Nearly every swing at the 3M Open involves a 3M product in some way.
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.
