3M Open 2026: Ben Kohles Leads, Scheffler Three Back
3M Open 2026: Ben Kohles fires a 9-under 62 to lead Round 1 at TPC Twin Cities, with world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler three back and FedEx Cup spots on the line.
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Ben Kohles eagled the 18th, his final hole of the round, to cap a 9-under 62, and it gave him a two-shot lead after the first round of the 2026 3M Open at TPC Twin Cities. A hybrid from 245 yards to four feet on the closing hole turned a strong round into the low number of the day, and it put a player still chasing his first PGA Tour win at the top of a leaderboard that includes the world's best.
The 3M Open runs July 23 to 26 in Blaine, Minnesota, one of the last chances to bank FedEx Cup points before the postseason field locks. That backdrop is why a Thursday 62 matters beyond the trophy. For a large chunk of this field, the real race is the top 70.
The Round 1 Leaderboard
Kohles built his 62 on ball-striking, hitting 17 of 18 greens in regulation before the closing eagle sealed it. Behind him at 7 under sit Jackson Koivun, Gary Woodland and Emiliano Grillo, a mix of a rising talent, a major champion and a streaky veteran who kept pace through the morning wave.
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler headlines the group at 6 under, three off the lead, alongside Lucas Glover, Michael Brennan, Jesper Svensson and Kevin Roy. Scheffler found his putter early and stayed in range without needing his best, which is the version of him that tends to be most dangerous over 72 holes.
Grillo's Fast Start and Fade
Grillo's round was the day's clearest example of how gettable TPC Twin Cities can be and how quickly it can bite back. He birdied five of his first seven holes, then reeled off three straight birdies beginning at the 12th to briefly hold the solo lead. A 1-over finish across his final three holes cost him a share of the top spot, but a 64 still leaves him firmly in the mix.
That pattern, low scores available in bunches and a closing stretch that punishes a loose swing, is the template for the weekend. This is a birdie-fest venue where the winning total runs deep, so a two-shot lead after 18 holes is comfortable rather than decisive.
Why the FedEx Cup Raises the Stakes
The 3M Open is one of three regular-season events left before the FedEx Cup Playoffs, followed by the Rocket Classic and the Wyndham Championship, and the top 70 advance to the opening playoff event at TPC Southwind. For players outside that number, Blaine is a live opportunity to jump the bubble with one strong week rather than hoping for the same at the Wyndham.
That is what gives an event without the sport's deepest field genuine juice. A win here is worth a season for a bubble player, and even a high finish can be the difference between a playoff run and an early offseason. Kohles, still hunting a maiden title, has more riding on this than the leaderboard alone suggests.
Betting and Outright Impact
Scheffler entered the week as the betting favorite, and at 6 under after a round he described as far from his sharpest, that price is doing exactly what favorites' prices do at a soft-field event: sitting on a player with the highest floor in the field. A three-shot deficit through 18 holes is nothing at a course where 20-plus under can win.
The tension for outright bettors is the classic soft-field call. A longshot leader like Kohles offers price but carries first-win variance, while Scheffler offers safety at a short number. The middle ground is the 6-to-7-under tier, where names like Woodland and Glover bring proven closing experience without the chalk. Watch the second-round wave times and weather, because a morning-afternoon scoring split can quietly reshape the board before the cut.
What to Watch Next
The cut line and the leaders' Saturday positioning are the next markers. If Scheffler is within a couple of shots at the halfway point, he becomes the story regardless of who holds the lead. For the bubble names, every made cut and every moved spot in the FedEx Cup standings is its own scoreboard running underneath the tournament.
Chad AI tracks every outright, matchup and made-cut market inside the StatSniper app, feeding the PGA daily picks, the AI sports picks hub and the Chad picks hub. For the bigger playoff-race picture, read our FedEx Cup bubble breakdown. Full leaderboard coverage is at the PGA Tour.
FAQ
Who leads the 2026 3M Open after Round 1? Ben Kohles leads at 9 under par after an opening 62 that finished with an eagle at the last, giving him a two-shot cushion over Jackson Koivun, Gary Woodland and Emiliano Grillo at 7 under.
Where is Scottie Scheffler at the 3M Open? Scheffler opened at 6 under, three shots back of the lead, in a group that includes Lucas Glover, Michael Brennan, Jesper Svensson and Kevin Roy. He entered the week as the betting favorite.
When is the 2026 3M Open played? The 3M Open is played July 23 to 26, 2026 at TPC Twin Cities in Blaine, Minnesota.
Why does the 3M Open matter for the FedEx Cup? It is one of the final regular-season events before the FedEx Cup Playoffs, and the top 70 in the standings advance to the first postseason event. Bubble players can move inside the number with a strong finish.
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