Live sports returned to Minnesota on Thursday. The first round of the 3M Open occurred at TPC Twin Cities, and the few of us who were allowed on site witnessed golf without so much as a golf clap.
There were no cheers when Tony Finau hit one stiff on No. 16, and there were no groans when Dustin Johnson hit three into the water on No. 18.
With no fans to create human or aural barriers, the first round felt like a charity scramble. When Finau walked off the 13th tee on Thursday morning, he looked to his left and saw Josh Duhamel, the actor from North Dakota, working as an on-course reporter.
"Hey, bro!'' Finau said, and they chatted about Duhamel's cabin and their summer plans. After finishing the hole, Johnson, who was playing in Finau's group, fist-bumped Vikings tight end Kyle Rudolph, who like Duhamel is a 3M brand ambassador for the tourney.
Finau would shoot a 65, and he made it look both easy and casual. Casual is the right vibe for someone who was more of a Golden Tee than silver spoon golfer growing up.
The best aspect of Thursday's action was the reminder it provided about the pure meritocracy of sport, even in an affluent sport like golf.
Finau grew up poor in Salt Lake City. When he and his brother weren't fighting, they went to the garage and pounded old golf balls into a mattress. He turned pro at 17 and played on "The Big Break'' and on the Gateway, Hooters, National Pro and Canadian tours.
Learning in a garage produced his remarkably compact yet powerful swing. Finau hasn't had to coil the club around his neck to produce long drives, but he took note when Bryson DeChambeau, who finished in a tie for second at last year's 3M Open, added weight and began adding aggression to his single-plane swing, producing prodigious distances off the tee this season.
