June 26, 2023
BLAINE, MN – 3M Open tournament officials announced today that four young players—two from Minnesota—will compete in the 3M Open for the first time as sponsor exemptions in Minnesota’s only PGA TOUR event, scheduled for July 24-30 at TPC Twin Cities.
“This is a wonderful collection of young players who have all enjoyed successful amateur careers and hold a lot of promise to carry that over into the professional game,” said Mike Welch, 3M Open Tournament Director. “We are excited to have them compete in the 3M Open as they all go through the first stretch of their professional careers the rest of this season.”
Derek Hitchner, 22, attended Blake School in Minneapolis and as a sophomore won the state championship by eleven strokes with a tournament-record 10-under par total. Hitchner attended Pepperdine and was a teammate of Sahith Theegala his first year. During his time at Pepperdine, he won the 2021 Trans Mississippi Amateur and last year reached the semi-finals of the U.S. Amateur.
Stillwater’s Frankie Capan III shot a final-round 59 to win the state championship his senior year of high school. He won the 2020 Minnesota Golf Association Amateur and was named the MGA Player of the Year that summer. The 23-year-old is currently on the Korn Ferry Tour after finishing in the top 10 at last year’s Korn Ferry Qualifying Tournament. The 23-year-old has two top ten finishes on that tour so far this season. He attended Florida Gulf Coast.
Sam Bennett, the 23-year-old Texan, won the 2022 US Amateur and turned pro this May after finishing fifth on the PGA TOUR University standings. He was in the final pairing on Saturday at the Masters Tournament after shooting a pair of rounds in the 60s the first two rounds, finished T16 and was low amateur. He was T20 at the RBC Canadian Open and at the US Open was in the top ten before finishing T43 in Los Angeles.
Brazilian Fred Biondi, 22, came from five shots back with a final-round 67 to win the NCAA Men’s Individual title and help Florida capture the team title this May. He finished second on the PGA TOUR University final standings and turned pro after the NCAA tournament. He is eligible to compete on the Korn Ferry Tour the remainder of this season.
Competitors for the 156-player field have until 5:00 pm Eastern time on July 21 to commit to the 3M Open and can withdraw from the tournament at any time.
Multiple ticket packages are currently available for Minnesota’s only PGA TOUR event. Courtesy of Cub, children ages 15 and under will be admitted free to the tournament with the purchase of a Fan Pass. Tickets for the STILLY Party Deck are on sale now. For more ticket information, updates, and questions, please visit www.3MOpen.com.
The ethos of the 3M Open is “Golf That Matters” and now in its fifth year, is committed to remaining a platform to give back and assist our communities through the 3M Open Fund. The 3M Open Fund will donate funds raised to select Minnesota charities to support the incredible work being performed both locally and regionally. In 2023, deserving charities such as First Tee Minnesota, M Health Fairview and Greater Twin Cities United Way will be major beneficiaries and highlighted during our tournament.
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About the 3M Open
A PGA TOUR event, the inaugural 3M Open contested in July of 2019. Its list of champions includes Matthew Wolff, Michael Thompson, Cameron Champ and Tony Finau. Minnesota’s only PGA TOUR event is contested at the TPC Twin Cities and will be held July 24-30, 2023. Managed by Pro Links Sports, the tournament benefits local programs through the 3M Open Fund. For more information, please visit 3mopen.com. Follow the 3M Open on Instagram/Twitter @3MOpen and at facebook.com/3MOpen.