TPC Twin Cities Profile: Will 3M Open Home Give Up More Low Scores?

3 years ago 557

July 20, 2021 astatine 11:50 am

(CBS Minnesota) — TPC Twin Cities opened a small implicit 2 decades agone successful Blaine, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis and St. Paul. It was determination that renowned golfers Arnold Palmer and Tom Lehman, the second a Minnesota native, turned what was erstwhile a sod workplace into a haven for title golf. The par-71, 7,431-yard links course, framed by expansive oaks, spruce and pines, flows done the prairie and hilly terrain of the Minnesota countryside. Small lakes dot the layout.

The people had been a regular halt connected the PGA Tour Champions since 2001, hosting the 3M Championship done 2018. With that event’s conclusion, TPC Twin Cities undertook renovations to hole itself for its debut connected the PGA Tour arsenic big of the 3M Open successful 2019. It was the first time a people had made that transition.

The “competitive enhancements” began conscionable days aft the 2018 Champions. Long, harsh Minnesota winters constricted the timetable for the work. The renovations lengthened the layout to its existent region and narrowed it to up the difficulty. What erstwhile played arsenic 1 of the Senior Tour’s easier courses accrued successful region by implicit 400 yards.

Many of the changes affected TPC Twin Cities’ finishing holes. On the par-4 16th hole, unsmooth was replaced with bentgrass, and bunkers were moved to constrictive the hole. The par-3 17th spread received caller tee boxes. The water connected the par-5 18th spread doubled successful size, wholly changing however players person to attack it. Extra country was built successful to accommodate grandstands and hospitality, abstraction that volition beryllium needed again astatine this year’s event.

TPC Twin Cities eases players successful with a comparatively abbreviated par-4 that offers plentifulness of birdie chances. At 593 yards, the par-5 sixth spread is simply a treble dogleg starring to a wide putting green. The seventh hole, nicknamed “Tom’s Thumb,” is simply a 372-yard par-4, that could spot immoderate eagles, contempt the caller pushed-back tee. The ninth spread is simply a agelong par-4 astatine 489 yards, but tends to not play up to that region acknowledgment to the wind. The treacherous greenish slopes toward a water connected the right. The par-4 14th hole, measuring 415 yards, doglegs near astir Cavner’s Cove.

“We privation birdies and bid wrecks,” arsenic Hollis Cavner, the tournament’s enforcement director, said earlier the inaugural event. ”We consciousness precise comfy that this play people is going to play hard and fast. It’s going to play long. If we get wind, it’s a game-changer.”

That mostly wasn’t the lawsuit against its archetypal PGA Tour field. Matthew Wolff changeable 21-under for the lawsuit successful conscionable his 3rd PGA Tour lawsuit arsenic a professional. The breathtaking decorativeness included 2 eagles. Bryson DeChambeau’s was followed by Wolff’s 26-foot eagle putt for the pb and the win. He bested DeChambeau and Collin Morikawa by conscionable 1 stroke. The chopped enactment was 4-under. Twelve players finished the play amended than 15-under.

The tournament’s 2nd tract fared astir arsenic well. Last twelvemonth Michael Thompson birdied 2 of his past 3 holes to unafraid a two-stroke win. He changeable 19-under for the event. Adam Long, who hardly made the cut, finished second. Nine players finished 1 changeable down Long.

This year’s 3M Open falls a week aft the Open Championship and a week earlier the Men’s play contention astatine the Olympics. Thompson returns to support his title. Dustin Johnson, the world’s second-ranked player, is besides successful the field.

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Watch the 3M Open Saturday, July 24 and Sunday, July 25, 3:00 – 6:00 PM ET connected CBS.