3M Open: Hideki Matsuyama withdraws after opening round as Sungjae Im, Scott Piercy split points | Golf News

Sungjae Im and Scott Piercy took the lead after hitting 65s in the opening round, while Tony Finau fell two strokes back in third; Hideki Matsuyama withdraws after winning six out of 77 – watch 3M Open all week live on Sky Sports Golf

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Hideki Matsuyama hits four nine bogeys at 3M Open after finding water three times on the 18th hole

Pre-tournament favorite Hideki Matsuyama withdrew from the 3M Open due to injury after experiencing a nightmare opening round in Minneapolis.

The world number 14, the highest ranked player in the field, cited wrist pain as the reason for withdrawing from the PGA Tour event after the opening round of 77 at the TPC Twin Cities.

Matsuyama only registered one birdie on a difficult opening day, where he also registered three bogeys and put three balls in the water at par-5 on day 18 on his way to four nine bogeys.

Hideki Matsuyama is the highest ranked player this week

The former Masters champion, among players affiliated with the Saudi-backed LIV Golf Invitational Series, will enter the second round 12 strokes behind first-timers Scott Piercy and Sungjae Im .

Piercy bird-shot three of his six openings and bounced back from a bogey on the ninth hole to start his return nine with four birdies in a five-hole stretch, while Im birdie four of the last six. His bottom – covering from 26 feet above his last hole – also to get six under.

Sungjae Im is chasing his first win since October

The pair kept a two-stroke cushion on a five-player top-four featuring Tony Finau, who recovered from his opening triple to make five birdies en route to the 67th opener.

Finau failed to add to his standings as he finished with six straight pars, leaving him third with Tom Hoge, Brice Garnett, Doug Pins and Emiliano Grillo, while England’s Matt Wallace less than 5 beats after one less than 70.

Former Davis Cup captain and ATP Tour athlete Mardy Fish, who made his PGA Tour debut after receiving a sponsor invitation, finished bottom of the standings after struggling 10 out of 81.

Fish went up to seven after just eight holes and fell behind with consecutive bogeys from day 11, although the 43-year-old briefly repeated six pars before dropping a shot at par-year final.

Watch the 3M Open all week live on Sky Sports. Live coverage continues Friday with Featured Groups from 1pm via the red button, before full coverage on Sky Sports Golf from 8:30pm.