It was enough that Lee Hodges earned his first PGA Tour victory Sunday at the 3M Open, but it came with the added bonus of what it means moving forward.
As the tour season enters its last regular-season event, Hodges – who started the week in 74th place in FedEx Cup points and outside the playoff window – changed his season and his schedule with the victory.
Hodges, who jumped to 33rd in the FedEx Cup race, locked down a playoff spot and virtually assured himself of making it to the second weekend where the top 50 qualify. That also means he will be eligible for each of the elevated events next year.
“This has been a dream week."
Lee Hodges
Then there’s the very real chance that Hodges, in his second full season on the PGA Tour, plays his way into the Tour Championship in Atlanta, which would secure major-championship starts for him next year, plus a minimum $500,000 at the final event of the season.
Hodges dominated the 3M Open from the outset, opening with rounds of 63-64 at TPC Twin Cities to build a four-stroke lead through 36 holes. He widened the opening to five shots entering the final round and briefly stretched his advantage to seven on Sunday before the margin began to narrow.
“This has been a dream week,” said Hodges, who finished at 24-under-par 260 in becoming the tournament’s first wire-to-wire winner. He earned $1.404 million from the $7.8 million purse.
J.T. Poston triple-bogeyed the last hole to fall into a tie for second with Kevin Streelman and Martin Laird, seven strokes behind.
Two months ago, Hodges began using a different putting method developed by Ralph Bauer, and it all came together in Minnesota.
“You just kind of feel the slope in your feet, and it’s kind of like almost a little bit of math involved, but it’s super simple. I have a hard time doing this with the AimPoint because I feel like I’d be off. Just being able to get a quick number like that has been really good,” Hodges said.
“I’ve trusted it. I’ve learned that my feet are pretty good, like, even since we started, but I’ve really been trusting it, and it’s been paying off.”
While Hodges was dominating the week, Beau Hossler left his own mark Sunday when he shot a final-round 62 that included eight birdies in a row, one shy of the all-time PGA Tour record.
Hossler started his run at the par-4 ninth hole, and it ended with a par at the par-3 17th, not that he knew exactly where he stood in relation to tour history.
“Honestly, kind of a weird, kind of a weird thing to shoot so low on Sunday and have absolutely no chance of winning the tournament,” said Hossler, who tied for 13th. “A unique experience, but very thrilled to shoot that low.
“It's weird. It's one of those days where you kind of just get caught up in playing each shot, and I did that. Just got the ball in play, for the most part, got a look and then finally got some putts to go in. ... Just solid golf.”
Ron Green Jr.