Lee Hodges extends lead to five strokes after three rounds of 3M Open

Famed for its wind, water and birdies, TPC Twin Cities is known as a course where no lead is safe.

Not even 3M Open third-round leader Lee Hodges' five-shot advantage?

The 28-year-old former University of Alabama golfer took his four-shot Friday lead and made it one more on a delightfully cooler, drier afternoon Saturday.

Seeking his first PGA Tour victory, Hodges is 20 under par after he shot 63, 64, 66 during the 3M Open's first three days.

That combined 193 is the tournament's 54-hole scoring record, previously held by Scott Piercy's 195 set last summer.

Hodges leads J.T. Poston by five shots, defending champion Tony Finau by six and resilient Australian Aaron Baddeley by seven.

Third-round leaders have won two of the four 3M Opens. Matthew Wolff did so in the inaugural 2019 event and Michael Thompson did it in 2020. Third-round leaders have won 22 times on the PGA Tour this season, the last being Brian Harman, who won last week's British Open after leading by five shots.

Finau knows such a comeback is possible. Piercy led by four shots before last year's final round and Finau trailed by five with just 11 holes remaining Sunday.

He won by three shots.

"It's definitely something I can come back from," said Finau, whose four back-nine birdies kept Hodges in sight. "Lee's playing some great golf. There's no question about it. Tomorrow is going to be a challenge for all of us."

Piercy's disastrous back-nine 41 and final-round 76 last year made Finau's closing 67 the winner.

Hodges has shown no such generosity, so far. He arrived in Minnesota 74th in the FedExCup points standings, four places out of qualifying for next month's three-stage playoffs. If he wins Sunday, it's projected he'll move all the way to 33rd. That's just three places from advancing to the season-ending Tour Championship in Atlanta.

On Saturday, he bogeyed two front-nine holes and shot an even-par 35. He made five birdies coming home for a back-nine 31.

Asked afterward what nervousness he might feel Sunday, Hodges said, "Same as it has been, I guess. I have nothing to lose. I'm out here playing with house money. I have a job next year on the PGA Tour. This is all great. This is just icing on the cake."

The only other time in Hodges' short career that he went to bed holding a 54-hole lead, he finished tied for third at the 2022 American Express in Palm Springs, Calif.

Poston shot a 5-under 66 on Saturday and has made only two bogeys all tournament — both in Thursday's first round. He tied for sixth in two of his last three events, the John Deere Classic and Scottish Open.

Poston, 30, has also won twice on the PGA Tour, the 2019 Wyndham Championship and 2022 John Deere, and knows what Hodges is experiencing.

"It's kind of a funny place to be," Poston said. "My last win at the John Deere, I slept on the lead a few days in a row. It's an uncomfortable feeling, but it's exciting at the same time. This is why we play. This is why we're out here. All of our goals are to win. Lee's no different."

Hodges can't remember having a five-shot lead as a pro.

"I don't think so ever, maybe not even in junior golf," Hodges said. It's going to be hard tomorrow. There's unbelievable golfers behind me. Not like I can go shoot even par tomorrow. I'm going to keep making birdies. I'm just going to stay aggressive, as I have been."

If Hodges holds on to win, he will get a two-year tour exemption, an invitation to the season-starting event in Maui and he'll make that FedExCup points jump.

Finau knows anything can happy on a Sunday at TPC Twin Cities, where water lurks everywhere on the final two holes.

"Last year was pretty crazy, just in a few holes," Finau said. "There's a lot of water in play the last few holes. I don't know that really any lead, more than four or five, is safe."