament Outlook — Picks and Final Thoughts
The secondary markets offer two cleaner routes than the outright board. The first is group betting. Group A pairs Scheffler with Kitayama, McNealy, Matsuyama and Keith Mitchell, and Kurt Kitayama to win Group A (+600) is the same thesis at a more forgiving price. You are asking him to beat four players rather than 143. The risk is obvious. Scheffler sits in that group at a short number, and if he plays to form the group is over early.
The second is the nationality market. Corey Conners as Top Canadian Player (+250) reflects a real gap in the field. Conners is priced at +4000 in the outright market. The next Canadian on the board sits at +7500, and the rest are 100-1 or longer. His iron play is his calling card, and iron play is what wins here. The case against is that nationality markets are volatile. One missed cut from Conners and a hot week from Taylor Pendrith or Mackenzie Hughes flips it.
As for what to watch, the par-5 18th should dictate the finish. With a lake down the right and short of the green, a one-shot lead is never safe there. Recent history suggests the winning score lands in the low-to-mid 20s under par unless the greens firm up considerably.
Here is the full card. Our outright picks are Scottie Scheffler to win (+275) and Kurt Kitayama to win (+2500). Our secondary plays are Kurt Kitayama to win Tournament Group A (+600) and Corey Conners as Top Canadian Player (+250). For more context on how these names have been trending, see our coverage of The Open Championship final round and the Genesis Scottish Open.
2026 3M Open FAQ
Who is the favorite to win the 2026 3M Open?
Scottie Scheffler is the favorite at +275. Kurt Kitayama is the second choice at +2500, followed by Maverick McNealy at +2800.
When does the 2026 3M Open start?
Round 1 is Thursday, July 23, 2026 at TPC Twin Cities in Blaine, Minnesota. Television coverage begins at 4:00 p.m. ET.
What channel is the 2026 3M Open on?
Golf Channel carries coverage Thursday and Friday from 4-7 p.m. ET. On Saturday and Sunday, Golf Channel airs 1-3 p.m. ET and CBS airs 3-6 p.m. ET.
Who won the 3M Open last year?
Kurt Kitayama won the 2025 3M Open at 23 under par, beating Sam Stevens by one shot. He is defending his title this week.
What is the par and yardage at TPC Twin Cities?
TPC Twin Cities plays as a par 71 at 7,431 yards. The Arnold Palmer design opened in 2000 and has hosted the 3M Open since 2019.
What is the purse for the 2026 3M Open?
The total purse is $8.8 million. The winner receives $1.584 million and 500 FedExCup points.