Safeway Open
| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Location | Napa, California |
| Established | 2007 |
| Course(s) |
Silverado Country Club, North course |
| Par | 72 |
| Length | 7,203 yards (6,586 m) |
| Tour(s) | PGA Tour |
| Format | Stroke play |
| Prize fund | $6.0 million |
| Month played | October |
| 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 |
| Current champion | |
 Emiliano Grillo | |
Country Club
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, at CordeValle Golf Club in San Martin. In October 2014, part of the PGA Tour's 2015 season), the tournament moved to the North course of Silverado Country Club in Napa.[1] The purse (total award money) was $5 million for the tournament's first seven years and was raised to $6 million for the 2015 season.
Beginning with the October 2016 tournament, part of the PGA Tour's 2017 season, the primary sponsor is Safeway Inc., and the tournament has been renamed the Safeway Open.[2] The tournament will continue at the Silverado Country Club through 2020, and Safeway will sponsor it through that year.[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; 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, California, a course owned by John Fry when facilities were completed there.[5] That was expected in 2016 or 2017,[6] but will not happen because of the change of sponsorship that starts with the October 2016 tournament.
The inaugural event in 2007 was won by Canadian Mike Weir by one stroke over Mark Hensby. In 2008 the event was won by Cameron Beckman on the second playoff hole, when he parred it and Kevin Sutherland bogeyed it. In 2009, Troy Matteson set a PGA Tour 36-hole record by shooting 61-61=122 in the second and third rounds,[7] and then won the tournament in a three-man playoff against Rickie Fowler and Jamie Lovemark.
Other notable players who have participated in the tournament include Ernie Els, David Duval, and Tiger Woods. Woods committed to play in the 2011 tournament as a condition for being selected by Fred Couples as one of two captain's pick for the United States team in the 2011 Presidents Cup, which took place in mid-November 2011.
Winners
| Year | Season | Player | Country | Score | To par | Margin of victory | Runner(s)-up | Winner's share ($) | Purse ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frys.com Open | |||||||||
| 2015 | 2016 | Emiliano Grillo | Argentina | 273 | −15 | Playoff |  Kevin Na | 1,080,000 | 6,000,000 |
| 2014 | 2015 | Bae Sang-moon |  South Korea | 273 | −15 | 2 strokes |  Steven Bowditch | 1,080,000 | 6,000,000 |
| 2013 | 2014 | Jimmy Walker | United States | 267 | −17 | 2 strokes |  Vijay Singh | 900,000 | 5,000,000 |
| 2012 | 2012 | Jonas Blixt |  Sweden | 268 | −16 | 1 stroke | Jason Kokrak Tim Petrovic | 900,000 | 5,000,000 |
| 2011 | 2011 | Bryce Molder | United States | 267 | −17 | Playoff | Briny Baird | 900,000 | 5,000,000 |
| 2010 | 2010 | Rocco Mediate | United States | 269 | −15 | 1 stroke | Alex Prugh Bo Van Pelt | 900,000 | 5,000,000 |
| 2009 | 2009 | Troy Matteson | United States | 262 | −18 | Playoff | Rickie Fowler Jamie Lovemark | 900,000 | 5,000,000 |
| 2008 | 2008 | Cameron Beckman | United States | 262 | −18 | Playoff | Kevin Sutherland | 900,000 | 5,000,000 |
| Fry's Electronics Open | |||||||||
| 2007 | 2007 | Mike Weir |  Canada | 266 | −14 | 1 stroke | Mark Hensby | 900,000 | 5,000,000 |
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 Farncisco 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.
External links
Coordinates: 38°20′56″N 122°15′50″W / 38.349°N 122.264°W