Thomas Lehman relishes his chance at 3M Open in Blaine

Thomas Lehman was three days shy of his first birthday when his father completed his greatest career triumph and was crowned Champion Golfer of the Year in 1996 for a two-shot British Open victory at Royal Lytham and St. Annes. So you can understand why, even with golf at the forefront of his family's life, it was not Thomas' sport of choice growing up.

Lehman was the starting quarterback as a senior at Notre Dame Prep in Scottsdale, Ariz. The baseball team won a state championship his junior season.

Golf eventually came more naturally to the Arizona kid, and by the time senior year of high school came around he got serious. After a stop at TCU, Lehman transferred to Cal Poly and honed his skills well enough to qualify for the 2018 U.S. Amateur.

On Thursday, 9,868 days after Tom Lehman hoisted the Claret Jug, his oldest son will make his PGA Tour debut when he tees off in the 3M Open at TPC Twin Cities in Blaine.

Thomas, 28, received a sponsor's exemption into the field. Dad was on the other line when Thomas took the phone call offering him a spot.

"I've been playing pretty well. I just need to think of it as another event," Thomas Lehman said Wednesday. "I know I can play this course. It's a good setup for me and I just need to keep that in mind that it's just one shot at a time, play the course and that's kind of it. I'm sure once the first tee shot's over tomorrow, it will all settle in pretty good."

Lehman, who turned professional in 2020 and has mostly played mini-tour events on the Dakotas Tour, had never played TPC Twin Cities before this week but has made several visits here over the years. Tom Lehman played in a handful of 3M Championship events when it was a regular stop on the PGA Tour Champions schedule and was also part of the inaugural 3M Open in 2019.

And then there's the little fact that the elder Lehman had a hand in the course's original design alongside Arnold Palmer and was heavily involved in the course's 2018 renovation to make it PGA Tour ready.

"[If I] hit it in the bunker, that's the architect's fault," Thomas Lehman quipped.

Without getting specific, Lehman said he and his father have a "game plan" for the tournament. Surviving the 36-hole cut is Goal No, 1, Thomas Lehman said, with a finish inside the top 40 of the 156-man field being a dream scenario.

"I've caddied quite a bit and it's obviously a way different gig caddying than playing," he said. "A little bit of nerves and a lot more focus, a lot more paying attention to the detail. It's just exciting."