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3M Open Pursuing Phil Mickelson

Posted on May 26, 2021 by David Shama

Phil Mickelson is the biggest name in sports this week after becoming the oldest player ever to win a major golf championship on Sunday. Hollis Cavner, who runs the 3M Open, is optimistic the 50-year-old Mickelson will be part of the field at TPC Twin Cities July 22-25.

What are the odds? “I’d say very good,” Cavner told Sports Headliners.

Cavner and his company run various golf tournaments in the United States. He and his team are on the road much of the year recruiting players including the now hottest golf name in the world. So far Mickelson is noncommittal about the 3M, a regular stop on the PGA Tour. “He’s pretty direct,” Cavner said.

Cavner and Mickelson have a long friendship. In 2010 the two played together in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, with Cavner participating as an amateur. “He’s a helluva good guy,” Cavner said.

That relationship will be helpful in continuing to pitch Mickelson but winning the PGA Championship Sunday is a game changer for “Lefty’s” schedule. Cavner said Mickelson might receive an invitation to play for the U.S. in the Tokyo Olympics scheduled in late July and early August. Even if that doesn’t happen, the British Open is just a week before the 3M. He won the Open in 2013 and his appearance in Scotland would be important to his international fame and brand.

Mickelson’s life is a whirlwind now and over the next few weeks with various requests including TV and personal appearances. Cavner said Mickelson will be “inundated” with opportunities after shocking the golf world by winning the PGA. He entered the tournament ranked 115 in the world and Fox Bet had him at 400-to-1 odds to win in Kiawah, South Carolina at the Ocean Course.

Cavner runs the Wells Fargo Championship in Charlotte. He saw Mickelson in comeback mode at his tournament. With a slimmer and stronger body, more relaxed mental approach and willingness to play safer shots, Mickelson was re-engaged.

He was on a mission to improve his performance the week of the Wells Fargo, with Cavner observing Mickelson “working his butt off” in practice hitting buckets and buckets of balls at the range. “…He was really working on his game that week and I guarantee he beat more balls that week than anybody out there,” Cavner said.

Mickelson shot a round of 64 at the Wells Fargo and although he didn’t win the tournament, the resurgence in his game was evident to insiders. “He was gearing for this (excelling at the PGA),” Cavner said.

Sunday was remarkable, with Mickelson shocking the sports world at almost 51 years of age and winning his first golf major event since 2013. “He is so driven to be good,” Cavner said. “He doesn’t want to be second ever. He’s always been that way. When you’re that good, some people are going to love you, some people are not.”

Critics have said Mickelson is cocky but Cavner doesn’t see it that way and views his friend as a great athlete who believes in himself and has done a lot to help others including through charity. “It wasn’t cocky. He was good at what he did, and he knew it and he tried to prove it every week,” Cavner said.

Cavner can see Mickelson contending for more major titles this year and in 2022. “If he continues to play like he is, it wouldn’t surprise me at all,” Cavner said.

In his 40s Mickelson didn’t want other players to hit longer off the tee than he did. The result was trouble on the fairways, sometimes hitting 50 yards off target. “It hurt his game,” Cavner said. “Now he’s dialed it back. (But) he’s still hitting it tremendously long.”

Mickelson has now won six majors, something that will secure his place on the Mount Rushmore of golf legends. “He’s definitely in the top 12 of all time,” Cavner said.

Ticket sales via the 3M Open website were to Cavner’s liking even before Mickelson’s historic Sunday. Despite possible COVID restrictions, crowds of 20,000 per day are predicted. With or without Mickelson, the tournament field will have appeal.

“There’s a lot of guys who played in the PGA Championship that are coming,” Cavner said. “Some of them that were on the leader board (at the PGA) in the last couple days.”

Worth Noting

A hockey authority, speaking anonymously, sees the Minnesota Wild as “50-50” in earning a win tonight against the Vegas Golden Knights. A win ties Minnesota and Vegas at three games each in the best of seven playoff series. The source believes the Wild need to take an early lead to win the game at Xcel Energy Center. “I don’t see them coming from behind to win. They need momentum out of the gate.”

The Wild received an unexpected lift from veteran Zach Parise in Monday night’s win. He scored a goal after mostly being a non-contributor of late. “They need a spark (tonight) like Parise,” the source said.

Don’t be surprised if Parise is playing elsewhere next season.

With COVID-19 restrictions, the Wild has been limited to 4,500 fans for first round playoff games. That might translate to about $450,000 in gross ticket receipts, much different than capacity crowds generating revenue of $1.2 to $1.5 million. If Minnesota could advance to the second round of the playoffs and stage sellouts, it would help the franchise’s finances that have taken a major hit because of the pandemic.

Deep condolences to Mike Wilkinson following the death Sunday of wife Susan Wilkinson, 76, who struggled for years with muscular dystrophy and asthma. Mike is a passionate Golden Gophers football follower and author of the Murray Warmath biography, The Autumn Warrior.

The Minnesota Twins, a preseason favorite to be 2021 AL champions, are No. 26 in MLB.com’s latest power rankings of 30 teams.

Speculation: Tampa Bay Rays interested in acquiring Twins’ Nelson Cruz; Toronto Blue Jays looking at Minnesota’s Jose Berrios.

Outfielder Matt Wallner, the Forest Lake, Minnesota native, is the Twins Minor League Player of the Week. The 23-year-old played in six games last week for Single-A Cedar Rapids, hitting .400 (10-for-25) with two home runs and four RBI, including a four-hit game on Thursday against Beloit. He was drafted by the Twins in the first round (39th overall) of the 2019 First-Year Player Draft out of the University of Southern Mississippi.

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Clarifying Trey Lance & Gophers Saga

Posted on May 10, 2021May 10, 2021 by David Shama

Ever heard of Brennan Armstrong? If it wasn’t for him, Trey Lance might have been a Golden Gopher.

Armstrong is the starting quarterback at Virginia and last season he tied for the FBS lead in games passing for over 200 yards and rushing for over 45 yards. During the winter of 2017 the Shelby, Ohio native was verbally committed to the University of Minnesota recruiting class for 2018. That same winter Minnesota head coach P.J. Fleck and his staff were recruiting Lance, the Marshall, Minnesota native who ultimately went to North Dakota State and last month was the third quarterback chosen in the NFL Draft when the 49ers selected him with the third overall pick of the first round.

Ryan Burns, the recruiting authority from GopherIllustrated.com, knows the background of the mutual interest there once was between Lance and the Gophers. Burns told Sports Headliners Fleck had a candid conversation with the athletic Lance, who drew interest from college programs for his potential to play multiple positions.

During that conversation, according to Burns, Fleck told Lance, then a junior at Marshall, the Gophers liked him as a quarterback but had promised Armstrong he was going to be the only QB in the 2018 recruiting class. Fleck, though, said the Gophers wanted to continue recruiting Lance and encouraged him to participate in Minnesota’s June camp for promising high school players. Lance had the attention of the Gophers and other major programs as a quarterback but also as a safety and wide receiver.

“So he never camped at Minnesota,” Burns said. “But did Minnesota want to see him potentially at safety? Sure. So did Iowa. So did Iowa State. So did everywhere else.”

Lance had a strong interest in the Gophers but playing QB in college was a priority and FCS North Dakota State offered an opportunity. Power Five schools were cautious about the small town quarterback, including because of a Nike camp performance. “Trey didn’t have a great day,” recalled Burns who was at the camp. “That’s okay. He was a little wide-eyed, I think, by the experience.”

In November of 2017 Armstrong de-committed from Minnesota. If Lance had been patient with his home state university an opportunity might have opened for him in the recruiting class of 2018 at Minnesota. Logic suggests the Gophers would have at least offered Lance a scholarship as a multi-positional prospect and given him a look at quarterback once on campus. From there, his superb throwing and running potential likely would have won over the coaches.

Worth Noting

The Twins, with a 12-20 record, have only been out scored by two runs this season. That kind of slim differential is often indicative of a team playing about .500 baseball, not a club that has lost eight more games than it has won. Minnesota has struggled early in the season for multiple reasons including injuries and COVID that have sidelined regulars, but no problem has been as glaring as the bullpen.

Eleven losses are attributed to the pen. The performance of Twins relief pitchers in allowing “inherited runners” to score ranks among the worst in MLB, allowing 27 of 43 runners to reach home plate. That’s true, too, for home runs allowed by Minnesota relievers. Alex Colome, Cody Stashak and Caleb Thielbar are among those who have been frequent long ball victims.

The Twins couldn’t have forecast their bullpen struggles, or that of starter Kenta Maeda who finished second in AL Cy Young Award voting last season. Maeda has a 5.02 ERA this spring and for Minnesota to win the Central Division title he will have to pitch much better.

Minnesota begins a three-game series in Chicago Tuesday night against the division leading White Sox who offer an imposing lineup of starters: Dylan Cease, 2-0, 2.37 ERA; Dallas Keuchel, 1-1, 3.79 ERA; Carlos Rodon, 5-0, 0.58 ERA.

Hall of Famer Willie Mays celebrated his 90th birthday last Thursday. A candidate for any discussion of the greatest baseball player of all-time, Mays was playing in Minneapolis for the Millers 70 years ago this spring.

It was in late May of 1951 that the parent New York Giants called up Mays from their Minneapolis Triple-A farm club. The shy 20-year-old Alabama native doubted he was ready for the everyday lineup of a National League contender but the Giants thought his .477 average in Minneapolis told a different story about their future center fielder.

Retired Preston High School football and baseball coach Frank Jaszewski also recently turned 90. He coached both football and baseball for the Preston Blue Jays from 1957 until his retirement in 1990. He is a legend in the Preston area.

If the Vikings sign future Hall of Fame wide receiver and free agent Larry Fitzgerald management will have confidence in who they are dealing with. The Minneapolis native, who has played his entire NFL career with the Cardinals, doesn’t have an agent and represents himself.

Local author Jim Bruton’s book with former Vikings linebacker and front office executive Scott Studwell is near completion and expected to be on sale in the fall. Studwell offers insights about scouting and coaches he played for including Bud Grant.

The Vikings have a rookie minicamp scheduled May 14-16; OTA’s May 24-26, June 1-3 and 8-11; mandatory minicamp, June 15-17. Among storylines to follow will be whether the Vikings are moving toward two rookie starters in the offensive line next season, tackle Christian Darrisaw and guard Wyatt Davis.

The St. Thomas Academy director of athletics and activities job remains open and in the search process after the departure this spring of Dan O’Brien, the former Gophers assistant football coach, now working in the private sector.

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Gophers Target State Prep Tackles

Posted on May 5, 2021 by David Shama

Recruiting online source 247Sports lists the top five Minnesota prep football players in the class of 2022 in this order: Eli King, Tre Holloman, Lucas Heyer, Kristen Hoskins and Deylin Hasert. King, a superb athlete from Caledonia and football quarterback, has committed to play basketball at Iowa State. It’s possible the other four could become Gophers.

That last sentence comes with a twist. Holloman is a cornerback at Cretin-Derham Hall in St. Paul but he is also a basketball point guard. He is a coveted recruit in both sports. “I know that there’s a lot of schools in the Big Ten, including Minnesota, who think he could be an incredible corner but it sounds like he’s going to play basketball,” recruiting authority Ryan Burns of GopherIllustrated told Sports Headliners. Burns has heard the basketball Gophers are pitching hard and may secure a commitment.

For years Gophers fans have been frustrated to see top offensive linemen from the state choose colleges other than Minnesota. Burns describes the situation as “a thorn in the side” of Gopher head coaches going back more than 10 years. P.J. Fleck and his staff hope to flip that with their 2022 class. Heyer, from Hill-Murray, and Hasert, from Marshall, are both offensive tackles. So, too, is Tony Nelson of Tracy who has verbally committed to Minnesota and is ranked No. 8 among state prospects for 2022 by 247 Sports.

Heyer, 6-5 and 307 pounds per 247, reminds Burns of current Gopher Blaise Andries, who is one of the better offensive linemen in the Big Ten. “I think Blaise may be a little more athletic than Lucas, but very smart kids,” Burns said. “I mean very cerebral. They understand what their jobs are.”

Burns predicted Hasert, 6-5 and 280 per 247, may switch from tackle to guard his senior season at Marshall this fall and sees him playing the position in college. Hasert’s athleticism, including foot speed, could make him special as a pulling guard. “He is certainly a road grader,” Burns said.

Minnesota’s competition for Heyer includes Northwestern and Stanford. Iowa and Iowa State are among schools that interest Hasert.

Nelson, about 6-6 and 285, is passionate about the Gophers and Burns doesn’t see him changing his commitment. “He is all of 6-6, incredibly long, incredibly athletic,” Burns said.

Reversing the trend of seeing prep offensive linemen go elsewhere is now in play with Nelson, Hasert and Heyer. “I think they want to get three (of them) for sure and if they could get Deylin and Lucas, to go with Tony, they would be through the moon,” Burns said.

Hoskins is about 5-foot-9 and 165 pounds, and the Alexandria star has also verbally committed to Minnesota. He projects as a wide receiver with the Gophers but Burns believes Hoskins could first help as a return man on kickoffs and punts. He has touchdown making speed and quickness. “He’s just explosive,” Burns said.

Minnesota has five verbal commits so far for its class of 2022. Joining Hoskins and Nelson are Ohio defensive end Trey Bixby, Georgia safety Coleman Bryson, and South Dakota quarterback Jacob Knuth. All of the commits are three-star prospects except for four-star Bixby, per 247.

Burns will be surprised if the Gophers receive any more verbal commitments before June 1. With the pandemic easing, and campus visits being scheduled, and summer football camps starting next month, commitments will be coming across the country. A normal landscape is in stark contrast to all the travel lockdowns of the last 15 months that left some players making commitments to schools they never visited. “Starting on June 1, it’s going to be crazy,” Burns said about recruiting in late spring and summer.

Track Fleck’s past recruiting and it shows most of his commits come in May, June and July. Burns attributes part of that to players from the south arriving in Minnesota in June and seeing that it’s not “ice cold” here. Burns projects the Gophers will pick up five to 10 verbal commitments this June.

Worth Noting

Dick Jonckowski, the Gophers former public address announcer for basketball and baseball, received the best news this week regarding his lymphoma cancer when the doctor said “everything is gone.” This is the second time Jonckowski has won his battle with lymphoma. Going forward he will have checkups every six weeks.

The Gophers and UMD Bulldogs athletic directors, Mark Coyle and Josh Berlo, sent a letter this week to the Minnesota House and Senate tax chairs supporting a proposed provision in the House omnibus tax bill granting a sales tax exemption for scholarship seating donations at Minnesota colleges. The letter said “we believe Minnesota is the only state in the nation that taxes these types of collegiate athletic donations.”

Revenue retained from a sales tax exemption would support scholarships for student athletes, their wellness and academic costs. A volunteer group called Friends of Gophers Sports (FOGS) has been making progress on this proposed legislative change that could result in a seven-figure savings for the Gophers.

“It’s moving ahead and we’re hopeful it will stay in the tax bill,” said volunteer Tom Devine, who pointed out the Minnesota Vikings already have a sales tax exemption from seat licensing sales.

A Sports Headliners reader back from Las Vegas reported odds on the Vikings winning the Super Bowl are 50-1, according to the renowned William Hill book. Odds for Minnesota’s NFC North Division rivals are the Packers 10-1, Bears 60-1 and Lions 125-1. The Chiefs are the top pick to win the Super Bowl at 5-1.

Legendary Brainerd High School football coach Ron Stolski emailed that Joe Haeg, who played for him, will now be able to say he was teammates with two future NFL Hall of Fame quarterbacks. Haeg, an offensive tackle, signed as a free agent this offseason to join the Steelers and Ben Roethlisberger after being with Tom Brady and the 2021 Super Bowl champion Bucs.

MLB.com’s power rankings now have the Twins at No. 16 after being as high as No. 4 this spring. The AL Central Division favorite White Sox are No. 4 in the latest rankings, while the Royals are No. 9.

Don’t be surprised if Twins’ call ups from the Triple-A St. Paul Saints include top 100 MLB prospect Jhoan Duran, a right-hander who throws the “splinker,” a splitter-sinker hybrid.

Minnesotan Freddie Gillespie now has a two-year contract with the NBA’s Raptors. He had no Division I or II offers coming out of East Ridge High School, played two seasons at Carleton, walked-on at Baylor and signed with Raptors last year as a free agent. The 23-year-old forward has played in 14 games this season, averaging 5.5 points and 3.8 rebounds.

Credit former Gophers basketball captain Al Nuness with impacting Gillespie’s career path. Gillespie’s mother, Alberder Gillespie, talked to Nuness when her son was at Carleton and asked for advice. Nuness saw potential in the 6-foot-9 Gillespie and contacted his son Jared Nuness, a member of the Baylor coaching staff. She said Al Nuness “instantly knew” that her son could become a special player.

“I couldn’t have scripted the way it happened,” Alberder said in describing her son’s basketball journey.

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