Gotterup Surging, Finau Searching As FedExCup Stakes Rise At 3M Open

The pro golf world may still be basking in the afterglow of Scottie Scheffler’s bravura fourth major victory, but while fans pause to reflect on whether the current world No. 1 may be echoing Tiger in his prime, the tour has pressed onto Minnesota for the 3M Open.

With only two events to go in the regular season, the stakes are elevated at TPC Twin Cities as players battle to improve their position in the FedExCup standings. For those hovering around the bubble, the margins are as thin as Scotch Tape and there’s way more on the line than simply a share of the 3M Open’s $8.4 million purse.

The top 70 after next week’s Wyndham Championship advance to the FedExCup Playoffs. Golfers who finish in the top 50 in the standings after the FedEx St. Jude move on to the BMW Championship and from there only the top 30 will be left standing and go on to East Lake in Atlanta for the Tour Championship.

Beyond the immediate postseason horizon, to secure spots in next year’s lucrative signature events, players must stick inside the top 50 when the season is in the bag. Otherwise, they’ll need to punch their ticket via the Aon Next 10, Aon Swing 5, or else hold onto the hope of a sponsor’s exemption.

Tony Finau is tied with Xander Schauffele for the longest active streak of Tour Championship appearances with eight straight East Lake appearances. But the Utah native isn’t quite on solid footing to extend his run to nine. The six-time PGA winner, who topped the leaderboard here in 2022, finds himself perched at 59^th in the standings, inside the top 70 but still shy of that all-important top 50 cutoff, so he’s got work to do.

“It’s definitely in the back of my mind because I know how important that top-50 number has become on the PGA Tour,” Finau said in his pre-tournament press conference.

“I’m trying to put myself in a situation to have a chance to win on Sunday this week and if I’m able to do that, then I know the points and everything will take care of themselves,” he added.

Gotterup Rising

You don’t have to scroll too far back on the calendar to the days when Chris Gotterup wasn’t on most golf fans’ radar. Sure, he’d won the inaugural Myrtle Beach Classic last year—an opposite-field event—but his sophomore season on the PGA Tour had been more steady than spectacular. He notched nine top-25 finishes, offset by just as many missed cuts.

But then cue up Born To Run. Gotterup vaulted 55 spots in the FedExCup standings in the space of a fortnight, outdueling Rory McIlroy to win the Scottish Open and showing he had staying power by coming in third in the Open Championship.

No one would begrudge the New Jerseyan if he took a week off after his cross-the-pond breakout, but Gotterup wants to keep the pedal to the metal.

“I’m trying to ride the hot hand obviously right now, so that’s goal No. 1.,” Gotterup said. “3M gave me a spot a couple years ago when I came out of school and I felt like I kind of owe a little something back to them. I was planning on playing but that definitely helped,” he added.

Now firmly inside the top 30 in the FedExCup standings, Gotterup is navigating uncharted territory—and embracing the moment.

“I feel like I’m playing with house money at the moment, especially with what’s happened. I’m excited for the rest of the season.”