AUGUSTA, GA. – Hollis Cavner promises that the inaugural 3M Open will be not just a golf tournament but an "event." And he's not just talking about hiring the Zac Brown Band and lining the fairways with craft beer stands.
Speaking under the famous oak tree in front of the Augusta National clubhouse at the Masters on Wednesday, Cavner said he is pursuing Tiger Woods for the 3M field and thinks he has a chance of landing him.
Cavner is the CEO of Pro Links Sports and the driving force behind the old 3M Championship and the new 3M Open. He has already secured commitments from five stars: Phil Mickelson, Brooks Koepka, Jason Day, Patrick Reed and Bryson DeChambeau. Adding Woods would be an unexpected boost to the field and the July 4-7 event, which is positioned right in the middle of a one-month gap between majors.
"If Tiger plays between the U.S. Open and the British Open, I think he'll pick us," Cavner said. "We have a great date. A lot of guys want to play two weeks before the British Open, then skip the next week and travel over there. We feel like we have a really good shot at him if he's going to play that week."
Woods has competed in Minnesota twice — at the 2002 and 2009 PGA Championships. He was a Team USA vice captain at the Ryder Cup at Hazeltine National in 2016.
Cavner owns a house in Augusta and has used it this week to recruit more stars. The agents and managers for the Zac Brown Band stayed at his home, and he has entertained the representatives of Dustin Johnson, Justin Thomas and Justin Rose, among others.
Pro Links Sports runs a slew of PGA and Champions Tour events. "We're having a great time," Cavner said. "I think we've been able to get commitments from some great players because they know us. They know how we treat people at our tournaments.
