3 things you should know after Round 2 at the 3M Open

One of the leaders led after the first round. The player tied for third led after two rounds last week. The player tied for sixth led after four rounds last year. It’s a game of follow the leader. Here are three things you should know after Friday’s second round of the 3M Open in Blaine, Minn.     

Richy Werenski and Michael Thompson lead 

Richy Werenski’s and Michael Thompson’s names were atop the leaderboard all day. 

Werenski, the first-round leader, was part of the second pairing off No. 10, at 7 a.m. local time, made five birdies and finished with a 4-under 67. Thompson, second after the first round, was part of the first pairing off No. 1, at 6:50 a.m., made six birdies and finished with a 5-under 66. They share the lead at 12-under. 

“I wake up early anyways, so I was up at that 4:00 a.m. wake-up call this morning and I like that,” Werenski said. “But you’re also kind of – are you expected to kind of keep it going because you got the good draw? I mean, you just kind of go out, and I just did a good job of staying within myself and just kind of letting things happen.”

Tony Finau and Matthew Wolff are contending 

Tony Finau, who led after two rounds at last week’s Memorial before stumbling on the weekend, had an eagle and four birdies, including one on the 18th hole, to finish with a 5-under 66, and he and Talor Gooch are one shot back. 

Two shots back is Xinjun Zhang, and Matthew Wolff, the defending champion, and Cameron Davis are three strokes back. 

“I feel like the memories that I have, the shots that I hit last year, they’re still running through my mind,” Wolff said. As I was out there today, there was a bunch of shots that I remembered, you know, me hitting it really close or hitting a really good shot last year to the same pin. I think the good memories, the good vibes, all that stuff helps me have a lot of confidence not only over the shot, but going on throughout the round and knowing that when the weekend comes, I’ll be I think a lot more comfortable than most people.”

Brooks Koepka is cut 

Among the players who did not make the cut, at 2-under were Brooks Koepka, the world’s sixth-ranked player, and Bubba Watson.