After a 63, Max Greyserman grabbed paddle at 3M Open rather than hitting range balls

PGA Tour rookie Max Greyserman came charging from behind Sunday at the 3M Open with an 8-under-par 63 that made him the early clubhouse leader.

By the time the final groups started coming in, he was hanging onto a tie with Jhonattan Vegas at 16 under par. Those final groups came in delayed, as much as 10-12 minutes on the 17th and 18th tees and 18th fairway and green.

While he waited, Greyserman played table tennis with fellow rookie and sponsor’s exemption Neal Shipley.

That game ended when Vegas made the winning birdie putt on the 18th hole.

“It was my idea to play,” said Greyserman, who golfed at Duke and on the Korn Ferry Tour. “Honestly, it was moving so slow there on 18. I was kind of getting bored. It’s so hot outside.”

CBS broadcast analyst Trevor Immelman wondered on air why Greyserman wasn’t staying limber on the range and keeping his focus on hitting balls, in the very likely case there was a playoff.

“I didn’t want to be on the range for 30 minutes,” Greyserman said. “I went to the range and all I needed was 10, 15 balls to get warm. Sitting inside, I was like, ‘Neal, want to play ping-pong?’ And he was like ‘All right, let’s go.’”

So who won? “I don’t know if Neal wants me to say, but I beat him 11-1,” Greyserman said.

He was lucky Matt Kuchar was with Vegas and Maverick McNealy in the final group. Kuchar reportedly is one of the table tennis champs in every Ryder Cup or Presidents Cup team room he’s played.

“I heard he’s pretty good,” Greyserman said. “I’m a good ping-pong player. I’m not a great ping-pong player. I can hold my own a little bit.”

• Greyserman birdied six of his final nine holes to finish alone in second place, his career best on tour. He tied 2021 3M Open champion Cameron Champ for low round of the day. It was his third top-10 finish this season and second in individual stroke-play events. He moved from 87th in FedEx Cup points to 63rd. The top 70 make the playoffs’ first event in Memphis in August.

• Kuchar praised what he called the “awesome” 3M Open crowds, adding, “You get the buzz. People want to see guys competing for the lead and there were a bunch of guys out there with a chance.”