Cavner (c) belongs to the same country club as players like Brooks Koepka and Dustin JohnsonANOKA COUNTY
The PGA Tour yesterday formally announced the creation of the 3M Open, but at least one exec responsible for running the event was at the U.S. Open over the weekend "mingling with players and agents, slapping backs and recruiting talent," according to Tad Reeve of the ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS. Pro Links Sports CEO Hollis Cavner, whose company will run the tournament held outside Minneapolis, "already has multiple contacts with tour players and their agents." His company "conducts three PGA Tour and three Champions Tour events" on the '18 schedule, and it is "adding two more PGA Tour tournaments" in '19. Cavner "recruits constantly at home in Jupiter, Fla.," where he is a member at Floridian National Golf Club in Palm City, the same club golfers Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson, Rickie Fowler and a "handful of other PGA Tour stars hang out and play." Cavner said that it is "'hard' to recruit top PGA Tour players for an event." But he added, "If you're friends, it's a lot easier" (ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS, 6/19). Cavner said that it will be "difficult to attract the tour's top tier at first." In Minneapolis, Brian Stensaas notes Tiger Woods "played in Cavner's events in Tampa and Charlotte this season." Cavner said that it is expected that his group is "going after him" to play in the inaugural event. The 3M Open will "not include free admission," which has been the case for several years at the Champions Tour event 3M has sponsored. Instead, Cavner said that tickets are "expected to be" somewhere between $25-65. Also announced was a new 3M Open Fund "benefiting local charities." All proceeds from the event will "go to the fund" (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 6/19). Cavner: "We'll be one of the biggest events on the tour within a couple years" (AP, 6/18).
LINING UP SPONSORS: 3M Senior VP/Business Development, Marketing & Sales Paul Keel said that how much the company is "spending is unknown but it 'certainly has six zeros' in it." Cavner said that General Mills and The Valspar Corp. also will "be involved" with the tournament (BIZJOURNALS.com, 6/19).
