30 July 2023
3M Open tournament director Mike Welch declared an event first Sunday. He couldn’t recall a sponsor’s exemption ever having his name chanted as he strolled down the fairway.
But that was the life of North Oaks native Frankie Capan III at this week’s PGA Tour stop, which was played just 15 minutes from his home. Endless swaths of Capan’s family and friends followed the 23-year-old around the TPC Twin Cities course in Blaine all week, cheering him as he finished at 4-under-par 280 to place 62nd overall at the 3M Open.
“It was a pretty special week. Obviously to make my first cut on the big-boy tour in my home state is pretty special, but to have pretty much my entire family out here supporting not only myself but my mom (who was his caddie), I’m just really thankful for them. And also the support that I got from the fans outside of my family,” Capan said after his final-round, even-par 71 on Sunday. “You know, I was trying to tip my cap and acknowledge everyone as best I could. It was hard just because they were yelling my name so much. It was really, really cool to be playing in such a big tournament and having that many people support you while you’re walking the fairways and on the greens just everywhere. It was really cool.”
Immediately after fulfilling his media obligations, Capan spent the next 15 minutes signing autographs for young fans. Even his mom and caddie Charlynn got in on the fun, granting a few requests for her signature.
This was Capan’s third PGA Tour event — including this year’s U.S. Open — but never before had he experienced this type of following and attention.
“I mean, pretty much every hole I was walking yelling my name or saying something or cheering or just doing crazy stuff,” he said. “So yeah, it was pretty cool. I would say there’s nothing that had replicated it up until this point (in my career).”
Capan, a rookie on the second-level Korn Ferry Tour, managed the distractions, all of which were welcomed, and still was able to carry out his business on the course. He said that was a product of lessons learned from his major championship appearance in June.
“Just kind of really focusing on the task at hand, really just trying to do what I can to play my best but also put on a show for them,” he said. “I think it’s just been a lot of incremental growth throughout this year. And it’s been really exciting for me because I can kind of see the progress that we’re making, not only on the golf course, but off the golf course just kind of with our process and dialing that in, so that’s been really exciting.”
Capan recalled a couple of highlights from the week, including a 50-foot birdie putt he drilled on the par-3 13th in Round 2 after the rain delay that aided his efforts to make the 36-hole cut. Another highlight was the 3-iron he piped 249 yards to the fringe on the par-5 18th hole Sunday. He two-putted from there for birdie to get back to even par on the day after being 4-over through his first four holes.
Capan said there are areas of his game that he noticed this week need to improve, starting with his iron play. His approach numbers were near the bottom of the field over the weekend.
“Once I get a handle on that, I think we’ll see some lower numbers coming out,” he said.
Now would be an ideal time for those to come out. While this week may have felt like a pinnacle of Capan’s summer, there is far more important golf ahead. There are seven events remaining on the Korn Ferry Tour, starting with next week’s tournament in Utah. The top 30 players on the season-long points list at season’s end will earn their PGA Tour cards.
Even after skipping this week’s Korn Ferry Tour event to play in Blaine, Capan still ranks inside the top 40 and is on the cusp of playing full time on the world’s top tour next season. There currently are no Minnesota natives playing full time on the PGA Tour.
“Yeah, we want to be back here next year, and I don’t want to have to lean on (tournament executive director) Hollis Cavner and Mike Walsh for a sponsor exemption,” Capan said. “As much as I would appreciate one, I also want to earn our way here. Yeah, just hopefully give Minnesota and everyone a little bit more of a show on the weekend.”
Capan noted a win between now and the end of the 20323 season would almost certainly clinch his PGA Tour card, as would a couple of top-five finishes. He has a good grip on the numbers and standings, and feels as though a continuation of his current form will deliver the results he needs.
Capan was looking forward to spending the rest of Sunday relaxing after his early-morning round, spending time with friends and family, and simply enjoying being home.
“I actually haven’t really hung out with them all that much just because they’ve been following and then after (rounds) just kind of going about our business. So I’m happy I’ll get some time with them now,” Capan said. “Tomorrow, I don’t know, I might wake up at like 11.”
Then it’s off to Utah to start the rest of what already has been a scintillating first professional season. And while it may seem difficult to transition from this week’s environment back to the Korn Ferry Tour, Capan doesn’t see it that way.
“I’ve really enjoyed playing on the Korn Ferry Tour, everyone out there is great. We have a bunch of events where there’s similar-looking grandstands to here. … I love this game so much that I could be teeing it up at a municipal golf course and I’m out there having fun ” Capan said. “I don’t think there will be … much of a letdown, but I also expect there to not be probably 400 to 600 Frankie Capan fans in the crowd cheering along as we’re walking down a fairway.”
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