3M Open 2020: Michael Thompson Earns 1st PGA Tour Victory Since 2013

Michael Thompson was the picture of consistency at the 3M Open in Blaine, Minnesota, this weekend. It was only fitting that he would close out his tournament with a victory. 

After coming into the day in a tie for first place—and facing a stiff push from a number of contenders in a tight field—Thompson secured his win with a four-under 67 on Sunday, shooting 19 under for the tournament. He held off Adam Long, who shot a seven-under 64 to finish at 17 under, and nine other players who finished within three strokes of the lead.

That ended quite a significant winless streak for Thompson:

"It's been a long time," an emotional Thompson said after the win. "I'm really sad my wife and kids aren't here to celebrate this with me. I can't wait to see them. Babe, I love you. I don't know what to say. This is so exciting. I just played such good golf today and stayed within myself, believed in myself. I couldn't have asked for anything more."

It ended up being quite the result for Thompson:

Thompson was excellent throughout the week, and Sunday continued the trend, with five birdies and just one bogey. He had just three bogeys across four rounds—about as consistent as it gets. 

His stats were on a different level at the 3M Open:

And he saved his best for last, with birdies on Nos. 16 and 18 to secure the win. 

In general, he hit some gorgeous shots on Sunday:

It was a different day entirely for Richy Werenski, who came into the final round tied for first but shot himself out of contention with three bogeys on the front nine. He managed to salvage his round and finish in a tie for third, shooting a one-under 70 for the day, but he wasn't able to keep pace with Thompson. 

Instead it was Long who made things interesting. After shooting a 63 on Saturday to get himself back within striking distance, he made Thompson sweat a bit with another excellent round, this time posting a 64. That left him in a tie for the lead until Thompson hit the 16th, setting up his clutch finish. 

Up next on the PGA Tour is the World Golf Championships-FedEx St. Jude Invitational in Memphis, starting on Thursday.