Lee Hodges has earned the first win of his PGA tour career with a decisive victory at the 2023 3M Open. Hodges posted a 24-under 260. This performance marks the lowest tournament score at the 3M Open since its inception in 2018. The next closest players in the field were Martin Laird, Kevin Streelman and J.T. Poston. The trio tied for second place and finished seven strokes behind the leader.
After dominating the field and earning his first PGA Tour win, Lee Hodges also earned the largest purse of his career. The total came out to be $1,404,000 with a side of 500 FedExCup points. This victory catapulted Hodges through the FedExCup standings. After previously being projected to miss the playoffs, he now sits at No. 33. He is now eligible to compete in the FedEx St. Jude Championship and the BMW Championship.
The PGA Tour shared Lee Hodges’ final approach shot on Twitter.
The dominance of Lee Hodges began during the first round. After starting his day with back-to-back birdies on the first two holes, Hodges went on to add six more before his day was done. He ended the day with a bogey-free 8-under 63. Hideki Matsuyama, Brandt Snedeker, Tyler Duncan and Kevin Streelman were not far behind. The foursome each recorded a 7-under 64 and ended day one in a tie for second place.
After carding seven birdies and zero bogeys during the second round, Lee Hodges was able to extend his lead further. Doug Ghim and Stewart Cink each managed to post the lowest score on Friday after ending their rounds with an 8-under 63. Ghim drained five birdies in a row to end his front nine.
Aaron Baddeley and Sam Ryder had the best luck on moving day. Despite having some bogey trouble, the duo recorded a 6-under 65. Lee Hodges made sure that he was not far behind them. Hodges carded a 5-under 66 and continued to pull away from the pack.
Despite three lackluster rounds to begin the tournament, Beau Hossler answered in a big way in round four. Hossler carded a 9-under 62 after an epic performance on the back nine. Seven consecutive birdies and two pars allowed him to edge his way into the top fifteen. He ended the tournament tied for thirteenth place.
The next tournament on the PGA Tour is the Wyndham Championship. This event will be hosted at Sedgefield Country Club in Greensboro, NC and features a $7.6 million purse. The 2022 Wyndham Championship was won by Tom Kim who shot a 20-under 260. SCC will see players competing on a 7,127-yard par-70 track.
Last year, Tom Kim claimed the first win of his PGA Tour career at the Wyndham Championship. This event is significant because it marks the final tournament of the regular season. Players who enter the field will be attempting to acquire some last-minute FedExCup points. Only the top 70 players will have the chance to play in the FedEx St. Jude Championship.
The Wyndham Championship will be available for streaming on Golf Channel. Additional weekend coverage will be provided by CBS.
Stay tuned for more PGA content including tournament previews, recaps and breaking news!
Featured image courtesy of The PGA Tour
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