Scottie Scheffler has spent three straight days paired with Hideki Matsuyama at TPC Twin Cities. So, when he sat down with reporters after Saturday's round, the score wasn't the only thing on his mind.

He wanted to talk about the crowd — specifically, how well it had treated the man standing next to him on every tee box.

“The support this week's been tremendous,” Scheffler said after a 7-under 64 in Saturday's round.

“The crowd here has been great not only to myself but to the guys I've been playing with."

Scheffler, who is making his first career start at Minnesota's only PGA Tour stop, will enter the Final round in a share of ninth place at 14 under par.

"I've been with Hideki the last few days, and they've been supporting him as well. It's been a really fun environment to be part of, and looking forward to getting back out tomorrow,” he added in the same interview, shared by TenGolf on YouTube.

Matsuyama has played the event before. He played in the very first 3M Open back in 2019. That year, he finished tied for seventh place when Matthew Wolff won the title. After that, he was back at the event twice but never won the title.

And this week, in his fourth trip to the event, Matsuyama will enter the final round with a 13-under-par total, after shooting 6-under-64 in Saturday's round.

Meanwhile, Jackson Koivun, just three starts into his pro career after leaving Auburn as the world's top-ranked amateur, holds the 54-hole lead with a 20-under-par total.

Minnesota's reputation for kindness isn't limited to the Scheffler and Matsuyama

Scheffler and Matsuyama aren't the only ones who've noticed the reception.

Ben Kohles, the 36-year-old Texan chasing his first PGA Tour win this week with a 17-under-par total, said the same.

“There's been great crowds this week, it's been fun to see,” said Kohles, per TenGolf on YouTube.

“Obviously, when you've got Scottie out here, I think that definitely draws a few more out here, but I've been coming here the last couple years, and there's been great crowds every year I've played."

The 3M Open comes right after the British Open, the last major of the year, and is played in Minnesota.

So when Scheffler committed to playing the event for the first time in May, tournament organizers sold him the only thing that matters. Hospitality.

"I'm looking forward to playing the 3M Open for the first time," Scheffler said back then.

"I've heard great things about the event and I'm excited to get to Minnesota and compete at TPC Twin Cities."

That care was visible throughout the whole week, for every player present at the field. The tournament serves a full dinner most nights, a rarity on tour, along with a smoothie bar and ping pong tables in the locker room.

“I think it's the little things,” another pro, Nicholas Dunlap, said.

“It sounds crazy, but putting more snacks out for us, or giving us fishing rods this week and letting us kind of do something outside of golf. I think a lot of people look forward to it.”

Justin Lower has three children under three years old, and his wife loves to travel.

“I have three kids under three and a wife who loves to travel, so it's fun what 3M does this week. They make it really nice for us,” he said

And at the end, these are the little things that make a bigger difference.

Read more at Club Golf!

Written by

Md Saife Fida