On Sunday, former Alabama golfer Lee Hodges won his first PGA Tour victory, earning the 3M Open at TPC Twin Cities in Blaine, Minnesota, and becoming the first champion in the tournament’s history to lead wire-to-wire.
“Leading for 72 holes is crazy, something I didn’t really think I would do getting my first win,” Hodges said. “But it happened, and I’m super grateful and blessed.”
The 2018 alum won in style, too, winning by seven strokes and scoring 260 (63-64-66-67) after leading the tournament all week. He set a tournament record with a 54-hole score of 20-under 193.
He was rewarded with 500 FedExCup points, a $1.404 million payout, eligibility to compete in the PGA Tour Championship, and a milkshake from Alabama head golf coach Jay Seawell.
“He brought me out a milkshake at the 18th green, which is our Alabama thing,” Hodges said. “It was super special. Coach means a lot to me; he’s done a lot for me and my golf and just my whole life.”
Seawell flew to Minnesota Sunday morning to witness his former player’s first tour win. Known for buying his golfers milkshakes after a tournament win because they “taste like a winner,” Seawell upheld the tradition for Hodges’ victory.
“It’s a cool tradition that he does,” Hodges said. “Like when Justin [Thomas] or Davis Riley won on tour, he’ll just have a milkshake at home, so it’s a cool tradition that he does, and I was happy that he was there to share it with me.”
Along with Davis Riley, who won the Zurich Classic of New Orleans in April, Hodges is now the second golfer from Seawell’s 2018 national runner-up team to claim a tour victory.
“It was 20 years of hard work coming all together and paying off,” Hodges said. “I was really lucky to have my whole team there and it was a super special moment, something I’ll remember forever.”
During his two seasons at Alabama (2016-17 and 2017-18) Hodges contributed to two NCAA Championship appearances, including the 2018 runner-up season. In his years since playing for the Crimson Tide, he first started playing for the PGA Tour in 2022, and his best finish was T-3rd at The American Express in January.
