As the executive director of the 3M Open, Hollis Cavner learned of Scottie Scheffler’s commitment long before the official announcement.
Let’s just say he had a very hard time keeping the secret.
“This happened a while ago,” Cavner said with a laugh. “I wanted to call everybody in the world.”
The elation was evident in Cavner’s voice on Monday afternoon at TPC Twin Cities as he relayed to reporters how the 3M Open was able to secure a commitment from the No. 1 player in the world.
This has been in the works since the inaugural 3M Open. All the way back in July 2019. At the time, Scheffler wasn’t even officially on the PGA Tour, as he was wrapping up a dominant display on the Korn Ferry Tour.
“We actually offered him a sponsor exemption,” Cavner said. “He didn’t end up coming out. I think it was injury related because of his hand or something. We’ve been talking to him every year since.”
It helped that Cavner is good friends with Scheffler’s longtime coach Randy Smith. That connection seemed to pull some weight each time Cavner made the ask.
“I think we finally wore him down,” Cavner said with a laugh. “I think he was like, ‘If y’all will leave me alone, I’ll come up there.’ ”
All jokes aside, Cavner emphasized that a big reason he thinks Scheffler committed to the 3M Open is, at least to some degree, because of the reputation it has built for itself as having hospitality that is among the best on the PGA Tour.
Not only is the treatment of the players second to none, so too is the treatment of the families. That goes a long way when it comes to securing a commitment from the No. 1 player in the world.
“The other players are talking about it,” Cavner said. “He has heard enough good stuff about it.”
Though he wasn’t about to land Scheffler until now, it has been a common practice for Cavner throughout his career to give sponsor exemptions to young players that he thinks have the potential to be stars down the road.
In the inaugural 3M Open, for example, Cavner hit the jackpot by landing Collin Morikawa and Viktor Hovland, who have gone on to become extremely popular players on the PGA Tour.
That group of young players in the 3M Open this year include Jackson Koivun, Preston Stout, Ben James and Sihan Sandhu.
“These kids are all going to be winners,” Cavner said. “They’re not just going to be OK. They’re going to be winners.”
Some of the more established players that have already committed to the 3M Open this year include defending champion Kurt Kitayama, past champions Jhonattan Vegas, Lee Hodges and Cameron Champ, as well as other household names like Billy Horschel, Gary Woodland and Joel Dahmen.
The field for the 3M Open will be released next month with other standout players expect to be announced in the near future. The hope is that the presence of Scheffler will help attract some of his peers.
“It’s a huge deal,” Cavner said. “It shows that we’ve arrived.”
