As the Open Championship fades in our rear-view mirror, we roll swiftly on to the 3M Open and another opportunity to find a winner on the PGA Tour with Bazza's Best Bets.
The team at Golf Monthly HQ have been busy selecting their picks to win the 3M Open, as well as their sleeper tips and first round leader bets, but after extensively researching the field I believe I've found a few crackers to share with you as part of my betting tips card.
TPC Twin Cities is a familiar spot on tour, so we sort of know what to expect from a track that insists on accuracy and a solid short game.
Using a meticulously refined model with a very particular player profile in mind, here are six selections I believe strike the perfect balance of value and genuine winning upside at the 3M Open...
3M Open 2025: Bazza's Best Bets At TPC Twin Cities
Outright Winner: Sam Burns (2pts @ +1800)
Sam Burns is having a fantastic season so far in 2025, and all that is missing is a win to round off his fine form.
He was agonisingly close when losing in a play-off at the Canadian Open recently, and put in a great display at Oakmont a week later, so I can forgive him for two slightly less appealing performances on the links courses of Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Prior to the trip across the pond, Burns accumulated seven top-20 finishes in eight starts. His form at the 3M Open is also impressive, with a T7 and T12 finish the highlights among three respectable visits to TPC Twin Cities.
I rarely go for the favourite in a field such as this, but with Burns recent form I could ignore him at a track where he could pick up his first win since 2023.
Outright Winner: Tony Finau (1pt @ +3500)
Tony Finau's form at the 3M Open is something else. He won the event in 2022, and in six appearances has never finished worse than 28th.
Four top-12 finishes in those six visits make him an interesting contender in this, especially when considering how much weight that carries against his modest recent form.
Tony Finau has been relatively consistent in 2025, with 13 made cuts from 17 starts, but with just one top-10 finish he is falling short of his usual high standards. After watching the coverage of the Open last week, however, I saw flashes of the Finau of old.
That was enough to convince me that returning to an event like this could be the spark that Tony needs, and at a reasonable price I am willing to take a chance on him turning a corner as we head into the business end of the PGA Tour season.
Sleeper: Andrew Putnam (0.5pt @ +6000)
Top-20 Finish Including Ties: Andrew Putnam (3pts @ +230)
Andrew Putnam is definitely coming in under the radar, but if you look closely at his statistics you will realise how much of a great value option he is this week.
On a course where finding fairways and a versatile short game are essential, Putnam ranks 4th for SG: Around the green and 10th for driving accuracy. His form in this event is also appealing, with back-to-back top-20 finishes including a T11 in 2023.
Putnam was T11 at the Barracuda Championship last week, when many others had travelled over to Northern Ireland for the Open, and also recorded consecutive top-8 finishes at the Canadian Open and Rocket Classic recently.
Based on all of this evidence, I am going all in on Putnam this week - putting him up as one of two sleeper picks and also taking advantage in the top-20 finish market.
Sleeper: Jacob Bridgeman (0.5pt @ +7500)
Top-20 Finish Including Ties: Jacob Bridgeman (3pts @ +250)
It's rare I double down on one golfer in any particular tournament, let alone two. That is exactly what I have done here, however, with Jacob Bridgeman joining the card as a sleeper pick and a top-20 finish candidate.
Prior to a disappointing finish in Scotland, Bridgeman was tied for 5th at the John Deere Classic - which is held on a course with an interesting correlation to TPC Twin Cities.
He was also 3rd at the Valspar Championship earlier in the season, which is another correlating track, and was T19 on debut here in 2024.
His short game might not be the strongest in the field, but his putting certainly is and that can help him plot his way to go a good score around here.
Bazza's Best Bets For The 3M Open - The Card
With four selections across six bets, Baz is hoping to turn a slow start into some profit for the column. With near misses on both Knapp and Smith in Scotland, and after Hatton went well at the Open, it feels like he isn't far away from finding the value...
How Does The 'Points' Stake System Work?
A point will represent different amounts of money to different people. I could bet one point, which represents $1 or £1, but to someone else that point could mean $10 or £10 (or $100/£100).
The stakes represent my confidence in the selection, but only you can determine how much (if any) you want to risk on any particular bet. You could also use the stakes as your own imaginary staking system - just for fun without the financial outlay.
Please don't ever spend more than you can afford and be sure to gamble responsibly.
