KEEP THAT CARD
Sungjae Im: The 21-year-old Korean continued his stellar play of late with a brilliant 5-under 31 on his opening nine holes and finished at 6 under. Im made two putts from 18 feet and two from 16 feet during his round.
TOSS THAT CARD
Cameron Champ: The PGA Tour's driving distance leader hit only seven of 14 fairways and didn't fare a whole lot better on approaches to the green. Champ shot 40 on the back nine — he started on the 10th hole — and finished his day with a double bogey on the ninth hole for a 4-over 75.
ON THE COURSE WITH …
Adam Hadwin: He made four consecutive birdies on the front nine. There was a time in Hadwin's career he was known mostly for his ball-striking, but Thursday he made 111 feet of putts. "That's a good feeling," Hadwin said. "I put some solid work in. I didn't think I was ever going to be good enough with the way I putted. It's paying off." Hadwin made a 23-footer for birdie on No. 1 and finished his 7-under round with a clutch par save on No. 9. "Just a matter of hitting good golf shots and giving myself some looks," he said.
3M OPEN MOMENT
Someone suggested to Wayzata's Tim Herron that Thursday's 2-over 73 was an up-and-down round. "Should we talk about the up part first?" Herron replied. That would be the 5-iron shot Herron made at the 208-yard par-3 eighth hole, which Herron aced for his seventh hole-in-one on the PGA Tour. "I can't see probably past 200 yards," said the 49-year-old affectionately known as Lumpy. "So I didn't see it go in. ... The crowd reaction was good. I knew it went in." He followed up the ace with a finishing bogey, one of his six. "It almost started getting a little embarrassing," he said. "I was grinding."
CHIP SHOTS
• Other scores of regional interest in the first round: Tom Lehman (67), Tom Hoge (68), Troy Merritt (70), Charlie Danielson (73).
• Nick Taylor birdied six of his first seven holes for 30 on the front side, a career low for nine holes, leading to a 4-under 67.
• Derek Fathauer shot 43 on the back nine (including back-to-back double bogeys) and withdrew from the tournament.
KEY HOLE
Par-4, 494-yard No. 9: One of two par-4s on the front nine stretched to nearly 500 yards on Thursday, and only 12 players made birdie. One was leader Scott Piercy.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
"I've struggled with having two kids, is what I've struggled with. I wouldn't trade them for the world, but it certainly is an adjustment. Anyone that says otherwise I don't think is being honest."
— Brian Harman, asked about his struggles this season before Thursday's 5-under 66.
TWEET OF THE DAY
"Now seems like a good time to point out that I played TPC in Blaine last summer ... and I chipped in for birdie on the first hole. Don't ask how the rest of the round went. That's not important."
— Anoka-Ramsey Community College men's basketball volunteer coach @rorylarson
DAY 2
Tee times are flipped from Round 1, meaning an early rise for Thursday's afternoon players. Golf Channel has coverage at 1 p.m.
BRIAN STENSAAS
