3M Open
The 3M Open is an annual professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour, held at TPC Twin Cities in Blaine, Minnesota, a suburb of the Twin Cities metropolitan area.[1] Sponsored by the multinational conglomerate 3M Company, the event debuted in 2019 as part of the FedEx Cup Regular Season and features a field of 156 players competing over 72 holes of stroke play for a purse that reached $8.4 million in 2025, with the winner earning $1.512 million.[1][2] The tournament succeeded the 3M Championship, a PGA Tour Champions event that ran from 1993 to 2018 and was hosted at TPC Twin Cities from 2001 onward, marking the first regular PGA Tour stop in Minnesota in over five decades.[3][4] Organized by 3M and the Minnesota PGA section, the 3M Open has extended its sponsorship commitment through 2030, emphasizing community engagement and charitable giving through the 3M Open Fund, which has donated over $8 million to local causes since 2019, impacting more than one million lives.[1][4] The event typically occurs in late July, drawing top players and spectators to the par-71 layout designed by Arnold Palmer in 2000, which measures 7,431 yards and includes challenging water hazards, native grasses, and fast greens that reward accurate iron play and birdie opportunities. Notable winners have included debut victor Matthew Wolff in 2019, who set a tournament record at 21-under-par, and repeat contenders like Tony Finau in 2022.[1] The 2023 edition saw local favorite Lee Hodges claim victory at a record 24-under-par, while Jhonattan Vegas won in 2024, and Kurt Kitayama captured the 2025 title with a final-round 65 to finish at 23-under-par.[1][2] The tournament's scoring records highlight its birdie-friendly nature, with the low 72-hole total standing at 260 (-24) set by Hodges.Overview
Tournament Format
The 3M Open is contested in a standard 72-hole stroke play format over four rounds at TPC Twin Cities in Blaine, Minnesota, which has served as the tournament's fixed venue since its inception in 2019. Players compete individually, with the lowest total score determining the champion, and pairings are typically in threesomes for the first two rounds, divided into morning and afternoon waves based on tee times to manage pace of play.[8] In the event of a tie after 72 holes, a sudden-death playoff is held on designated holes starting with the 18th.[8] The tournament field consists of 156 players, drawn primarily from fully exempt PGA Tour members who qualify via the tour's priority ranking system, including those based on current-season performance, prior-year earnings, and career achievements such as past champions within the exemption window.[9] Additional spots are allocated through sponsor exemptions—typically four restricted to PGA Tour members and one unrestricted—along with three to four Monday qualifier positions earned via an 18-hole open qualifying event held the prior week, open to professionals and low-handicap amateurs.[9][10] After the initial 36 holes, a cut is made to the top 65 players and ties, who advance to the weekend rounds, while all players who make the cut remain eligible to complete the tournament and earn official prize money and FedExCup points.[8] The event is scheduled annually in July, usually during the first full week following the Fourth of July holiday, positioning it as a key post-Independence Day stop on the PGA Tour calendar before the FedExCup Playoffs.[11]Sponsorship and Purse
The 3M Open has been title-sponsored by 3M, a Minnesota-based multinational conglomerate specializing in industrial and consumer products, since the tournament's debut in 2019. As a local company headquartered in Maplewood, Minnesota, 3M's sponsorship aligns with its regional interests, including hosting the event in July to capitalize on summer tourism and community engagement in the Twin Cities area.[12] The initial multi-year agreement has been extended multiple times, with the most recent five-year renewal announced in March 2025, securing 3M's title sponsorship through 2030.[13] The tournament's purse has shown steady growth, reflecting adjustments for inflation, increased PGA Tour standards, and sponsor commitments to elevate the event's competitiveness. In its inaugural year of 2019, the total purse was $6.4 million, with the winner receiving $1.152 million. By 2025, these figures had risen to $8.4 million overall and $1.512 million for the champion, marking a 31% increase in the total purse over six years. The following table summarizes the purse progression:| Year | Total Purse (US$) | Winner's Share (US$) |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 6,400,000 | 1,152,000 |
| 2020 | 6,600,000 | 1,188,000 |
| 2021 | 6,600,000 | 1,188,000 |
| 2022 | 7,500,000 | 1,350,000 |
| 2023 | 7,800,000 | 1,404,000 |
| 2024 | 8,100,000 | 1,458,000 |
| 2025 | 8,400,000 | 1,512,000 |
History
Origins and Establishment
In June 2018, PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan announced the creation of the 3M Open as a new annual event on the PGA Tour schedule, positioned amid broader changes that included the discontinuation of the Quicken Loans National following its 2018 edition.[21][22] This addition helped introduce new markets to the tour schedule for the 2019 season while maintaining competitive balance.[23] The tournament debuted from July 4 to 7, 2019, at TPC Twin Cities in Blaine, Minnesota, a venue selected for its proven infrastructure from hosting prior PGA Tour Champions competitions.[3][22] The purpose was to strengthen the PGA Tour's presence in the Midwest, drawing on 3M's longstanding headquarters in nearby St. Paul and addressing a post-July schedule gap after the 3M Championship—a PGA Tour Champions event held at the same course from 1993 to 2018—concluded its run.[21][24] This shift allowed 3M to elevate its golf sponsorship from the senior tour to the flagship PGA Tour level, continuing its community ties in the Twin Cities.[21] The inaugural field featured 156 players, with exemptions granted to top money leaders on the prior year's tour and special invitations extended to recent major champions, generating early buzz around the event's potential as a key summer stop.[25][26]Key Events and Milestones
The 3M Open's 2020 edition marked a significant milestone as one of the PGA Tour's initial events following a three-month suspension due to the COVID-19 pandemic, conducted without spectators and under stringent health protocols including testing and social distancing measures.[27] Held from July 23-26 at TPC Twin Cities, the tournament proceeded as one of the early events in the Tour's phased resumption following the Charles Schwab Challenge and preceding the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational, and demonstrated the feasibility of safely restarting professional golf amid global restrictions. In 2022, Tony Finau secured a dramatic come-from-behind victory, rallying from a five-shot deficit to win by three strokes, part of his back-to-back PGA Tour triumphs that summer alongside the Rocket Mortgage Classic, highlighting his resurgence as a consistent contender. The following year, 2023 brought further achievement when Lee Hodges claimed his maiden PGA Tour title with a dominant wire-to-wire performance, finishing seven strokes ahead and establishing a new tournament scoring record at 24-under par, surpassing the previous mark set by Matthew Wolff in the 2019 inaugural event.[28][29] This victory not only represented the first wire-to-wire win in tournament history but also underscored the event's growing prestige, with Hodges' bogey-free opening rounds of 63 and 64 setting the tone for an emphatic six-shot lead after 36 holes.[29] The tournament experienced robust recovery post-2020, with fan attendance rebounding significantly by 2022 to approach pre-pandemic levels, supported by sold-out corporate hospitality and increased on-site engagement that boosted economic impact in the Blaine area. To enhance course challenge, organizers elevated the primary rough to a maximum of four inches starting in 2022 and maintained this setup into 2023, compelling players to prioritize accuracy off the tee amid the tree-lined layout. By 2025, the purse had risen to $8.4 million, reflecting the PGA Tour's broader initiative to elevate prize money across events in response to competitive pressures from the LIV Golf series.[30][31][32] In March 2025, 3M announced a five-year extension of its title sponsorship through 2030, securing the event's place on the PGA Tour schedule and reinforcing its commitment to community engagement in the Twin Cities.[13]Venue
TPC Twin Cities
TPC Twin Cities is located in Blaine, Minnesota, a northern suburb of the Twin Cities metropolitan area, approximately 20 miles north of downtown Minneapolis.[33] The course opened on June 26, 2000, as Minnesota's only PGA TOUR-owned property and has since served as a premier private golf club.[34][33] The 18-hole championship layout was designed by World Golf Hall of Fame member Arnold Palmer in consultation with Minnesota native and PGA TOUR winner Tom Lehman, spanning 235 acres and incorporating natural wetlands, elevation changes, and white sand bunkers to create a challenging yet scenic environment.[35][13][33] As part of the PGA TOUR's TPC Network, the venue is managed directly by the organization, ensuring high standards for professional play and member experiences.[33] Prior to hosting the 3M Open, TPC Twin Cities established itself as a key golf destination in Minnesota by serving as the site of the 3M Championship on the PGA TOUR Champions circuit from 2001 to 2018, drawing top senior players and building a reputation as the state's premier tournament venue.[3] To prepare for the transition to the main PGA TOUR, the course underwent significant renovations in 2018, led by architect Steve Wenzloff and consultant Tom Lehman, which enhanced playability, added length, and introduced more strategic challenges without altering its core natural features.[36][37] For the annual 3M Open, the venue is reconfigured to meet PGA TOUR standards, including the setup of temporary grandstands, expanded practice facilities, and a tournament-length configuration measuring 7,431 yards at par 71.[38][39] This preparation transforms the private club into a world-class event host while preserving its role as a community asset for charitable initiatives.[3]Course Features
The TPC Twin Cities course, host of the 3M Open, measures 7,431 yards with a par of 71, consisting of four par-3s, 11 par-4s, and three par-5s.[40][41] This setup provides ample birdie chances, particularly on the reachable par-5s that average over 590 yards but allow aggressive play for long hitters.[42] The course features bentgrass greens averaging 6,500 square feet, creeping bentgrass fairways, and rough composed of a bluegrass-fescue blend typically maintained at four inches during the tournament.[41][42] These greens run at a Stimpmeter speed of 12 feet, demanding precise approach shots, while the open layout on Minnesota's plains exposes players to variable winds that can alter club selection and trajectory.[43] Signature holes include the par-3 17th, a 202-yard carry over water from the tournament tees where anything short spells trouble, and the par-5 18th, where a large lake guards the right side of the green, requiring a precise layup or bold second shot to set up eagle opportunities.[44] The overall design rewards accurate driving to avoid water hazards on 15 holes and penalizes misses with thick rough, emphasizing short-game creativity around the large, receptive greens.[45] In response to previously low scoring, tournament officials increased rough height to four inches starting in 2022 and maintained it through subsequent years, contributing to a moderation in winning totals that have ranged from 15 to 24 under par across events.[46] July heat often softens the course further, facilitating aggressive play and sub-par rounds.[47]Champions and Records
List of Winners
The 3M Open has produced a diverse set of champions since its inception in 2019, with each winner securing their first victory at the tournament. The following table lists all winners chronologically, including key details of their victories.| Year | Winner | Nationality | Score to Par | Margin of Victory | Runners-up | Purse | Winner's Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Matthew Wolff | USA | −21 | 1 stroke | Bryson DeChambeau, Collin Morikawa | $6.4M | $1.152M |
| 2020 | Michael Thompson | USA | −19 | 2 strokes | Adam Long | $6.6M | $1.188M |
| 2021 | Cameron Champ | USA | −15 | 2 strokes | Louis Oosthuizen, Charl Schwartzel, Jhonattan Vegas | $6.6M | $1.188M |
| 2022 | Tony Finau | USA | −17 | 3 strokes | Sungjae Im, Emiliano Grillo | $7.5M | $1.35M |
| 2023 | Lee Hodges | USA | −24 | 7 strokes | Martin Laird, J.T. Poston, Kevin Streelman | $7.8M | $1.404M |
| 2024 | Jhonattan Vegas | Venezuela | −17 | 1 stroke | Max Greyserman | $8.1M | $1.458M |
| 2025 | Kurt Kitayama | USA | −23 | 1 stroke | Sam Stevens | $8.4M | $1.512M |
Tournament Records
The tournament record of 260 (−24) was set by Lee Hodges in 2023, surpassing the previous mark by three strokes and standing as the lowest 72-hole total in event history.[57] In 2025, Kurt Kitayama claimed victory at 261 (−23), marking the second-lowest aggregate score and highlighting the course's scoring potential under favorable conditions.[58][59] The lowest 18-hole score is 60 (−11), first achieved by Adam Svensson in the opening round of the 2025 edition and later tied by Kurt Kitayama in the third round of the same year.[60][61] This benchmark underscores the par-71 layout's vulnerability to aggressive play, particularly on its four par-5s, where eagles contribute significantly to sub-60 rounds.[62] Hodges' 2023 triumph also established the widest margin of victory at seven strokes over runners-up Martin Laird, J.T. Poston, and Kevin Streelman, the largest in the tournament's seven-year history.[29][63] The average winning score across all seven events stands at approximately −19.4, reflecting TPC Twin Cities' consistent emphasis on birdie opportunities amid variable weather and setup changes, including thicker rough introduced after 2023 to temper scoring.[64][56] Among player milestones, Matthew Wolff became the youngest winner at age 20 in the inaugural 2019 event, eagling the 18th hole for a one-stroke victory at −21.[49][65] Tony Finau holds the distinction for most strong performances, with a win in 2022 (−17), a T3 in 2020 (−16), and additional top-12 finishes in four of the seven editions, showcasing his affinity for the venue's demands on distance and precision.[66][67][68] Course-specific benchmarks include the −11 relative to par for a 60, as noted, while the average eagles per round hovers around 0.5, driven by the reachable par-5s averaging 600 yards that reward long hitters despite a modest 2.4% eagle conversion rate on those holes.[42][69]| Record Type | Achievement | Player/Event | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 72-Hole Low | 260 (−24) | Lee Hodges | 2023 | PGA Tour |
| 18-Hole Low | 60 (−11) | Adam Svensson / Kurt Kitayama | 2025 | PGA Tour Golfweek |
| Largest Margin | 7 strokes | Lee Hodges | 2023 | ESPN |
| Youngest Winner | 20 years, 2 months | Matthew Wolff | 2019 | Reuters |