Joe Durant Wins the 3M Championship in Dramatic Fashion
August 9, 2016
Joe Durant made a spectacular eagle on the first playoff hole to defeat Miguel Angel Jimenez and capture the 2016 3M Championship at the TPC Twin Cities, in Blaine, Minnesota. Durant’s eagle bested Jimenez’s birdie on the par five 18th hole and capped off a spectacular weekend where the 52-year old shot a scorching 17-under par after opening with a 70 on Friday.
Jimenez opened the tournament with scores of 67 and 63 to take a one-shot lead heading into Sunday’s play. Jimenez double bogied the 14th hole on Sunday, but rallied furiously, closing with four straight birdies to post another 67 and match Durant atop the leaderboard. Durant hit perhaps the shot of the tournament in the playoff, when his second shot on the par-5 was a brilliant 5-iron to just 10 feet, setting up his dramatic eagle putt to win the tournament.
The playoff was just the second in the 24-year history of the 3M Championship and the win was Durant’s second on the PGA Tour Champions circuit. The win moved Durant into second place in the Charles Schwab Cup standings, the season-long money race for the PGA Tour Champions. Bernhard Langer, who made an early charge on Sunday by birdieing six of the first seven holes, finished tied for third and remains atop the Charles Schwab Cup leaderboard.
Sunday’s fireworks and dramatic finish capped off a phenomenal week of golf in Blaine. EMC is incredibly proud to be a continuing title sponsor of the 3M Championship, hosting the draw party on Tuesday evening and sponsoring the Pro-Ams on both Wednesday and Thursday. EMC and their guests enjoyed all the exciting golf action from their skybox on the 18th green and greeted guests all week long at their booth in the sponsor tent.
EMC congratulates Joe Durant on his exciting victory and also all the sponsors and volunteers, who once again put on a spectacular week of golf. EMC sends out a huge thank you to everyone who participated and we look forward to another exciting tournament in 2017!
