'Twist Swing' Wolf 6 Under Par "Back-to-Back GO"... Warrenski Leads

3M Open First Day Tied for 3rd Place Start, Thompson 2nd, Kepka and Lee Kyung-hoon Tied for 57th, Johnson 'Withdraws'

'Twist Swing' Matthew Wolff posted a 6-under par on the first day of the 3M Open, starting his campaign for a second consecutive victory.

[Asia Economy Golf Specialist Reporter Kim Hyun-jun] It is Matthew Wolff (USA) with the 'twist swing' making a 'back-to-back victory march.'

On the 24th (Korean time), at the Twin Cities Golf Club in Blaine, Minnesota, USA (par 71, 7,431 yards), Wolff scored 6 under par on the first day of the PGA Tour 3M Open (total prize money $6.6 million) to tie for 3rd place. Richy Werenski surged with 8 under par to dominate the top of the leaderboard, while Michael Thompson is chasing in 2nd place, one stroke behind (7 under par, 64 strokes). World No. 4 Dustin Johnson (USA) withdrew after struggling with 7 over par.

Wolff combined 8 birdies and 2 bogeys. After exchanging a birdie on the 1st hole (par 4) and a bogey on the 2nd hole (par 4), he gained momentum with three consecutive birdies from the 5th to 7th holes. Although his second shot on the 9th hole (par 4) landed in a greenside bunker resulting in his second bogey, he finished strongly with consecutive birdies on the 11th and 12th holes, followed by 'stepping stone birdies' on the 16th and 18th holes. He unleashed a maximum drive of 331 yards, and his pinpoint iron shots, missing the green only three times, showed great power.

Wolff is the defending champion. After turning professional in June last year, he immediately won his first PGA Tour title at this tournament in July, causing a sensation. On the final day, he made a dramatic 'winning eagle' on the 18th hole (par 5), one stroke behind Bryson DeChambeau (USA), drawing even more spotlight. His unique swing, twisting his left leg just before the swing, added to the news. Last year at the John Deere Classic, where Ho-sung Choi (47), known for the 'fisherman swing,' participated as an invited player, Wolff's distinctive swing comparison became a hot topic off the course.

Wolff is pleased that the 'top 3' players including Jon Rahm (Spain), Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland), and Justin Thomas (USA) have taken a break ahead of next week's World Golf Championships (WGC) FedEx St. Jude Invitational. Werenski is challenging for his first victory after collecting 9 birdies (1 bogey). The leading group, including Tony Finau, Ryan Moore, and Nick Watney (all USA), joined the tie for 3rd place, intensifying the competition for the title.

World No. 6 Brooks Koepka (USA) faltered with 1 under par, remaining tied for 57th place. Since his knee surgery last October, he has been focusing on rehabilitation with stem cell treatment but has yet to regain his previous form. From Korea, Lee Kyung-hoon (29, CJ Logistics) is tied for 57th place. 'Tank' K.J. Choi (50, SK Telecom) and Kim Si-woo (25) are tied for 82nd at even par, No Seung-yeol (29) is tied for 133rd at 3 over par, and Bae Sang-moon (34) is tied for 143rd at 4 over par.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.