With Tony Finau as defending champ, 3M Open enters 5th year in Blaine

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - The 3M Open at TPC Twin Cities in Blaine is less than a month away, and with the PGA Tour’s annual stop in Minnesota on the horizon, they held media day on Monday.

Media members and corporate sponsors got a chance to play the course before some of the best golfers in the world come to Minnesota in late July, the week after the Open Championship. Tony Finau, the No. 14-ranked player in the world, is in Detroit this week getting his first chance to defend a PGA Tour title. Next month, he’ll do the same in Blaine.

"We love Minnesota, I have family there. I think the food is great, and we love lakes. It’s the one time of the year that my family fishes, and we go fishing together. I don’t know why it’s there and we don’t do it anywhere else, but we love getting a house right there on the lake and going fishing with my kids," Finau said Monday. "Now that we’ve won there, I’m sure we’ll be there for many years to come. The win was just icing on the cake because it was already a place that we loved, now having won there, it’s a special place for our family."

Finau rallied from five shots back last year to top Scott Piercy and others for the 3M Open title. He was featured on the first season of Full Swing on Netflix, and could do wonders for adding more name players to the tournament going forward.

"It’s a game-changer. To have Tony speak about what our tournament is, it immediately gives us more legitimacy than just being a PGA Tour stop. There’s talk in there of the 3M Open does it right, it’s a scorable golf course, it’s a great stop, let’s come to it. It certainly helps us a ton," 3M Open Tournament Director Mike Welch said.

"There is a different vibe when you show up to the property. The last time you left there, you’re the champion and left with great vibes. You’re just trying to recreate that early in the week so hopefully you can have the same success," Finau said.

Past champions Finau, Michael Thompson and Cameron Champ are in the field. Joel Dahmen has committed, and Sunday, Gary Woodland and Billy Horschel announced they’re coming to Blaine.

Minneapolis native Derek Hitchner, and Stillwater native Franki Capan III have also received sponsor’s exemptions, along with U.S. Amateur champion Sam Bennett.

The 3M Open is set for the week after the British Open, and with it being the penultimate week before the FedEx Cup Playoffs, it’s Welch’s hope to attract bigger names. This year, the top 70, not 125, make the PGA’s postseason.

"The field, I think people want to see the best golfers and the most notable golfers in the world. We’re excited to get the commitments as these events happen and these players finish where they finish and they say ‘I’ve got to play the 3M Open,’" Welch said.

Other 3M Open tidbits:

• The 3M Open is in its 5th year of a 7-year contract with TPC Twin Cities. The expectation is a long-term deal will be worked out in the future.
• The Compass Challenge is moving from a 3-hole tournament to an event in the practice area. Teams of four featuring a pro golfer, youth golfer from First Tee, celebrity and athlete will team up to hit shots from 40, 60, 100, 125 or 140 yards that will have different point values. There will then be a chipping challenge for teams that win their flight.
• A fan hub off the 18th green will feature 10 activations, four involving golf clubs. That includes a 32-foot putt, where every holed putt will result in a $100 donation to First Tee Minnesota.
• The 3M Open will provide $40-$60 million in economic impact to Blaine.
• More than $6 million has been raised for charities over the last four years.

The 2023 3M Open is set for July 24-30 at TPC Twin Cities in Blaine