3M Open preview: 1-on-1 with Tournament Director Mike Welch
MINNEAPOLIS - PGA Tour golf in Minnesota is less than a week away, and tournament officials with the 3M Open could not be more excited.
The event, which had no fans last year due to COVID-19, will return to full fan capacity for its third year at TPC Twin Cities in Blaine. More than 20 of the world’s top golfers have already committed to be in Minnesota next week, led by world No. 1 Dustin Johnson.
Fox 9 Digital Sports Reporter Jeff Wald sat down with Tournament Director Mike Welch to talk having fans back, excitement for the tournament, navigating COVID-19, the field and local partnerships in food and drink opportunities. Welch calls it the "Minnesota event of the summer."
WHAT IS THE ANTICIPATION LEVEL LIKE WITH THE 3M OPEN ONE WEEK AWAY?
It’s here. There’s certainly a buzz and you hear that from a lot of these teams or events that are back. There’s a buzz, and last year there just wasn’t a lot of buzz and it was just sad for all. As just somebody who operates the tournament, it’s just so much better when there’s fans. You’ve heard it from players week after week, the fans bring an energy to their game that just wasn’t there. I think the Minnesota fans, whether you’re a golf fan or non-golf fan, are going to be in for a treat this year.
WHAT WILL THE MOMENT BE LIKE TO SEE FANS ENTER THE GATES THURSDAY MORNING?
It’s why we do it. We do it for the fans, and we do it for the charities. I think seeing fans back for the first time in a couple years is going to be really rewarding for the 1,700 volunteers that we have. The volunteers volunteer for fans, they don’t volunteer for the golfers. They’re going to be really pleased to see them. We’re trying to put on the Minnesota event of the summer that happens to wrapped inside of a golf tournament.
HOW BIG IS IT TO HAVE 23 OF THE TOP 70 PLAYERS WITH THE OPEN THIS WEEK AND OLYMPICS TO FOLLOW?
We have 28 hours left until our field is finalized. You’ll be amazed at who will commit between now and then. The fans are going to see awesome golfers.
We have six Olympians in our field that are going to play our tournament and if they make the cut and are successful on Sunday, they’re going to leave here and get to Tokyo Tuesday morning and tee it up Wednesday. This is a golf-crazed state, the fans love golf, they come out in droves and the players feel that energy. They remember what they saw in 2019, and a lot of those folks are back. If you take care of them as players, their caddies and their families, the fans have a buzz and the course is imminently playable, you’re going to get the best players in the world. Players want a fair test, but also one they can play well at and I think TPC Twin Cities provides that.
WHERE DOES COVID-19 TESTING STAND FOR THE 3M OPEN?
After the British Open, the PGA Tour has eliminated testing. We’re the first tournament that will not be tested. Even though there’s no testing, the tour still has all their regulations in place. There is a quarantine arear for players that if they’re on course and don’t feel well, they go to that until test results come back. Same thing for our volunteers and staff.
WHAT ABOUT FANS?
We’re going to follow city, county and state CDC guidelines when it comes to masking. If you’re unvaccinated, you’re strongly encouraged to wear one. If you are, it isn’t required. I think now it’s sort of on the honor system.
WHAT'S IT LIKE TO HAVE PARTNERSHIPS WITH GRAY DUCK VODKA, PARLOUR AND REVIVAL?
I think what we’ve tried to say is that even though the field is really important to our tournament, we want to field-proof our event. We want to make sure that you have an awesome time regardless of who is golfing. If we get the top players in the world year over year, that’s going to make it that much better. We have Red Savoy pizza, Caribou is bringing their truck, we have beers from Anheuser Busch. We’re doing some really Minnesota food items so that when you come here, we want you to leave satisfied.
WHAT EVENTS ARE PLANNED LEADING UP TO THURSDAY'S OPENING ROUND?
We have our Pro-Am on Wednesday, we have the Compass Challenge Wednesday night. Our two captains are Kyle Rudolph and Josh Duhamel. We also announced Annika Sorenstam and Amanda Balionis. Celebrities we have left are going to blow people’s minds. We have Adam Thielen, Joe Mauer and Larry Fitzgerald Jr, and possibly Charles Barkley. That’ll be 5:30-7 on holes 10, 11 and 12 and then a party at the Gray Duck Deck. The 3M Science Hub, the dome, you could spend an hour in there.
WHAT IS THE FIRST TEE CLINIC ON TUESDAY ALL ABOUT?
The First Tee is a huge partner of the PGA Tour. John Thomas with the Timberwolves and Houston White, who has a barbershop in north Minneapolis and started a golf clothing line, they’re authentic stories are going to resonate with these 50 kids that are coming from urban ventures and the First Tee program. We’ll use one of our PGA Tour pros to conduct a 30-minute clinic on the back of the range, they’ll have lunch and then spent the next two hours watching practice rounds.