Scottie Scheffler headed straight to Minnesota for his 3M Open debut after leaving the British Open with frustration, choosing competition over a week off as he focuses on staying sharp for the FedEx Cup playoffs.
The world’s top-ranked player said Wednesday at TPC Twin Cities in Blaine that the decision to play is as much about maintaining rhythm as it is about finding a comfortable week for the people around him. Scheffler praised the tournament’s hospitality after playing a nine-hole pro-am with Minnesota Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell, describing how the event has taken care of his family and team.
“The people have been tremendous, the fans have been really nice to me so far, and the tournament seems to do a really good job just taking care of everybody,” Scheffler said. “Clubhouse has been good. Food’s been really good. Family’s taken care of. Caddie’s taken care of. Those are the things at a tournament when everybody around me is getting taken care of as well, it’s really easy for us to come and play.”
Scheffler chooses reps over rest as playoffs approach
Scheffler’s appearance comes at a time when many top players might opt for recovery after the season’s final major. Instead, he framed the week as a practical step toward the postseason, noting he didn’t want to reach the playoffs after three weeks away from competition.
The 3M Open marks his fifth tournament in six weeks, including two starts in Britain. Tournament director Hollis Cavner said he has pushed for years to bring Scheffler to Minnesota, leaning on longstanding relationships with Scheffler’s coach Randy Smith and agent Blake Smith. “We’ve been talking to him for years, working him and working him and working him,” Cavner said. “Finally, they relented.”
Cavner has emphasized player hospitality since the 3M Open joined the PGA Tour schedule in 2019. The event at TPC Twin Cities, about a half-hour north of Minneapolis, has built a reputation for taking care of families and support teams, from catered dinners on the clubhouse patio to kid-friendly entertainment.
Scheffler said that appreciation has stood out. “People seem to be really thankful that we’re here, which is surprising for a golf tournament,” he said. “I was kind of taken aback by how nice people have been.”
His debut is also delivering a commercial boost. Cavner said Scheffler’s presence has the tournament on pace for record attendance, with premium inventory already gone for the pro-am. “Every tent and every skybox sold out for the pro-am,” Cavner said. “We’re really getting in position now where we feel like we’ve arrived.”
On the competitive side, Scheffler arrives with strong major results but without a recent win. He recorded his third top-four finish in four majors this year at the British Open, but he has not won since The American Express in California in January.
He pointed to consistency as a defining feature of his season, while acknowledging the difference between playing well and closing out titles. “One of the things that I’ve always kind of prided myself on is the consistency. That’s something that shows that I’m playing some pretty good golf,” Scheffler said. “It just hasn’t been quite good enough to win some tournaments. I still feel like my game’s in a good spot and I’ve played some nice golf. I haven’t played any great golf yet, but I’ve played some nice golf over the course of the season. I think if you took a blind look at some of my results, I think a lot of people would say that’s a really good season.”
The week also matters for players trying to improve their position heading into the FedEx Cup postseason. The field includes several names identified as needing a strong showing to climb above the cut line for the playoffs, including Jason Day, Brian Harman, Tom Hoge and 2022 3M Open champion Tony Finau, who are currently outside the top 70.
PGA Tour changes add uncertainty to the 3M Open’s long-term place
Beyond the immediate focus on this week’s tournament and the upcoming playoffs, the 3M Open is also staring at a shifting PGA Tour landscape. The tour’s planned changes beginning in 2028 would create a new structure requiring purses of at least $20 million for the 15 regular-season events in a Championship Series, while the remaining tournaments would fall into a second-tier Challenger Series with minimum purses of $4 million.
The 3M Open purse is $8.8 million this year, meaning it would require a significant increase in sponsor funding to remain in the top tier under that model. Cavner, however, expressed confidence about the event’s outlook, citing the market and the tournament’s relationship with the tour.
“We feel very comfortable where we’re at with the tour,” Cavner said. “This is a big market. This is something the tour wants, so I think that the 3M Open going forward is going to be just fine. I told our team, ‘Don’t think about ’28. Let’s be the best of the best in ’26 and ’27, and then ’28 takes care of itself.’”
For now, Scheffler’s debut delivers a headline moment for the tournament and a practical tune-up for the game’s top-ranked player as the FedEx Cup playoffs near.
