JT Poston misses out on $260,000 after risky play at 3M Open: ‘We’re not coming here to finish second’

Two-time PGA Tour winner J.T. Poston was going for broke at the 3M Open this past weekend. Unfortunately, his bold play cost him an extra $260,000.

Entering the final round at TPC Twin Cities in Blaine, Minnesota, Poston was five strokes behind leader and eventual champion Lee Hodges, but by the 18th hole, he managed to get within three strokes of his playing partner.

“I had to try and give it a shot and see if there was some way I could make three there at the end and put some pressure on Lee,” Poston said. 

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His first shot landed in the danger zone, but instead of laying it up, Poston decided to take his chances and go for the green – 214 yards over the water. 

His boldness backfired, and the ball was just short, hitting a rock and ricocheting backward off the floating tournament logo before eventually splashing in the water. His fifth shot rolled down the slope on the front of the green, and he overshot his first putt to finish the par-5 with a triple bogey.

“We’re not coming here to finish second,” Poston said after the round. “I mean, at the end of the day, we’re trying to do something special and try and win.”

“I wouldn’t want to be sleeping tonight, wondering “what if” if I had just laid it up instead of trying to go for it. So, no regrets on the decision. You know, tried to do what we could to win.”

Instead of a solo second-place finish that would have awarded him $850,000, Poston finished tied for second with Martin Laird and Kevin Streelman – all earning $590,200 each.

But the weekend did pay off in another way for Poston.

He entered the week in 60th place in the FedEx Cup standings and shot up to 38th.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.