Golf fans not happy with CBS’ new ‘aerial tracing’ at PGA Championship

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ST. PAUL, Minn. – 3M and the PGA TOUR today announced an agreement to bring an official PGA TOUR event to the Twin Cities beginning in 2019. Hosted by the nonprofit 3M Open Fund, the seven-year deal will bring the world’s top golfers to TPC Twin Cities in Blaine for a new FedExCup Season event, the 3M Open, beginning next summer. The 2019 dates for the 3M Open will be made official in the coming weeks as part of the PGA TOUR’s 2018-19 schedule announcement. The 3M Open will build off the success and momentum of the 3M Championship, the current PGA TOUR Champions event at TPC Twin Cities. The 3M Championship, which dates back to 1993, will be contested for the last time on August 3-5, 2018, with Paul Goydos defending his 2017 title. In 2019, the playing of the 3M Open will mark the first official PGA TOUR event in Minnesota since the 2009 PGA Championship, won in thrilling fashion by Y.E. Yang over Tiger Woods at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska. “3M is honored to welcome the top players on the PGA TOUR to the Twin Cities, and we look forward to the many opportunities this tournament will bring to support our community,� said Paul Keel, 3M senior vice president of Business Development and Marketing-Sales. “We’ve formed a great relationship with PGA TOUR Champions over the last 25 years and are excited to build on that partnership with the 3M Open.� “We are delighted to partner with 3M for this new PGA TOUR event in the Twin Cities, a community that has shown tremendous support for professional golf over the years with PGA TOUR Champions, the PGA Championship, Ryder Cup and Solheim Cup, and has deservedly played host to the biggest events in sports – Super Bowls, Final Fours, among them,� said PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan. “The 3M Open will also continue 3M’s commitment to charity and positively impacting lives.� 3M’s long-time PGA TOUR Champions partner Pro Links Sports will manage the 3M Open. Together, over the past 25 years, the 3M Championship has raised more than $26 million for Minnesotans and their families to lead healthier, fuller lives. Dollars raised from the event have built new operating rooms, funded cancer and heart research and improved emergency rooms in the Twin Cities. As the tournament transitions to the 3M Open, the 3M Open Fund will donate all the proceeds from the tournament to local organizations. “I would like to thank 3M for their tremendous support of PGA TOUR Champions golf, and with their continued commitment we now have the opportunity to bring PGA TOUR golf to the fans of Minnesota every year,� said Pro Links Sports Executive Director Hollis Cavner. “We’ve been able to donate millions of dollars to charity and we expect to do even more with the 3M Open. This is a true win for Minnesota.� The 2019 event will mark the first TOUR event in Minnesota since the 2009 PGA Championship. (Chris Condon/PGA TOUR)

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Twelve-time PGA TOUR winner Jason Day has signed with Bridgestone Golf to use its golf ball. Day, whose victories include the 2016 PLAYERS and 2015 PGA Championship, first became interested in Bridgestone’s TOUR B XS after seeing Tiger Woods use the ball to hit some high-spinning short game shots. Though he had no relationship with Bridgestone Golf at the time, Day began experimenting with Woods’ ball and was impressed enough to start playing it on TOUR. “We were doing some short-game work with Tiger’s ball, the XS, and it caught my attention right away,” said Day. “I initially played the XS and liked it but after working with Bridgestone’s R&D team and really learning about the ball fitting process, it was obvious that the TOUR B X was the best fit for my game.” Day will be playing the 2022 TOUR B X for the foreseeable future. Day, who has been an equipment free agent over the past couple years, is 86th in this season’s FedExCup after finishing third at the Farmers Insurance Open. He is 90th in the Official World Golf Ranking after reaching the No. 1 position earlier in his career. “Every day I look at what I can do to get better and the choice to play Bridgestone feeds right into that,” said Day. “Personally, I feel kind of like I am cheating playing this ball. Of course, I’m not but it’s that good. The performance of the TOUR B affords me opportunities to be aggressive; off the tee, the ball speed is there but it’s still super spinny around the green, which is a nice combination. “I found a lot more consistency in not only the drives but consistency around the greens, as well. Consistency is huge for me.” Day joins Tiger Woods, Fred Couples, Matt Kuchar, Bryson DeChambeau and Lexi Thompson in representing Bridgestone.

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