THE Major season came to a damp and low-key end at Royal Liverpool on Sunday as Brian Harman waltzed to Open Championship success, much to the disappointment of the galleries at Hoylake who had been hoping for a McIlroy or Fleetwood victory.
For those bigger names the focus now turns to the FedEx Cup play-offs in a couple of weeks, with the Ryder Cup also looming larger on the horizon.
Those two factors have prompted Justin Thomas to swap Liverpool for Minnesota and the 3M Open this week as he tries to find form to force his way into the top 70 to take part in the play-offs, and also into the mind of US captain Zach Johnson, who has a plethora of quality options to choose from for Rome.
Thomas is the biggest name in the 3M field but is only fifth in the betting at 25/1, so poor has his form been.
Cameron Young, who played in the final group alongside Harman on Sunday at The Open, heads the market at 14s, ahead of defending champion Tony Finau at a course, TPC Twin Cities in Minneapolis, that is all about powerful driving and holing a few putts.
Finau has totally lost his game of late, while Young might just be tired from his Open exertions, so the man to follow could be Sungjae Im at 16s (Paddy Power).
The Korean has struggled recently but put in a fine weekend for 20th at Hoylake, a 67 on Saturday boding well, and he played nicely without really being in the heat of battle.
That should set him up for this week at a course where he was second to Finau last term and could just go one better now.
Adam Hadwin is another to keep an eye on at 35/1 on a track where he was fourth in 2019 and sixth in 2021.
The Canadian lost a play-off to Rickie Fowler at the Rocket Mortgage Classic two starts ago, and should be fresh after missing the Scottish Open and Hoylake.
Meanwhile, the regular Majors are over, but the seniors get their turn as the Senior Open takes place on links terrain at Royal Porthcawl in south Wales from tomorrow.
Padraig Harrington dominates the betting at 3/1 in the absence of Steve Stricker and Stewart Cink.
The Dubliner will take all the beating at a wet and windy links course, but the price is hardly appealing, and I’d rather an
each-way punt on reigning champion Darren Clarke at 28/1.
The Dungannon man took this title in terrible conditions at Gleneagles 12 months ago, and played reasonably well despite missing the cut at Royal Liverpool.
The 2011 Open winner has five top-10s to his name on the Champions Tour this season and has always been a fine bad weather player.
He gets another chance to show he hasn’t lost it this week and really appeals at the price.
3M OPEN SELECTIONS
Sungjae Im, e/w, 16/1 (Paddy Power);
Adam Hadwin, e/w, 35/1(William Hill)
SENIOR OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP SELECTION
Darren Clarke, e/w, 28/1 (Paddy Power)
