Tournament essentials

What: The 16th of 26 events on the PGA Tour Champions 2016 schedule.

When: Practice rounds and pro-ams Monday-Thursday; 54-hole tournament Friday-Sunday.

Where: TPC Twin Cities in Blaine (par 72).

Tickets: General admission is free all week. The expo tent behind the 18th green and a family fun zone (Friday-Sunday) also are free.

Parking: Free (including shuttle service) at the Anoka County Airport.

Purse: $1.75 million ($262,500 to the winner).

Bernhard Langer has a victory this season, his 10th season in a row with a senior tour win.

TV: Golf Channel (11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Friday; 2-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday).

Defending champion: Kenny Perry (18-under 198).

Tournament 54-hole record: 191 (25 under) by David Frost in 2010.

Tournament 18-hole record: 61 (by Perry in Round 2 last year and Frost in the final round of 2010).

Last year

Kenny Perry became the first back-to-back champion in the event's 23-year history. Perry, who has finished no worse than seventh in his five appearances in Blaine, held a four-shot lead heading into the final round thanks to a record-tying 11-under 61 on Saturday that included a hole-in-one. He made bogey on No. 1 but birdied four of the next five holes and put the final round on cruise control from there. Perry was the winner by four over Kevin Sutherland, Scott Dunlap and two-time 3M winner Bernhard Langer. It was Langer's third time finishing second at the event.

Tour update

There have been 11 different winners and four first-time winners this season on the 50-and-older circuit, which officially changed its name to PGA Tour Champions in 2016. Woody Austin picked up his maiden victory in late March, then won back-to-back events a month later. Langer also has three victories this season, including a pair of majors in the Senior Players Championship and the Regions Tradition. It's the 10th consecutive season Langer has notched a victory. Only Hale Irwin has a victory on the senior tour 11 years in a row.

A well-rested field

For the first time since 2009 the 3M Championship does not fall the week immediately following a PGA Tour Champions major. The PGA Championship was held last week, but Rocco Mediate and John Daly are the only 3M participants who played and neither made the weekend cut. That means the 81 players in this week's field should arrive to Blaine well-rested and ready to attack the pins. The field is stacked, with the top 33 players in the season-long Charles Schwab Cup money list committed to playing. The list includes four members of the World Golf Hall of Fame — Langer, Mark O'Meara, Colin Montgomerie and Larry Nelson — and 14 players who won at least one major during their PGA Tour career. Among the notable newcomers to the event are crowd pleasers Daly, Jesper Parnevik and Miguel Angel Jimenez. Perry, without a top-10 finish since April, is aiming to become the second player this season to win three straight years at a single event. Langer has collected the Senior Players title each year since 2014.

Jack's back

Eighteen-time major champion Jack Nicklaus heads the annual Greats of Golf Challenge for the third time Saturday. He will play alongside Lee Trevino in an exhibition after the 3M Championship leaders tee off. In all, more than 15 former stars are expected for the event, including LPGA greats Annika Sorenstam, Pat Bradley and Nancy Lopez. Arnold Palmer, a Greats of Golf staple since the event began in 2004, will miss this year.

BRIAN STENSAAS

CHARLES SCHWAB CUP 2016 MONEY Leaders

Name2016 winsMoneyEvents

Bernhard Langer3$1,592,98112

Billy Andrade0$899,12215

Woody Austin3$851,84513

Scott McCarron1$850,11413

Joe Durant0$819,73014

Miguel Angel Jimenez1$819,2116

Duffy Waldorf1$808,81815

Wes Short, Jr.0$781,84315

Kirk Triplett1$769,66514

Colin Montgomerie0$647,40312

Rocco Mediate1$634,72412

Tom Lehman0$625,74913

Paul Goydos1$610,53815

David Frost0$603,68415

Olin Browne0$583,08113

Jesper Parnevik1$557,23412

Brandt Jobe0$544,42012

Jeff Maggert0$522,03113

Bart Bryant0$516,84311

Kevin Sutherland0$515,71513

Tommy Armour III0$507,21514

Jeff Sluman0$483,14314

Mike Goodes0$476, 81913

Tom Byrum0$466,22513

Michael Allen1$464,52214