<p>Lee Hodges heads into Saturday's third round of the PGA Tour's 3M Open with a four-stroke lead after shooting an impressive seven-under-par 64 in Blaine, Minnesota on Friday. A two-hour rain delay meant that play was suspended at TPC Twin Cities due to darkness, with 11 players still on the course, but none of those still to finish their rounds were within 10 shots of the lead after Hodges birdied four of his final six holes.</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">63-64 for Lee Hodges 🔥<br />
<br />
He leads by four after a dream start <a href="https://twitter.com/3MOpen?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@3MOpen</a>. <a href="https://t.co/dzTSmK3uV8">pic.twitter.com/dzTSmK3uV8</a></p>
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) <a href="https://twitter.com/PGATOUR/status/1685113039207510016?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 29, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

<p>Tyler Duncan is nearest to Hodges, on 11-under after his bogey-free 67, while Kevin Streelman, J.T. Poston, defending champion Tony Finau and Brandt Snedeker are all five shots behind Hodges.</p>

<p>Overnight leader Hodges was two-under for the day when play was suspended, and returned to drain a 25-foot birdie putt at the ninth hole to seize the solo lead. He then produced an immaculate back nine with back-to-back birdies on 13 and 14 and ended in style with a birdie on the par-3 17th and then the par-5 18th. Hodges, chasing a first US PGA Tour title, is 74th in the FedExCup standings, with the top 70 heading into the playoffs next month.</p>

<p>"I know where I'm at, but trying harder or changing what I'm doing's not going to make me play better or anything like that. I'm just going to keep doing what I've been doing and see how it turns out," said the 28-year-old from Alabama.</p>

<p>"With my caddie...we've committed to every shot we've hit so far, which has been great. We'll continue to do it, because what do we have to lose?" he added.</p>

<p>Streelman and Poston shared the clubhouse lead at 10-under when the storm rolled through.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ:</strong>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/juventus-excluded-from-european-competition-next-season-over-ffp-breach-uefa-620455">Juventus excluded from European competition next season over FFP breach - UEFA</a></p>

<p>Streelman had three birdies without a bogey after adjusting to the changed course conditions on Friday morning.</p>

<p>"I didn't make a ton of putts, but kind of did what I was supposed to," he said. "The greens were running beautifully today, much faster than yesterday. We all jammed our first putts pretty far past the hole so that took some on-course adjusting."</p>

<p>Poston carded his second straight 66, rolling in five birdies without a bogey.</p>

<p>Finau had to wait out the delay, but had four of his eight birdies on the back nine as he also carded a second straight 66.</p>

<p>Former world number one Justin Thomas, who added the event to his schedule as he battles to make the season-ending FedEx Cup playoffs, carded an even-par 71 that left him looking at a missed cut.</p>

<p>Thomas's six birdies included four in his last five holes, but he had two double bogeys, including finding the water twice at the par-five 18th, his ninth hole of the day.</p>

<p>That left him at 2-under, two short of the projected cut.<br />
<br />
&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>WATCH WION LIVE HERE:</strong></p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/live-tv/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>


Lee Hodges heads into Saturday's third round of the PGA Tour's 3M Open with a four-stroke lead after shooting an impressive seven-under-par 64 in Blaine, Minnesota on Friday.

Lee Hodges heads into Saturday's third round of the PGA Tour's 3M Open with a four-stroke lead after shooting an impressive seven-under-par 64 in Blaine, Minnesota on Friday. A two-hour rain delay meant that play was suspended at TPC Twin Cities due to darkness, with 11 players still on the course, but none of those still to finish their rounds were within 10 shots of the lead after Hodges birdied four of his final six holes. 63-64 for Lee Hodges 🔥 He leads by four after a dream start @3MOpen. pic.twitter.com/dzTSmK3uV8 — PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) July 29, 2023 × Tyler Duncan is nearest to Hodges, on 11-under after his bogey-free 67, while Kevin Streelman, J.T. Poston, defending champion Tony Finau and Brandt Snedeker are all five shots behind Hodges. Overnight leader Hodges was two-under for the day when play was suspended, and returned to drain a 25-foot birdie putt at the ninth hole to seize the solo lead. He then produced an immaculate back nine with back-to-back birdies on 13 and 14 and ended in style with a birdie on the par-3 17th and then the par-5 18th. Hodges, chasing a first US PGA Tour title, is 74th in the FedExCup standings, with the top 70 heading into the playoffs next month. "I know where I'm at, but trying harder or changing what I'm doing's not going to make me play better or anything like that. I'm just going to keep doing what I've been doing and see how it turns out," said the 28-year-old from Alabama. "With my caddie...we've committed to every shot we've hit so far, which has been great. We'll continue to do it, because what do we have to lose?" he added. Streelman and Poston shared the clubhouse lead at 10-under when the storm rolled through. ALSO READ: Juventus excluded from European competition next season over FFP breach - UEFA Streelman had three birdies without a bogey after adjusting to the changed course conditions on Friday morning. "I didn't make a ton of putts, but kind of did what I was supposed to," he said. "The greens were running beautifully today, much faster than yesterday. We all jammed our first putts pretty far past the hole so that took some on-course adjusting." Poston carded his second straight 66, rolling in five birdies without a bogey. Finau had to wait out the delay, but had four of his eight birdies on the back nine as he also carded a second straight 66. Former world number one Justin Thomas, who added the event to his schedule as he battles to make the season-ending FedEx Cup playoffs, carded an even-par 71 that left him looking at a missed cut. Thomas's six birdies included four in his last five holes, but he had two double bogeys, including finding the water twice at the par-five 18th, his ninth hole of the day. That left him at 2-under, two short of the projected cut. WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

Golf: Lee Hodges leads 3M Open after dazzling finish, Justin Thomas misses cut

3m-open

3m Open, News on 3m Open, stories on 3m Open, articles on 3m Open, 3m Open stories at Wion, 3m Open news, 3m Open latest news

3m open

Golf: Lee Hodges leads 3M Open after dazzling finish, Justin Thomas misses cut