Three Generations of Minnesota Gophers Play Together at 3M Open

Hollis Cavner leads The Royal Club and Pro Links Sports as CEO and founder. The Royal Club is a golf club on 500 acres of land in Minnesota. Meanwhile, Pro Links Sports manages and directors major sporting events nationwide. Over the years, Hollis Cavner has facilitated several corporate golf events through his company, managing logistics, operations, and other aspects of major golfing events such as the 3M Open Championship.

Held at TPC Twin Cities in 2020, the 3M Open made headlines for including three generations of golfers who graduated as Minnesota Gophers. These three golfers were Tom Lehman (61), Angus Flanagan (21), and Erik Van Royeen (30). Despite their unique ties to Minnesota, each player has enjoyed a unique career.

Lehman, as the oldest, has won the Tour five times. He was included in the Charles Schwab Challenge a month before the 3M Open and consulted on the original Arnold Palmer design of the course in 2000 and its redesign in 2018. Lehman has cemented his position as a beloved golfer in his native Minnesota.

Van Royeen, meanwhile, earned the Tom Lehman Player of the Year award from the coaching staff of the Golden Gophers after his junior season. The South Africa-born player won a T-3 finish at the WGC Mexico Championship, thus paving his way to a PGA Tour card.

As the youngest, Flanagan’s inclusion at the 3M Open marked his PGA Tour debut. His invite to the event came after winning the Minnesota State Open with a course record at Royal Golf Club in Minnesota. Hollis Cavner invited Flanagan to the 3M Open, giving the young player the unique opportunity to play against several golfers he looks up to.