Ben Warian couldn’t help but smile when a PGA Tour communications guru opened his press conference on Tuesday: “Ben, you’re a local favorite, you’re a legend around these parts.”

That’s the star treatment that can come with playing in your first event on the world’s top pro tour. The recent Gophers grad is one of the top-50 amateurs in the world and playing in the 3M Open on what’s effectively home soil this week, amid a busy summer on a sponsor’s exemption.

Warian’s subtle laugh showed how uneasy he was being given such praise. It won’t be the only time this week the Stillwater native and Hill-Murray grad will be asked to step outside his comfort zone, even while playing in a tournament that’s 25 minutes from home.

Tuesday was a practice day at TPC Twin Cities for Warian, but it also featured a First Tee clinic in which he helped, a press conference with the media and a practice round with fellow Gophers alum Erik van Rooyen.

Wednesday will include a pro-am round.

Thursday will kick off with an 8:57 a.m. tee time off the 10th tee, where Warian will commence his first round with a likely hoard of followers trailing closely behind.

“I don’t know the number, I’ve heard there may be a lot,” he said when asked about friends and family planning to attend this week. “We’ll be eager to find out, it will be very special.”

Everything about this week — from the level of competition to the hoopla surrounding the spectacle and the obligations Warian must fulfill — will be different than anything he’s experienced.

Even Tuesday, when Warian was experiencing a sense of normalcy, simply beating balls out on the range, Sahith Theegala — the No. 11 ranked player in the world — stepped into a bay just two down from Warian to do the same.

“Yeah, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t recognize that while I was standing out there, for sure,” Warian said.

But what Warian also found cool was that players of Theegala’s caliber were just like him, simply attempting to carry out their processes to give themselves the best chance of success this week.

“Everybody’s here to do one thing: to win,” Warian said.

He’s no different.

“The plan is to be competitive,” Warian said. “The plan is to go through my process and stay disciplined with that and give myself the absolute best chance I can to win.”

Throughout the week, Warian plans to continue to be where his feet are and present in each moment, whether that be putting in his individual work or helping kids learn how to chip.

“Not worrying about what I’ve got coming up, not worrying about any obligations, just being present, making sure that all my focus when I am out there is 100% on that,” Warian said.

Starting on Thursday, that focus will be entirely on his on-course performance. As for his following fans, Warian said he’s thankful they’ll be in attendance, and looks forward to giving them something for which to cheer.

“Yeah, just continue to treat it — as cliche as it sounds — like just another tournament,” he said. “My intention’s the same, my intention is to get in contention to win coming down the back nine on Sunday. Yeah, just continue to treat the prep the same in that regard.”

Tee times

Tee times for the first two days were released on Tuesday. Notable groupings for Thursday’s first round are as follows:

No. 10 tee

7:18 a.m.: Tony Finau, Akshay Bhatia and Lee Hodges

7:29 a.m.: Nick Dunlap, Sahith Theegala and Keegan Bradley

No. 1 tee

12:43 p.m.: Billy Horschel, Sam Burns, J.T. Poston

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