It took a late birdie to pull it off, but Michael Thompson secured his second PGA Tour win on Sunday afternoon at the 3M Open at TPC Twin Cities.
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PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. – His steady ball-striking has been a bit off. An ill-timed camera click contributed to a tee shot into a penalty area. And yet, Justin Rose leads the U.S. Open. Rose followed his first-round 65 with a 70 on Friday to sit at 7-under 135. He was the solo leader after the morning wave completed play. Rose, one of the game’s best iron players, has hit just 19 greens in the first two days. His short game, likely his most underrated skill, has saved him. Related: Leaderboard | Poor finish stalls Tiger run | Koepka: ‘I’ve got a chance’ “I’ll say my short game has been really, really strong this week,â€� he said. “I’ve made a lot of putts inside 10 feet. I’ve managed my game really well. I’ve missed it in the wrong spots. I’ve always given myself an opportunity to salvage something out of every hole I’ve played. And I haven’t compounded any mistakes so far.â€� His chipping and pitching has impressed one of the PGA TOUR’s short-game masters who witnessed it first-hand over the opening two rounds. “He’s chipping and putting beautifully, and not hitting it probably as well as he’d like to, and he’s still leading the U.S. Open,â€� said Jordan Spieth. “So that’s scary.â€� Rose has made just three bogeys this week. One of them came on the short fourth hole, where his tee shot sailed over the cliffs. Rose immediately turned toward the stands and told the fans that he heard their cameras click during his swing. Rose took the blame for the mishit, though. “Ultimately, I never really felt set on that shot,â€� he said. He spent time after the round trying to recalibrate his technically-sound swing. Rose was seen on the practice area past 4 p.m. Friday, well after he finished his round. Not that there should be too much cause for concern. He remembers fighting his swing during his U.S. Open win six years ago at Merion, as well. “I still remember working through the week with Sean (Foley, Rose’s swing coach) at Merion, I still wasn’t 100 percent dialed into my long game,â€� Rose said. “Sometimes, it’s nice to be in contention with things to work on going into the weekend. Sometimes, if you feel perfect after two days, it’s sometimes hard to keep that level every single day. So that could be similar.â€� Rose is trying to become the first reigning FedExCup champion to win the U.S. Open since Tiger Woods in 2008. Rose won on the California Coast earlier this year at the Farmers Insurance Open and ranks 10th in the FedExCup.
The Monday qualifier for this week’s Palmetto Championship at Congaree was held a day early to accommodate U.S. Open qualifying, but it didn’t lack any of the inherent drama. The final spot in the Palmetto field came down to an eight-man playoff, which was won by Brant Peaper. Akshay Bhatia, Hayden Springer, Garrett Osborn, Stewart Jolly, Peyton White, Charles Huntzinger and Evan Grenus joined Peaper in the playoff. Cody Blick, Tain Lee and former NCAA champion Broc Everett will join Peaper in the field. Lee has qualified for three TOUR events this year. The Palmetto Championship will be the second PGA TOUR start of Blick’s career. He made 10 birdies Sunday en route to shooting 7-under 65 at Belfair in Bluffton, South Carolina. He finished in the top 15 of the Mackenzie Tour-PGA TOUR Canada’s Order of Merit (now known as the Forme Tour) in both 2017 and 2018. Following his success in the Great White North, he famously shot 63 in the final round of the Korn Ferry Tour Q-School after getting his clubs stolen hours before teeing off. Blick was sidelined with a back injury 10 starts into the 2019 KFT season, however. He failed to keep his Korn Ferry card after missing the cut in all six of his medical starts in 2020. QUALIFIERS Cody Blick Age: 27 College: San Jose State Turned pro: 2016 PGA TOUR starts: 1 Cuts made: 1 PGA TOUR earnings: $7,128 Twitter: @blick_golf Notes: The Palmetto Championship will mark Blick’s first start on the PGA TOUR since the 2017 Barracuda Championship (T61). Blick missed all six cuts on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2020 while playing on a medical extension. He made two cuts on the PGA Latinoamérica Tour in 2020, finishing T52 at The Championship at Echelon Golf Club and 52nd at the Classic at The Club at Weston Hills. Tain Lee Age: 31 College: Claremont McKenna College Turned pro: 2011 PGA TOUR starts: 2 Cuts made: 2 PGA TOUR earnings: $32,315 Notes: The Palmetto Championship will be Lee’s third career PGA TOUR start (all in 2021). He finished 69th at the Farmers Insurance Open and 59th at the Valero Texas Open after Monday qualifying for both. … Lee won the Jack Nicklaus Award in 2010 as the top player in NCAA Division III. Broc Everett Age: 26 College: Augusta Turned pro: 2018 PGA TOUR starts: 3 Cuts made: 0 Twitter: @Brocandroll10 Notes: Everett has made three starts on the Korn Ferry Tour this season, making one cut (T54 at Pinnacle Bank Championship presented by Aetna). Most recent PGA TOUR starts came in 2019 at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and Wells Fargo Championship. Everett won the 2018 NCAA individual title. Future PGA TOUR players Doug Ghim (3rd), Scottie Scheffler (6th) and Matthew Wolff (T7) finished in the top 10 that week. Everett played baseball, basketball track and golf in high school, and was member of several choral groups. Brant Peaper Age: 26 College: Indiana Turned pro: 2013 PGA TOUR starts: 0 Twitter: @peapshow25 Notes: This will be Peaper’s PGA TOUR debut. He played three events on the Korn Ferry Tour between 2016 and 2018 and made the cut in six of 30 Forme Tour starts between 2014 and 2019. Was a first-team All-Big Ten selection in 2013, including a win at the Wolf Run Intercollegiate. NOTES Notable who missed qualifying: Hayden Springer, Akshay Bhatia, John Augenstein, M.J. Daffue (AT&T Byron Nelson Monday Qualifier), J.J. Killeen. 2020-2021 Monday Qualifier Statistics Last event’s qualifier results: AT&T Byron Nelson, M.J. Daffue (MC), John Lyras (MC), Dylan Meyer (T68), Tom Lovelady (MC) Total money earned by Monday qualifiers on TOUR this season: $651,473 Best Finish: M.J. Daffue (T12, Sanderson Farms Championship) Next Monday Qualifier: Travelers Championship at Ellington Ridge Country Club (Monday June 21, 2021)
Kevin Na, who shot a 62 on Friday at the Charles Schwab Challenge, grabbed a two-shot lead after firing a 1-under 69 on Saturday.
