Another week another debutante on the PGA TOUR as the Midwest Swing hits the midpoint in Minneapolis.

First of all, a BIG SHOUT OUT to the tournament organizers for calling this the 3M Open.

I’ve already saved 20 minutes typing this week!

Preview comes after lunch time, just like normal, even on a holiday July 3.

I give you the updated stat after the jump:

The Midwest Swing, I’ve made that up, it’s catchy, I know, continues this week as another brand-spanking new event debuts at TPC Twin Cities in Blaine, Minnesota. The Arnold Palmer design can expand to 7,468 yards and plays to Par-71. Native Minnesotan, Tom Lehman gave it a tune-up after it hosted its 19th 3M Championship on the Champions Tour last August to bring it up-to-speed for its debut on the PGA TOUR.

For the first time since the late 1960s, the TOUR returns to “The Land of 10,000 Lakes” as a full field of 156 players are angling for the trophy and $1.152 million of the $6.4 million prize pool plus 500 FedExCup points.

Arnold Palmer’s TPC Twin Cities has ranked in the top two in birdies over the last seven years on the Champions Tour so there’s no mystery in what is needed again this week. Lehman pinched in a few fairways and added some trees, but the perfectly conditioned Bentgrass greens will provide bigger targets this week (6,500 square feet) than the pros have seen the last two weeks. Running at a summertime speed of 12 feet, putts on line should be clanging the bottom of the cups again this week.

Along with a few mosquitoes, I wouldn’t be surprised to see some scoring records squashed this week!

Need more Course Info? Check Rob Bolton’s Power Rankings, The First Look and Course Preview.

Top 25 finishes in the last two weeks (entered this week)

Rocket Mortgage Classic

1  Nate Lashley
2  Doc Redman
3  Wes Roach
3  Rory Sabbatini
5  Joaquin Niemann
5  Ted Potter, Jr.
5  Patrick Reed
5  Cameron Tringale
11 Sepp Straka
13 Viktor Hovland
13 Hideki Matsuyama
13 J.J. Spaun
17 Wyndham Clark
17 Brice Garnett
17 Talor Gooch
21 Mackenzie Hughes
21 Sungjae Im
21 Danny Lee
21 Denny McCarthy
21 Roger Sloan
21 Kyle Stanley
21 Jimmy Walker

Travelers

2  Keegan Bradley
2  Zach Sucker
5  Joaquin Niemann
8  Jason Day
8  Bryson DeChambeau
8  Roberto Diaz
8  Brian Harman
13 Kyoung Hoon Lee
15 Wyndham Clark
15 Ryan Moore
15 Kevin Streelman
20 Alex Prugh
21 Sungjae Im
21 Martin Laird
21 Adam Long
21 Brendan Steele
21 Robert Streb

Key stat leaders

Golfers around the top 40-ish in each statistic on the 2018-19 PGA TOUR are listed only if they are scheduled to compete this week. This is the 37th event of the season.

Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green

4  Hideki Matsuyama
9  Brooks Koepka
16 Corey Conners
22 Keegan Bradley
23 Lucas Glover
25 Jason Day
27 Kevin Streelman
31 Joaquin Niemann
33 Sungjae Im
37 Bryson DeChambeau
38 Rory Sabbatini
41 Charles Howell III

Strokes-Gained: Putting

1  Denny McCarthy
8  Dominic Bozzelli
9  Wyndham Clark
11 Beau Hossler
12 Pat Perez
13 Jason Day
14 Harris English
16 Brian Gay
17 Peter Malnati
18 Curtis Luck
22 Ben Crane
23 Michael Thompson
24 Nate Lashley
29 Sam Ryder
32 Sam Burns
34 Bryson DeChambeau
36 Chase Wright
37 Patton Kizzire
38 Nick Taylor
39 Adam Schenk
41 Johnson Wagner

Birdie-or-better Percentage:

1  Bryson DeChambeau
3  Wyndham Clark
4  Si Woo Kim
10 Matt Every
12 Dominic Bozzelli
14 Jason Day
18 Cameron Champ
19 Hideki Matsuyama
20 Phil Mickelson
22 Denny McCarthy
24 Talor Gooch
28 Brooks Koepka
30 Brandon Harkins
32 Sam Ryder
33 Sungjae Im
36 Patrick Reed
37 Bud Cauley
38 Rory Sabbatini
40 Luke List

Rounds in the 60s:

1  Sungjae Im
2  Rory Sabbatini
3  Charles Howell III
6  Harris English
6  Brian Gay
10 JJ Spaun
10 Scott Piercy
16 Peter Malnati
16 Wyndham Clark
20 Danny Lee
20 Nick Watney
20 Si Woo Kim
20 Matt Jones
20 Denny McCarthy
26 Kevin Streelman
26 Hideki Matsuyama
29 Sam Burns
29 Lucas Glover
29 Joaquin Niemann
29 Adam Schenk
29 Dominic Bozzelli
29 Kyoung Hoon Lee
29 Martin Laird
29 Jonas Blixt
29 Beau Hossler

Preview is later this afternoon so stay tuned. Or don’t have a great and safe holiday!