Atwal set for 3M Open on PGA Tour; Koepka, Johnson in the field

Indian golfer Arjun Atwal will look to assess his game and current physical condition when he tees off at the USD 6.6 million 3M Open, only his second event since returning to action after the coronavirus-forced break.

It is time for Atwal to put into practice at the 3M Open this week all that he felt he needed to work on after his previous outing three weeks ago at the Rocket Mortgage Classic.

The 47-year-old Indian will play three events in four weeks. After 3M Open, he will tee off next week at the Barracuda Championship, played opposite to the WGC-St. Jude Invitational.

Two weeks after that he is also expected to be in action at Wyndham Championship, an event he won exactly 10 years ago in 2010.

Atwal, who had finished Tied-45 after carding 73 on the final day following the first three rounds of 70-69-66, is grouped with Patrick Rodgers and Swede Alex Noren.

Daniel Chopra, the Swede who grew up in India, will figure in only his second start in 2020. The two-time PGA Tour winner last played the Puerto Rico Open and finished 68th.

Chopra will play the first two rounds with John Merrick and Kyoung-Hoon Lee.

The 3M Open does have some good memories for Atwal, who came into the 2019 edition by shooting 62 and winning the Monday Qualifiers.

He followed that up with a superb 65 on the first day and then 68-68 in the next two rounds to be in the Top-10 going into the final day, but a 70 on Sunday saw him finish T-23.

"Yes, 3M and the course has good memories," said Atwal. 

"Also, I feel I can improve on the things that did not go right for me at Rocket Mortgage.

"Playing after a long stretch did mean some tiredness, because when you are playing for fun, we generally use carts and walking did mean some effort," he added with a laugh.

Yet, now feeling fitter than he has in last 8-10 years, Atwal is looking at a good stretch of events. "That will be good to play back-to-back and some more."

The 3M Open comes right before two big weeks  the WGC-St Jude and the PGA Invitational, which will be played back-to-back.

Matthew Wolff will defend his 2019 title against the likes of Brooks Koepka, who is hoping to make up for a recent missed cut.

Dustin Johnson after a 80-80 at the Memorial is there as is Bubba Watson and Paul Casey -- all competing this week.

Also in the field is Tommy Fleetwood for his first start since the 'Return to Golf' happened in early June.

Fleetwood came over to the US from the UK and spent two weeks in quarantine and will now play as much as he can till the end of season. Harris English and Tony Finau will also tee up.

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