3M Championship Day 3 recap

Kenny Perry did it again. He began Sunday's final 3M Championship round at TPC Twin Cities with a 5-shot lead, not insurmountable but enough of a cushion that Perry would have to bobble and someone would have to go ultra-low to throw any kind of doubt. Perry bobbled (two front-nine bogeys). Wes Short Jr. went ultra-low (9 under). And yet Perry's 3-under 69 in the final installment of the event was still enough for him to hold the 3M trophy for a third time. His 21-under total beat Short by three. Perry is the second three-time winner in the tournament's 26-year history. Hale Irwin won in 1997, 1999 and 2002.

• Tuesday qualifier Tom Gillis shot 5-under 67 all three days in his PGA Tour Champions debut and finished tied for third. It's the best finish for a qualifier this season. Another qualifier, Mark Walker, was in the top five but shot 5 over in his last four holes and slipped to 31st.

• After opening with even-par 72, Bob Estes shot a 7-under 65 on Saturday and backed it up with a 66 on Sunday, tying for fifth.

• Tim Petrovic posted his fourth top-five finish of the season.

• Charlie Rymer has played in three events this season, and finished 77th in all three.

• Former Gophers women's hockey player Hannah Brandt and her U.S. women's hockey Olympic gold medal were a hit on the first tee. Brandt was Sunday's honorary starter.

No. 18, 582-yard par-5: As usual, the event's closing hole provided the most action. Seven of the day's nine eagles were made there.

"Dinner's gonna taste a whole lot sweeter." — Scott Parel, whose flop shot from behind the bunker on 18 bounced into the hole for eagle, sealing a tie for 10th place.

Up and down with Kevin Sutherland, who shot 6-under 66 on Sunday and posted his fourth consecutive top-five finish at the 3M Championship.

Q A lot of players say they'll miss this event and given the results I assume you are one of them?

A I've liked it here. Kenny obviously plays really well here and he draws the ball like I do. Maybe there's something to that. But I'm going to miss it. I know that they're looking forward to the PGA guys coming in here and getting a whole new tournament with a new look to the course so I guess I'm going to go and find another golf course I like.

Q You finally broke through and won on the Champions Tour at the end of last year. How much did that help your confidence?

A I've had a funny year. I've hit the ball fine but I just can't get the ball in the hole. That's why [Sunday's] round is very encouraging. It's easily the best putting round I've had all year. I'm going to take that and run with it.

Q Kenny shot 60 on Saturday and said he wanted a 59. You've shot 59; how tough is that mark to reach?

A It's so hard to shoot it. When I did I was 9 under after eight holes and I thought it was maybe possible to shoot 59 and then dawned on me that I still needed four more birdies. So that just shows you — I mean, even his 60, it's hard but on a course like this I'm surprised it hasn't happened.