The unlikely underdog race for the 3M Open was inspired by a late grandmother

This week is Muzzy Donohue's dream, but it started as a nightmare. On Monday — days before he made it to the 2026 3M Open, his first-ever PGA Tour event — Donohue's grandmother Marcey died.

It shocked the whole family, most of whom are there this week to watch Muzzy, who grew up nearby, play for the first time on the Tour. That includes his cousin Harrison, who plays for Muzzy this week.

Against all odds, Muzzy and Harrison not only went out on Friday, they're in the middle of a fight. That's just the beginning of what is likely to be the first appearance of the trip.

Muzzy Donohue competes in 3M Open after grandmother's death: 'She was with us'

The first thing to know about Donohue's PGA Tour debut at the 3M Open is that he probably shouldn't be here.

Donohue, 25, played college golf at Boston College and Santa Clara. This year, he failed to get his PGA Tour Latinoamerica card at the Q School. He's been stuck on a little tour because of it.

Two weeks ago, things changed. Donohue won the Minnesota State Open, then earned a sponsor's exemption from the 3M Open.

After an opening round 73, it looked like Donohue's week on the PGA Tour would be short. And then Friday happened.

With his hometown fans cheering him on, Donohue came out in Round 2 and shot an 8-under 63. Far from pigeon-holed, Donohue finished the day inside the top 30 on the leaderboard and just one shot behind World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler.

“It was unreal,” Donohue said after his round on Friday. “It's hard to put words to it. I mean, I've never heard this before. This is my first PGA Tour event.”

Muzzy Donohue on caddy: 'He knows very little about golf'

Donohue gave a lot of credit to his cousin-turned-caddy Harrison. But definitely not his golf advice. He described Harrison as “a guy with vibes” who knows “very little about golf.”

“He was great. He knows very little about golf. He tells you he knows a little, but he knows less than that,” Donohue joked about his caddy. “He was exactly like a person with vibes.”

Jokes aside, Donohue explained that there were real benefits to having his cousin in the bag.

“It's been good to have him on the bag. He just takes my mind off golf. I can be a bit of an overanalyzer, so the less I think about golf the better for me,” Donohue explained.

For clarification, Donohue said Harrison kept his mind focused on the final crunch by telling “funny high school stories” that he said were “probably not for the camera.”

There is one drawback to having a novice in his bag: “I've been getting my yards and stuff, which is a bit of a fix.”

Muzzy Donohue on late grandmother: 'She looked down on me'

But Harrison has also been there to talk to Donohue about their late grandmother.

“We kept talking about our grandmother and that she was with us. She passed away on Monday so it was very difficult for the family. But it's good to have everyone together. Yeah, it was good,” said Donohue.

He explained how he felt his grandmother's spirit this week, determined to succeed. And he did that more than funny.

“My grandma was definitely with me this week, too. Or today, today. Yesterday she left me for the first 10 holes or so, and then she started playing,” Donohue said jokingly. “Yeah, you look down on me and look at me, it was a good day.

He also revealed that he has been marking his balls with his grandmother's name this week and has been rubbing her name to keep it from focusing.

As for the weekend, Donohue hopes her grandmother won't leave her side for the next two days.

“Hopefully he's not sick of me and he'll continue for the next few days,” Donohue joked.