Minnesota Gets PGA Tour Stop In 7-Year Deal
BLAINE, Minn. (WCCO) -- The PGA Tour is coming to Minnesota. The new event will be called the "3M Open."
The Tour officially made the announcement Monday afternoon at its new destination, TPC Twin Cities in Blaine. It will bring the highest level of golf to Minnesota for the first time in 49 years.
It's a 7-year agreement. The date will be announced when the PGA Tour announces its 2019 schedule on July 10.
"This is going to be one of the premier events, it's a FedEx Cup event," 3M Championship Tournament Director Hollis Cavner said.
In the game of golf, this is a really, really big deal.
"To get an event as everybody knows is one of the hardest things there is. It just doesn't happen," Cavner said.
"Yeah it's pretty exciting. This of course has been a dream for our state for many, many years," 3M Vice President Paul Keel said.
The game's best, and biggest names.
"Network television, the whole nine yards, four days, you know, this is big for the state. This is not just big for 3M or Blaine or Anoka. This is big for the state," Cavner said. "And that's what we're trying to show. We want to showcase how great this place is. When we show Minnesota Nice, it's gonna play very well here."
Of course, these players are better than any who have ever played this course before --- the best in the world. So this course is going to need to get tougher. Which means it's going to need some changes. Tom Lehman, who co-designed it, will be integral in making them.
"The three things that we've really identified are length, repositioning of some bunkers and potentially narrowing of some fairways," TPC Member Allan Cull said.
Things TPC Twin Cities' members are all fine with, to bring this kind of event to their course.
"This is the big leagues. And to see the best players in the world is phenomenal," cull said.
The 3M Open will essentially replace the 3M Championship senior tour event held for the last 26 years in Minnesota. It will be held at TPC for the final time this coming August.
