3M Open in Blaine is a real homecoming for PGA Tour rookie Frankie Capan III

If Frankie Capan III’s return to Blaine and this week’s 3M Open seems like going home again, it’s because it is.

The first Minnesotan to earn a fully exempt PGA Tour card since 2013, the 25-year-old has made the cut seven times in 20 events in his rookie season. He has one top-10 and two top-25 finishes and was third with partner Jake Knapp at the team-competition Zurich Classic in New Orleans last April.

The April before that, he shot a 58 — second-lowest ever on the Korn Ferry Tour — that also beat Scottie Scheffler’s course record at Arlington Texas Rangers Golf Club in the Veritex Bank Championship.

“It has been a lot of highs and lows and just trying to learn,” Capan said about that rookie season. “I don’t have a whole lot of expectation this week. Try to do my best, have fun. I would like to put on a show for everyone here and do my best to represent the state of Minnesota.”

He played the 2023 3M Open on a sponsor’s exemption with his mom, Charlynn, on the bag and made his first PGA Tour cut — but shot a Saturday 73.

Last year, he declined another sponsor’s exemption because he wanted to earn his way back to Blaine and onto the PGA Tour with his play on the Korn Ferry tour after he played his college golf in two seasons at Alabama and two seasons at Florida Gulf Coast.

This year, Capan is at the 3M Open this weekend and on the PGA Tour all season, all on his own. He has earned $618,000 and is 141st on the official money list, which is led by Scheffler’s $19 million.

His family lives 20 minutes from nearby TPC Twin Cities.

“Sleeping in my own bed has been really nice,” Capan said. “Hit the snooze button probably a few too many times the last couple mornings. It’s nice. I’m like the only person that’s in the basement. My two sisters and parents are upstairs, so it’s like a cozy little man cave down there. I walked into my room and saw clubs I played when I was 4 or 5.

“It’s fun to think back to the memories there. It’s a hard feeling to describe.”

There are a couple unexpected connections on Team Capan. Former PGA Tour star and longtime family friend Arron Oberholser walked along during Capan’s practice play Tuesday. Capan was a ring-bearer when he was six at Oberholser’s wedding.

Pro Basketball Hall of Famer Kevin McHale has remained something of a confidant ever since the two hung out at the North Oaks Country Club putting green long ago.

“He’s one of the best storytellers I’ve ever been around. He’s got some pretty neat stories from back in the day about Larry Bird, Robert Parish — just about any NBA star you can think if. It’s fun to pick his brain. It’s a very neat relationship and I’m very thankful to have him as a close friend.”

Golf 4 All Day: Athletes including Timberwolves guard Mike Conley, Frost player Kelly Pannek, Michael Floyd, Randall McDaniel, Kyle Rudolph, Wally Szczerbiak and Cole Aldrich interacted through music, food and mentorship with some 500 youth from local organizations Tuesday afternoon in the fan village.

THURSDAY-FRIDAY

First tee-tenth tee

6:45 am-12:10 pm: Vince Whaley, David Lipsky, Nate Lashley

7:07 am-12:32 pm: Sam Stevens, McClure Meissner, Patrick Rodgers

7:18 am-12:43 pm: Byeong Hun An, Camilo Villegas, Seamus Power

7:29 am-12:54 pm: Adam Svensson, Kurt Kitayama, Tom Hoge

7:40 am-1:05 pm: Adam Schenk, Kevin Yu, Peter Malnati

7:51 am-1:16 pm: Taylor Moore, Rafael Campos, Patton Kizzire

8:13 am-1:38 pm: Aaron Baddeley, Eric Cole, Alex Smalley

8:24 am-1:49 pm: Ben Kohles, Ben Martin, Jacob Bridgeman

8:35 am-2 pm: Yi Cao, Taylor Dickson, Jesper Svensson

8:46 am-2:11 pm: Josh Radcliff, Harrison Endycott, Thomas Rosenmuller

8:57 am-2:22 pm: Ricky Castillo, Michael La Sasso, Niklas Norgaard Moeller

6:45 am-12:10 pm: Ben Silverman, Carson Young, Kevin Kisner

6:56 am-12:21 pm: Greyson Sigg, Lanto Griffin, Cameron Champ

7:07 am-12:32 pm: Chandler Phillips, Max Greyserman, Beau Hossler

7:18 am-12:43 pm: Max Homa, Sahith Theegala, Maverick McNealy

7:29 am-12:54 pm: Taylor Pendrith, Tony Finau, Rickie Fowler

7:51 am-1:16 pm: Davis Thompson, Nick Dunlap, Gary Woodland

8:02 am-1:27 pm: Adam Hadwin, Si Woo Kim, Brice Garnett

8:13 am-1:38 pm: Chad Ramey, Michael Thorbjornsen, Ryo Hisatsune

8:24 am-1:49 pm: Luke Clanton, Brendan Valdes, Jackson Suber

8:35 am-2 pm: Steven Fisk, Kris Ventura, Kevin Velo

8:57 am-2:22 pm: Kaito Onishi, Jeremy Paul, Philip Knowles

First hole-tenth hole

12:10 pm-6:45 am: Thorbjorn Olesen, Andrew Putnam, Kevin Roy

12:21 pm-6:56 am: Keith Mitchell, Isaiah Salinda, Webb Simpson

12:32 pm-7:07 am: Hayden Buckley, David Skinns, Mark Hubbard

12:54 pm-7:29 am: Haotong Li, Jhonattan Vegas, Sam Burns

1:05 pm-7:40 am: William Mouw, Akshay Bhatia, Jake Knapp

1:16 pm-7:51 am: Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Lee Hodges, Chris Kirk

1:27 pm-8:02 am: Sam Ryder, Max McGreevy, Doug Ghim

1:38 pm-8:13 am: Chan Kim, Henrik Norlander, Chesson Hadley

2 pm-8:35 am: Trevor Cone, John Pak, Gordon Sargent

2:11 pm-8:46 am: Mason Andersen, Carson Herron, Noah Goodwin

2:22 pm-8:57 am: Braden Thornberry, Takumi Kanaya, Max Herendeen

Tenth hole-first hole

12:10 pm-6:45 am: Danny Walker, Matti Schmid, Richard Hoey

12:32 pm-7:07 am: Dylan Wu, Trey Mullinax, Justin Lower

12:43 pm-7:18 am: Matt Wallace, Nick Hardy, Garrick Higgo

12:54 pm-7:29 am: Matt McCarty, Mackenzie Hughes, Cam Davis

1:05 pm-7:40 am: Austin Eckroat, Joe Highsmith, Brandt Snedeker

1:16 pm-7:51 am: Davis Riley, Matthieu Pavon, Karl Vilips

1:38 pm-8:13 am: Victor Perez, Will Gordon, Joel Dahmen

1:49 pm-8:24 am: Pierceson Coody, Quade Cummins, Stephen Stallings Jr.

2:00 pm-8:35 am: Taylor Montgomery, Brandon Matthews, Michael Feuerstein

2:11 pm-8:46 am: David Ford, Preston Stout, Frankie Capan III