BLAINE, Minn. – Helped by dropping his eagle putt from 50 feet at the 18th Thursday at TPC Twin Cities, Canadian Adam Svensson carded a bogey-free 11-under 60, setting a tournament record to begin the seventh edition of the 3M Open.
Svensson carded nine birdies and an eagle during his opening round to take a two-stroke advantage to Friday’s second round over Sam Stevens and Thorbjorn Olesen, as the 31-year-old looks for his second PGA Tour victory.
“I had a great range session today. Just really putted amazing, I made a bunch of breakers. It was probably my best putting round I ever had so I'm pretty happy,” Svensson said Thursday after posting a career-low and best round since the 2019 season. “It's hard to tell with putting because you're not really 100 percent focused on the practice green, but it felt good. I mean, it didn't feel like I was going to putt that well today, but it just happens.”
Entering the week ranked No. 170 in the FedEx Cup standings, Svensson needed just 24 putts during his opening round, looking to bounce back from consecutive missed cuts over the past two weeks.
“It's been a rough year, but it's golf, it's very difficult,” said Svensson, who also broke Paul Goydos' mark of 60 during the second round of the PGA Tour Champions 2017 3M Championship. “Like I said, I'm just happy that I played well today and hopefully I can keep it up.
“I made changes for the last couple years. I struggled on Sundays so I tried to not change my swing but just figure out something that I can improve over the weekend. I feel like I start off good and then kind of dwindle a little bit. Just been working on that.”
Svensson’s only PGA Tour victory came at the RSM Classic in 2022. He’s tallied a pair of top-10 finishes in 151 starts since earning his card in 2019.
His best finish this season came at the Corales Puntacana Championship in April when he finished tied for 24th.
With a runner-up and third-place finish already to his credit this season, Stevens was on early 59 watch Thursday before his bogey at the final hole put him in the clubhouse with a share of second at 9-under 62.
“I've been playing pretty good. My irons have been not that great this year, but I feel like over the last month or so they've been a little better, and normally I drive it pretty good and I feel pretty good about my chipping and putting,” said Stevens, who’s searching for his first win on Tour in just his third season. “I don't know what the stats will say today. I chipped it really well today and I made a few nice putts, but I gave myself a few more looks than I normally do, and like I said, I've been feeling good about my irons, or better about my irons the last month, month and a half, so nice to have some rounds like today."
Stevens finished one shot back of Harris English at the Farmers Insurance Open in February before finishing third at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson in May.
After converting four birdie chances during his opening nine Thursday, Olesen was slowed by a bogey at the ninth.
Olesen would rattle off six birdies over his final nine holes to move into a share of second with Stevens at 9-under 62.
“I made that bogey on 9 but actually thought I hit a pretty good shot and it came up just shy, went into the water, got good up-and-down for that five,” Olesen said Thursday. “I think a bounce-back with a couple of birdies after that was really important.
“Overall, I just felt a lot more comfortable on the golf course with my game. It's been a struggle the last while, so it was nice to feel that way all the way through the round.”
An 8-under 63 earned Chad Ramey a share of fourth place with Germany’s Matti Schmid and recent Genesis Scottish Open winner Chris Gotterup.
Former Spring Lake Park High School golfer Troy Merritt led the Minnesota contingent Thursday, shooting 3-under 68 to finish his opening round in a share of 47th.
Erik van Rooyen, a former University of Minnesota golfer and winner of the 2012 Minnesota Golf Association Amateur Championship at Hastings Golf Club will begin his second round in a share of 149th after his opening round of 4-over 75.
Last year’s Minnesota State Open champion Carson Herron, who’s playing this week on a sponsor’s exemption, posted a 1-over 72 Thursday and will begin his second round in a tie for 125th place, while 2024 Minnesota PGA Section Player of the Year, Thomas Campbell, played his opening round in 2-over 73.
Frankie Capan III, the 2020 MGA Amateur champion, carded a 7-over 78 to finish first 18 holes of play in 156th place.
The second round of the 2025 3M Open is scheduled to begin at 6:45 a.m. Friday at TPC Twin Cities.