After the third round at the 3M Open, Lee Hodges didn’t let the fact he held a five-shot lead lull him into a sense that the final day was going to be a round played on cruise control. “I not going to try and make pars because pars aren’t going to get it done tomorrow, I’m going to have to keep making birdies,” he said.
Well, yes and no. Hodges made only three birdies but a pair of electrifying eagles at the par-5 sixth and 12th holes kept his lead always at a comfortable margin, allowing him to indeed cruise to victory at TPC Twin Cities, winning by seven shots.
The first of those eagles was a 3-wood from 231 metres out at the par-5 sixth that settled 11 feet from the hole and the latter was set up by another 3-wood approach, this one from 234 metres to inside three feet at the par-5 12th, which essentially ended any hope for J.T. Poston, who had been doggedly chasing Hodges.
Hodges’ 3-wood is a 15-degree Titleist TSR3 with a UST Mamiya LIN-Q Red M40X 8F5 X shaft and the adjustable hosel in the neutral setting for loft and lie angle.
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Although those shots certainly aided Hodges to rank first in strokes gained/approach, you don’t pick up more than nine shots on the field unless your irons are working as well. For Hodges that means a split set of Titleist irons with the latest iteration of the T100 for the 4 to 6-iron and the 620 CB for the 7 to 9-iron with a Titleist Vokey SM9 46-degree wedge for the pitching wedge. The irons have KBS Tour C-Taper 130X shafts and Golf Pride MCC grips.
On the greens, Hodges ranked second in strokes gained/putting, picking up nearly seven shots on the field with his Scotty Cameron By Titleist GoLo 6 tour prototype mallet putter.
“I have nothing to lose,” Hodges replied on Saturday when asked if he would be nervous today. “I’m out here playing with house money.”
Now thanks to his fine play, he’ll be playing with a boatload more ($US1.404 million) of actual money, too.
What Lee Hodges had in the bag at the 2023 3M Open:
Ball: Titleist Pro V1
Driver: Titleist TSR2 (Fujikura Speeder 757 Evolution 6 TX), 8 degrees
3-wood: Titleist TSR3, 15 degrees
Hybrid: Titleist TSR3, 21 degrees
Irons (4-6): Titleist T100; (7-9): Titleist 620 CB; (PW): Titleist Vokey SM9
Wedges: Titleist Vokey SM9 (52, 56, 60 degrees)
Putter: Scotty Cameron By Titleist GoLo 6 tour prototype
