Safeway Open
The Safeway Open is a professional golf tournament, part of the PGA Tour. It was first staged in 2007 as the Fry's Electronics Open at Grayhawk Golf Club's Raptor Course in Scottsdale, Arizona. It was renamed to the Frys.com Open in 2008 and moved to California in 2010, to CordeValle Golf Club in San Martin, southeast of San Jose. In October 2014, part of the PGA Tour's 2015 season, it moved north to Napa and the Silverado Country Club (North course).[1] The purse was $5 million for the tournament's first seven years and was raised to $6 million for the 2015 season.
 | |
| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Location | Napa, California |
| Established | 2007, thirteen years ago |
| Course(s) | Silverado Country Club, North course |
| Par | 72 |
| Length | 7,166 yards (6,553 m) |
| Tour(s) | PGA Tour |
| Format | Stroke play |
| Prize fund | $6.6 million |
| Month played | September |
| Tournament record score | |
| Aggregate | 262 Cameron Beckman (2008) 262 Kevin Sutherland (2008) 262 Troy Matteson (2009) 262 Rickie Fowler (2009) 262 Jamie Lovemark (2009) |
| To par | −18 as above −18 Brendan Steele (2016) |
| Current champion | |
 | |
Martin
Beginning with the October 2016 tournament, part of the PGA Tour's 2017 season, the primary sponsor is Safeway Inc., and the event has been renamed the Safeway Open.[2] The tournament will continue at Silverado through 2020, with Safeway sponsorship.[3]
History
Silverado's North Course hosted an annual event on the PGA Tour from 1968 through 1980, the first nine editions as the Kaiser International Open Invitational. In 1977, that event was renamed the Anheuser-Busch Golf Classic and in 1981 it moved east to Kingsmill in Williamsburg, Virginia, where it was played through 2002.
The Frys.com Open began as a PGA Tour Fall Series event, from 2007 through 2012. Starting in October 2013, when the PGA Tour changed its "year" to begin in October, rather than January, the tournament became the opening event of the PGA Tour season, and FedEx Cup points were awarded to players.[4]
In 2013, tournament organizers had a long-term goal to stage the event at The Institute Golf Course in Morgan Hill, a course owned by John Fry, when facilities were completed there.[5] That was expected in 2016 or 2017,[6] but did not happen because of the change of sponsorship to Safeway.
The inaugural event in 2007, at Grayhawk Golf Club's Raptor Course in Scottsdale, Arizona, was won by Mike Weir by one stroke over Mark Hensby. The 2008 event was won by Cameron Beckman on the second playoff hole, when Kevin Sutherland bogeyed it. In 2009, Troy Matteson set a PGA Tour 36-hole record of 122 with 61 in both the second and third rounds,[7] and then won in a three-man playoff against Rickie Fowler and Jamie Lovemark.[8] At CordeValle in San Martin in 2012, John Mallinger shot a 62, matching the course record and his PGA Tour best round.[9]
Other notable players who have participated in the tournament include Ernie Els, David Duval, and Tiger Woods. Woods committed to play in 2011 as a condition for being selected by Fred Couples as one of two captain's pick for that year's Presidents Cup, which took place in mid-November. In mid-September 2015, Woods again committed to play in the October tournament,[10] but one week later he had back surgery, and missed the entire 2016 season.[11] On September 7, 2016, he announced his intention to play in the event the following month,[12] but opted out days before.
Winners
| Year | Season | Player | Country | Score | To par | Margin of victory | Runner(s)-up | Winner's share ($) | Purse ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Safeway Open | |||||||||
| 2019 | 2020 | Cameron Champ | | 271 | −17 | 1 stroke | .svg.png){kind=small} | 1,188,000 | 6,600,000 |
| 2018 | 2019 | Kevin Tway | | 274 | −14 | Playoff | | 1,152,000 | 6,400,000 |
| 2017 | 2018 | Brendan Steele (2) | | 273 | −15 | 2 strokes | | 1,116,000 | 6,200,000 |
| 2016 | 2017 | Brendan Steele | | 270 | −18 | 1 stroke | | 1,080,000 | 6,000,000 |
| Frys.com Open | |||||||||
| 2015 | 2016 | Emiliano Grillo |  | 273 | −15 | Playoff | | 1,080,000 | 6,000,000 |
| 2014 | 2015 | Bae Sang-moon |  | 273 | −15 | 2 strokes | .svg.png){kind=small} | 1,080,000 | 6,000,000 |
| 2013 | 2014 | Jimmy Walker | | 267 | −17 | 2 strokes |  | 900,000 | 5,000,000 |
| 2012 | Jonas Blixt |  | 268 | −16 | 1 stroke | | 900,000 | 5,000,000 | |
| 2011 | Bryce Molder | | 267 | −17 | Playoff | | 900,000 | 5,000,000 | |
| 2010 | Rocco Mediate | | 269 | −15 | 1 stroke | | 900,000 | 5,000,000 | |
| 2009 | Troy Matteson | | 262 | −18 | Playoff | | 900,000 | 5,000,000 | |
| 2008 | Cameron Beckman | | 262 | −18 | Playoff | | 900,000 | 5,000,000 | |
| Fry's Electronics Open | |||||||||
| 2007 | Mike Weir | | 266 | −14 | 1 stroke | | 900,000 | 5,000,000 | |
- Note: Green highlight indicates scoring records.
References
- James, Marty (July 4, 2013). "Silverado Country Club to host PGA Tour event". Napa Valley Register.
- Steward, Carl (October 18, 2015). "PGA Tour: Big shake-up at Frys.com Open". San Jose Mercury News. Retrieved October 19, 2015.
- James, Marty (October 18, 2015). "PGA Tour will return to Napa next year as Safeway Open". Napa Valley Register. Retrieved October 19, 2015.
- Pollak, David (October 14, 2012). "Frys.com Open golf notebook: Attendance down, but tournament president Duke Butler optimistic about event's future". Contra Costa Times.
- James, Marty (July 14, 2013). "PGA Tour event will put spotlight on Silverado". Napa Valley Register.
- Kroichick, Ron (October 7, 2014). "The story behind Silverado's return starts with Johnny Miller". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved October 19, 2015.
- Kelley, Brent. "Lowest Stroke Total in Back-to-Back Rounds on the PGA Tour". About.com. Retrieved January 16, 2015.
- "Troy Matteson wins Frys.com Open in playoff with Jamie Lovemark, Rickie Fowler". Pioneer Press. Associated Press. November 13, 2015. Retrieved September 5, 2017.
- "John Mallinger ties course record with 62, leads Frys.com Open by four after 36 holes". PGA of America. Associated Press. October 12, 2012. Retrieved July 28, 2016.
- Harig, Bob (September 11, 2016). "Tiger makes Frys.com Open appearance official". ESPN. Retrieved July 28, 2016.
- "Tiger Woods has 2nd back surgery, won't return until 2016". Golf News Net. September 18, 2015. Retrieved July 28, 2016.
- Ross, Helen (September 7, 2016). "Tiger Woods hopes to play 2016-17 season opener". PGA Tour.
