Amy Olson Retires
April 25, 2024
By Nick Hunter
nick@mngolf.org
BLAINE, Minn. – At the inaugural 3M Open in 2019, shortly before the memorable theatrics provided by Bryson DeChambeau, Collin Morikawa and eventual winner Matthew Wolff, Adam Hadwin rolled in his birdie putt at the 18th to quietly shoot a 4-under 67 to place fourth.
“Yeah, it was a fantastic week. You know, I don't know how far back I was going into the final round, but I know I was close enough to where if I put a good round together, I'd have a chance,” Hadwin recalled from the 2019 tournament. “I do remember going out and telling my caddie and I, we committed to never looking at a leaderboard that day and I never did, shockingly enough, which is hard for me to do.
“I didn't look at a leaderboard until I made my birdie putt on 18, and then I looked up obviously and Bryson had finished in ahead of me and then Collin and Matthew finished ahead of me. I had a chance to win a golf tournament that week, so I have good feelings at this golf course. I've played well through 36 now, just got to keep it going.”
After skipping last year’s championship, the 33-year-old Canadian opened with a 67 Thursday and complimented it with a bogey-free 6-under 65 Friday to take a share of the 36-hole lead with Ryan Armour at the 3M Open at TPC Twin Cities.
“Kept it in play off the tee. Well, did more than that; I drove it really well today. Wasn't in any trouble, hit a lot of good quality iron shots," Hadwin said Friday. “Again, fat sides of the hole, I gave myself opportunities. My speed control's been really good. It's been as stress-free a 65 as you're going to have.”
Beginning his second round on the 10th tee Friday, Hadwin started the scoring by sinking his birdie putt from inside of four feet at the 12th before dropping back-to-back birdies at the 15th and 16th to turn in 7-under.
Sticking his approach inside of three feet at the first, Hadwin converted his birdie chance to move to 8-under and would again card back-to-back birdies at the fifth and sixth holes, both from outside of 10 feet, to take a share of the clubhouse lead at 10-under 132.
Hadwin enters the week 118th in the FedEx Cup Rankings with a pair of top-10 finishes, but has missed seven cuts over his last 10 starts going back to the RBC Heritage in April. His lone victory on Tour came at the Valspar Championship in 2017.
“Been a bit of a struggle this year, but playing some nice golf,” he said. “We committed to kind of focus on a little bit more of the process and less on the outcome in the second round of The Open last week and it worked there, and it's worked through two rounds here, so I've got two more big ones to go.
“Picking spots, hitting targets, I'm pulling golf shots off, hitting it to the smart sides of the pins and having tap-ins for par when I miss birdies. If I can keep playing stress free the rest of this weekend, I'll feel pretty good.”
Making his third straight appearance at the 3M Open this week, Armour posted a 4-under 67 Thursday before carding four consecutive birdies during his final nine holes Friday, adding a final birdie from 18 feet at the 18th, to earn a share of the lead at 10-under 132.
“I hit a really good 3-iron into 11 to about six feet and made it. Made a 40-footer on 12. You can never count on those, but all of a sudden I hit another one in there close on 13 and made a great putt at 14,” the 45-year-old Armour said Friday. “You don't know, you just try and hit every shot to the best of your ability and then all of a sudden you get on a roll and it's fun when that happens.”
Playing his 15th season on the PGA Tour in 2021, Armour has one career victory at the 2018 Sanderson Farms Championship and placed inside the top-10 on 14 occasions, translating into more than $6.8 million in earnings.
With three top-10’s already this season, Armour comes into the 3M following a fifth-place finish at last week’s Barbasol Championship.
“I'm just trying to hit every shot the best I can and we'll worry about the points later,” Armour said. “I don't feel like I've really had as bad a year as 135 sounds. I missed five or six cuts by a shot, so you're always kind of around that cut line and I just fell on the wrong side of it a few times.
“That's what kind of gnaws at you because you feel like, man, it's not that bad, so maybe I should be higher, but you've got to go out and get it done and we're just trying our hardest right now.”
Hadwin and Armour will carry a one-stroke advantage to Saturday’s third round over Bo Hoag, Chez Reavie, Jhonattan Vegas and Roger Sloan, all of whom sit tied for third at 9-under 133.
Tee times for the third round of the 3M Open are scheduled to begin at 9:53 a.m. Saturday at TPC Twin Cities.
THE 2021 3M OPEN
TPC TWIN CITIES
BLAINE, MINN.
7,431 YARDS, PAR 71
FRIDAY’S SECOND ROUND RESULTS
T1. Adam Hadwin, 67-65—132
T1. Ryan Armour, 67-65—132
T3. Bo Hoag, 67-66—133
T3. Chez Reavie, 66-67—133
T3. Jhonattan Vegas, 64-69—133
T3. Roger Sloan, 64-69—133
T7. Brian Stuard, 70-64—134
T7. Maverick McNealy, 67-67—134
T9. Jonathan Byrd, 69-66—135
T9. Brice Garnett, 68-67—135
T9. J.T. Poston, 69-66—135
T9. Cameron Tringale, 67-68—135
T9. Keegan Bradley, 68-67—135
T9. TROY MERRITT, 64-71—135
T9. Gary Woodland, 69-66—135
T9. Jimmy Walker, 68-67—135
T9. David Lingmerth, 67-68—135
T9. Charl Schwartzel, 67-68—135
For complete tournament results go to: www.pgatour.com/competition/2021/3m-open/leaderboard.html
April 25, 2024
Contact Us
Have a question about the Minnesota Golf Association, your MGA membership or the contents of this website? Let us help.
 2.jpg)
 4.JPG)
