PGA Tour Picks: Safeway Open

By Tom LaMarre

The strangest PGA Tour season in recent memory, shortened dramatically by a long shutdown because of the Coronavirus pandemic, came to a close on Monday with top-ranked Dustin Johnson winning the Tour Championship and claiming the FedEx Cup for the first time.

Only three days later, on Thursday, the new season will begin with the Safeway Open on the North Course at Silverado Resort and Spa in Napa with none of the 30 players who competed at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta—including 2019 Safeway champion Cameron Champ of Sacramento.

However, several big names who didn’t finish in the top 30 of the FedEx Cup point standings and failed to reach the finale of the FedEx Cup playoffs, are in the field at Silverado hoping to get off to a fast start in the new season.

Not to mention preparing for the U.S. Open next week at Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, N.Y.

They include Phil Mickelson, Jordan Spieth, reigning British Open champion Shane Lowry of Ireland, Matt Kuchar, Sergio Garcia of Spain, 2013 Safeway champion Jimmy Walker, Brandt Snedeker, Si Woo Kim of South Korea, Charl Schwartzel of South Africa, 2015 Safeway winner Emiliano Grillo of Argentina, 2018 Safeway champ Kevin Tway and two-time Safeway champion Brendan Steele (pictured) of Idyllwild and UC Riverside.

“It’s always great to have top players and fan favorites like Mickelson, Spieth, Garcia and Kuchar,” Safeway Open official Jeff Sanders said. “It has been a very interesting year with how the schedule ended up and we are happy that a number of great players are coming out to play in Napa this year before heading to New York for the U.S. Open.”

The Safeway Open, which usually combines concerts and other activities with the golf tournament for the fans, will be like all other PGA Tour events since the restart in June will have no spectators on the course because of COVID-19 precautions.

Not to mention none of those other off-the-course functions.

However, the usually high quality golf can be expected, even without those who played in the Tour Championship.

“The course at @SilveradoResort is in great condition and its challenge awaits!” Safeway Open officials said in a post on Twitter a few days ago.

The large group of young guns on the PGA Tour have provided plenty of excitement in recent years and among those in the field at Silverado are Robby Shelton, Maverick McNealy of Stanford, Aaron Wise, Carlos Ortiz of Mexico, Tom Hoge, Henrik Norlander of Sweden, Beau Hossler, Harry Higgs, Michael Kim, Talor Gooch, Xinjun Zhang of China, Brandon Hagy and Matthew NeSmith.

So even though most of the big stars won’t be at Silverado, some new ones might be made.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

1. Brendan Steele, United States – Two of Steele’s three PGA Tour victories came back-to-back in the Safeway Open, in 2017 and 2018. He also tied for seventh in 2011 and has two other finishes in the top 25 at Silverado. Steele was second in the Sony Open and tied for fourth in the Honda Classic last season, finishing 47th in the FedEx Cup standings.
2. Phil Mickelson, United States – Lefty is coming off his debut on the PGA Tour Champions, where he won the Charles Schwab Series at Ozarks National by four strokes. He is using this event to warm up for the U.S. Open next week at Winged Foot, playing in the Safeway Open for the fifth time, with his best result a tie for third two years ago.
3. Shane Lowry, Ireland – The reigning British Open champion, who won’t get to defend his title until next year, also is using his first appearance in the Safeway to prep for the U.S. Open. Lowry, whose only victory in the U.S. came in the 2015 WGC–Bridgestone Invitational, tied for sixth in the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Classic last month.
4. Matt Kuchar, United States – Kooch is yet another veteran getting ready for the U.S. Open by playing in the Safeway since he failed to make the 30-man field for the Tour Championship. After two victories in 2019, his best result last year was a tie for second in the Genesis Invitational. Kuchar tied for 21st in 2015 Safeway, missed the cut in 2017.
5. Sergio Garcia, Spain – The 2017 Masters champion is another player preparing for the U.S. Open next week after he failed to qualify for the last two events of the PGA Tour playoffs that ended on Monday. Garcia’s best results since the restart following the shutdown caused by the Coronavirus was a tie for fifth in the RBC Heritage in June.
6. Si Woo Kim, South Korea – Winner of the 2017 Players Championship and the 2016 Wyndham Championship came on strong late last season with a tie for 13th in the PGA Championship and a tie for third in the Wyndham, shooting 62 in round three. Kim is playing the Safeway for a third time, missing the cut in 2016 and tying for 49th last year.
7. Emiliano Grillo, Argentina – Claimed his only PGA Tour victory in 2016 Frys.com Open, which has become the Safeway, by beating Kevin Na with a birdie on the second playoff hole. He has two top-30 finishes since the tournament moved to Silverado. Grillo tied for third in the 3M Open and tied for ninth in the Barracuda after the restart.
8. Jordan Spieth, United States – The three-time major champion is another guy getting ready for the U.S. Open by playing in the Safeway for the first time. Showed signs his game was coming back with a tie for 10th in the Charles Schwab Challenge and a tie for the 13th in the Memorial after the restart, but seems to have one bad round each week.
9. Brandt Snedeker, United States – Sneds tied for second in the 2019 Safeway, losing to Kevin Tway in a playoff after taking the lead into the final round and shooting 74, and has two other top-20 finishes in four starts in the tournament. Has won nine times on the PGA Tour, but not since 2018, and his best last year was a tie for third in the Farmers.
10. Jimmy Walker, United States – The 2016 PGA champion claimed another of his six PGA Tour victories in the 2014 Frys.com Open, which has become the Safeway, and also tied for fourth in 2012 but has not played the tournament in five years. Walker is trying to resurrect his game, as his best result last year was a tie for 21st in the Honda Classic.

OTHER PLAYERS TO WATCH: Ryan Armour, United States; C.T. Pan, Taiwan; Charley Hoffman, United States; Charl Schwartzel, South Africa; Rafa Cabrera Bello, Spain; Stewart Cink, United States; Jhonattan Vegas, Venezuela; Seamus Power, Ireland.

SLEEPERS

1. Robby Shelton, United States – Won twice on 2019 Korn Ferry Tour and had T-3 in 3M Open, T-6 at Mayakoba and T-7 at Greenbrier on PGA Tour as a rookie last season.
2. Carlos Ortiz, Mexico – Has three victories on Korn Ferry Tour and last season had a T-2 in Mayakoba, a T-4 in Houston Open and a T-4 in Sanderson Farms on PGA Tour.
3. Henrik Norlander, Sweden – Another two-time Korn Ferry Tour winner, Norlander had T-5 in RSM Classic, T-6 in Memorial and T-9 in Son Open on PGA Tour last season.
4. Tom Hoge, United States – Has won three times as a pro and last season on PGA Tour was second at Greenbrier, fifth in Farmers and T-6 in AmEx. Also T-17 in 2018 Safeway.
5. Maverick McNealy, United States – Former Stanford star made it through two events in playoffs after a T-5 at Pebble Beach, seventh in Barracuda, T-8 in Rocket Mortgage.