Heavy storms chased away huge 3M Championship galleries Saturday at TPC Twin Cities with the Round 1 leaders just about to finish. Kenny Perry didn't let the 2-hour rain delay affect him one bit, rolling in an 8-foot putt moments after play resumed to finish off a 9-under 63 that put him at 16 under for the tournament, tying the lowest 36-hole mark for the 3M. He is one shot clear of event qualifier Marco Dawson, the Round 1 leader, who also eagled 18 after the delay. Plenty of players found the course ripe for the taking once again. The Round 2 scoring average of 63.636 was the lowest Saturday field average in event history.
HOLE OF THE DAY
No. 18, 582 yards, par 5
Feast or famine. Typical par 5 hole. The 18th on Saturday played nearly a half-stroke under par, and it yielded eagles to Kenny Perry and Marco Dawson to set up a Sunday final round showdown. Tied for the lead on 18, Jeff Maggert made bogey, however, knocking him out of the final group.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
"You think we enjoy sitting at home and watching television? Of course we don't. We've been in the public all our lives. The game of golf has been wonderful to all of us. Do we want to give up what we've done all our lives?"
— Jack Nicklaus, appearing with the Greats of Golf in front of massive crowds, asked if he thought at age 74 he'd be out of the spotlight.
FOUR QUESTIONS
Up and down with Duffy Waldorf
Appearing in his second 3M Championship, Waldorf sits at 6 under heading into the final round. The four-time PGA Tour winner is known for his hobbies and his golf.
Q: What's the mind-set at a tournament you know 15 under probably isn't enough?
A: You can start doing the math. If its 18 under like last year you have to make six a day. It's not the best way to look at it. Because it's hard to shoot 6 under every day. You're a different person every day; you just have to go out there and hopefully get a low round at least one day to get in contention.
Q: How fun is it to have an all-UCLA contingent on this tour with you, Corey Pavin, Steve Pate and Tom Pernice Jr.?
A: You kind of root for your college teammate and hope they do well. They're fun to hang out with. Having someone from college out here is cool because you know how to rib him. I definitely could use some course knowledge from Tom [the defending 3M champion].
Q: You're known for wearing colorful outfits, but what's with the Sharpie-designed golf balls?
A: My kids used to do it, but now my mom and her art class will do it. They send them to me a week in advance. It gives me a connection to what I did on the regular tour. And I try to give it a local connection. I might have Vikings or Twin Cities on a ball this week. Just some local flavor.
Q: Can you tell me about your wine collection?
A: I have about 1,100 bottles. Actually I have some wine I need to drink. One of the problems with collecting wine is sometimes you like buying the wine as much as you like drinking it. Don't get me wrong — I like to drink it. But you can buy four, 12, 24, 50 at a time. I have some nice Italian Barolos, Barbarescos, Burnellos from the late 1990s. I have a 1975 La Mission Haut-Brion. It's a Bordeaux. My dad got it for me and when I win one of these tournaments out here I'm going to open it up.
BRIAN STENSAAS
