Tom Lehman Back In Minnesota, Preparing For Big Summer

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Minnesota's greatest golfer was back in the state on Monday, preparing for a pretty big summer.

Tom Lehman is playing in the 3M Championship at TPC in August. Then he's taking on a much bigger role for the Ryder Cup at Hazeltine in September.

And as Lehman took the podium to talk about the upcoming 3M Championship, he anointed the tour's newest senior member as the tournament favorite.

"It should be a great event," Lehman said. "John Daly coming out is a big deal. And I honestly can't even imagine a course better suited to John than this one … Someone like him with the length that he has."

Of course, Lehman would much rather win it himself.

"There's some pressure involved," he said.

This trip to Minnesota was a dual mission for Lehman. Just as soon as he finished talking to reporters here, he hustled straight over to Hazeltine, to take care of some things for his even bigger responsibility at a Minnesota golf course this summer, when he'll be a vice captain for Team USA in the Ryder Cup.

"I just want to see how they're planning on setting the course up," Lehman said, "so that I can be able to kind of give an opinion or two to [team captain] Davis [Love] about what I think may be a better suited golf course, if there is one, for the American team. You want to give our guys the best advantage possible.

"I'm very lucky and very fortunate to be involved, but I would like for this Ryder Cup to be the one where the U.S. team rights the ship … And to give the Minnesota fans and to give this state what they deserve, which I think is a victory that kind of gets things going the right way."

For a man from Minnesota, it doesn't get much bigger than that.