Nearly every swing at the 3M Open involves a 3M product in some way.
3M’s role in the golf industry goes beyond the PGA Tour’s 3M Open
The title sponsor of the event in Blaine this week is deeply embedded in the sport, from sandpaper to adhesives.
The Minnesota Star Tribune
July 25, 2024 at 1:01PM
The manufacturer’s adhesives keep club heads from flying off the shaft. Tiny glass bubbles reduce vibrations in the irons. Sandpapers polish the clubs. TV screens use 3M films to improve brightness for the viewers at home.
“We’re the one title sponsor who can use its own materials to put a tournament on,” said Collin Hummel, 3M’s senior manager of brand sponsorships. “It helps add a little relevance for why we’re out here.”
The hometown title sponsor of Minnesota’s only PGA Tour event, which officially kicked off Thursday and ends Sunday, makes it a point to bring a little science to TPC Twin Cities during each tournament.
This year, 3M partnered with Callaway to show off how its innovations — used in cars, spaceships and Post-it Notes — are key for golf, too.
“3M materials have been an integral part of our clubs for a long time,” said Joe Toulon, Callaway’s senior manager for the PGA Tour. “Sandpaper, epoxy, painter’s tape. Every part of the club, 3M touches.”
Toulon was in Callaway’s trailer alongside the driving range Wednesday, getting ready to pack up after a few days of building and fixing clubs for the brand’s players.
Even with travel delays — the global tech outage slowed the flow of golf pros to Blaine this year — clubs were still polished and ready a day before the action started.
“Players trust that they’ll leave the trailer in better shape than they came in,” Toulon said.
For 3M’s own science showcase, the company set up an air-conditioned tent called “the Lab” along the 18th hole that is open to the thousands of fans expected to swing by the 3M Open this year. After a brief intro featuring holographic examples of 3M tech in action, visitors can play mini golf and swing some clubs.
While 3M has not disclosed the financial details of its PGA sponsorship, the national exposure brings a positive light to a company looking to regain its footing with a new CEO, a recently spun-off health care division and several major lawsuits in the rear-view.
On Friday morning, 3M will announce its quarterly earnings. Analysts expect $5.8 billion in revenue and earnings per share of $1.68.
Passenger volume at Rochester International Airport is down nearly 50% since the start of the pandemic as travelers migrate to MSP for cheaper flights without layovers.
