Willett takes BMW for first win in native England

BLAINE, Minn. – You’d be hard pressed to find two more popular players at TPC Twin Cities this week than native sons Tom Lehman and Tim Herron. And the two veterans didn’t disappoint in the first round of the 3M Open with the 60-year-old Lehman firing a 4-under 67 and Herron making the second hole-in-one of his PGA TOUR career. “Minnesotans, they’re homers,â€� Lehman said with a smile when someone mentioned the warm reception he got at every hole on Thursday. “They like the Joe Mauers of the world and the Kent Hrbecks of the world. “They love the homegrown people.â€� Those former Minnesota Twins, who were born in St. Paul and Minneapolis, respectively, have nothing on Lehman and the man whose nickname is Lumpy. The two TOUR vets were playing in successive groups and shared a hearty handshake when each took their turn in front of the local media. “I told him Lumpy’s Lager for the house,â€� Lehman said, referring to his long-time friend’s brew. “A lot of people out here for him to take care of.â€� Herron’s ace came courtesy of a cut 5-iron that went the distance on the 208-yard, par-3 eighth hole. He saw the ball hit and bounce, but he didn’t see it go into the hole. Not that he needed to, though. “The crowd reaction was good, so I knew it went in,â€� the 49-year-old Herron said. “So, I did a hail storm around the tee and stuff. I had some family there. … I’ll probably remember this more than any of them because I’ve never won a car or anything.â€� Lehman, who has his 16-year-old son Sean on the bag this week, has been a full-time member of PGA TOUR Champions for the last decade and picked up his 12th win earlier this year at the Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai. But Lehman couldn’t pass up the chance to play before the home crown again in the 3M Open – particularly after being tasked to toughen up the course in the year since the 50-and-over set played its last tournament there. His bogey-free round was particularly satisfying. “There’s a lot to be said for being comfortable with a golf course,â€� Lehman said. “Even though we’ve made some changes to it, the greens are the same and I know the greens extremely well. “Just it’s very long. There’s some shots that I had to swing from the heels just to get it to the fairway; on No. 11, for example, and on the last hole, No. 9, 240 with a 3‑iron. I hit it as hard as I possibly could to try to get it to the green.  So, it makes it tough for me, so I’m very pleased with 4 under. “I don’t necessarily feel like I can do that every day out here, but I think when I play well, I can.â€� Lehman found every fairway on Thursday and hit 15 of the 18 greens that he called “welcomingâ€� in regulation. “So if you drive in the fairway and your irons are reasonable, you’re going to have a lot of chances at birdie,â€� he said. Lehman started on the back nine and turned in 33, then added a fourth birdie at No. 1 where he drained a 35-footer. He expects to see some excitement down the stretch on Sunday because the back nine is the more scoreable of the two. “There are a couple long holes, but there’s some real opportunities on the back nine,â€� Lehman said. “I think that come Sunday, I think you end up seeing a lot of fireworks with guys making eagles on the par 5s, and you can now make a double on the 18th hole.  It used to be you almost couldn’t make a bogey on 18, it played so short. “So, I kind of like the way the course is playing. You’ve got to really suck it up and go on the front nine and then the back nine gives you some chances.â€� Lehman is also pleased at the reviews the re-engineered TPC Twin Cities is getting. He’s proud of the reception the TOUR players are getting, too. “They seem to really enjoy the golf course, thinking it’s a very fair test but not a pushover,â€� he said. “So, I think if they all walk away from Minneapolis saying they had a great time and had a great experience and loved it and can’t wait to come back, I think we’ve done a lot of things right.â€�

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