As the tournament executive director of the Safeway Open, Jeff Sanders spends time each year taking a close look at college golf programs in the Bay Area and at some of the top players around Northern California, searching to see if there might be someone out there who has the talent to play on a sponsor’s invitation at the annual PGA Tour event at Silverado Resort and Spa.

Over the years, the Safeway Open has awarded these coveted spots to Collin Morikawa of UC Berkeley in 2016 and to both Maverick McNealy of Stanford and Cameron Champ of Texas A&M in 2017.

“It’s been fun to watch them become great players on the PGA Tour,” said Sanders, the president of Lagardere Sports North American Golf Event Division. Lagardere Sports is the event’s management company.

“One of my responsibilities as an executive director is to identify that local talent and give them an opportunity to play. A lot of times, these young players don’t have an opportunity to show their game. By giving them a sponsor invitation, you’re doing that. And then it’s up to the player to perform.”

Champ put on a standout performance on the very tough and challenging North Course at Silverado last month, drawing on the support of so many in the gallery – including family and friends – from his hometown of Sacramento while also keeping his thoughts on his grandfather, Mack Ray Champ, who has stage IV stomach cancer and is in hospice.

Cameron Champ closed with a birdie on the par-5 18th hole after smashing a drive that traveled 369 yards and won the Safeway Open, holding off Adam Hadwin by one shot, in a dramatic final-round finish to the $6.6 million event, presented by Chevron.

“I’m hoping that this will be a springboard for him,” said tournament host Johnny Miller, a World Golf Hall of Fame member and one of Silverado’s owners. “He has a chance, if he can just improve a little bit, to be a superstar on Tour.”

Champ won for the second time in his career, as he got up and down from off the 18th green, hitting a pitch shot to just over three feet of the pin and then making the birdie putt, capping a round of 69 and a week in which he had a 17-under 271 total for the four days. Champ, the 54-hole leader, earned $1.188 million.

“To give him a sponsor invitation, nobody knew he was going to come out and win on the PGA Tour,” said Sanders. “We’re really proud of Cameron. He’s worked really hard to get to be a great player. We sure feel good about helping him get his start at the Safeway Open – and then having it lead to him winning on the Tour. He hits the ball so far – it’s unbelievable. A beautiful golf swing.”

An emotional Champ – who learned about the game at a very young age from his grandfather at the Haggin Oaks Golf Complex in Sacramento – expressed his thanks and appreciation to Sanders, for giving him a chance to play at Silverado two years ago. This was his third appearance at the Safeway Open.

“He hadn’t forgotten that. It was nice to hear that,” said Sanders. “Of course, he was just over the moon happy with his win and what it did for his grandfather.

“He comes from a great family. He was brought up with respect and honor. He honors his family – his father, his grandfather. He is first class in my book, all the way.

“I’m rooting for him. He’s going to be a great defending champion.”

Champ was congratulated by his father, Jeff Champ, and his caddie, Kurt Kowaluk. It was only Champ’s 35th PGA Tour start. The victory gets him into the Sentry Tournament of Champions at Kapalua on Maui, Hawaii (Jan. 2-5) and the Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club (April 9-12).

He put himself into immediate contention, opening with a 67 at the Safeway Open, and followed it up with rounds of 68 and 67 to take a three-shot lead heading into the final round.

“One of the things that I love about PGA Tour golf is the emotion that’s involved – when a young player gets a win, especially in his own backyard, the way that Cameron did, in such championship style, birdieing the last hole, and persevering all the way to the end, and then the emotion around his father giving him a big hug and his grandfather watching on TV,” said Sanders.

“It was a world-class story that happened in Napa.”

It was a week in which there were record crowds for the Safeway Open Pro-Am, which featured Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry and Chef Thomas Keller, and also the third round.

Tony Romo, the lead analyst for CBS Sports’ NFL coverage and former Dallas Cowboys quarterback, played on a sponsor invitation and missed the 36-hole cut, shooting rounds of 70 and 78 as an amateur.

Champ, one of five nominees for the Tour’s Rookie of the Year award for the 2018-19 season, was exceptional with his short game and made big putts in the final round. He had to hold on after leading by five shots at one time. He led the field for the week in both driving distance (337.1) and in scrambling (career-best 84.2 percent).

“This is kind of my home event. To have so many family and friends here, it’s just been awesome,” said Champ, whose first win came at the Sanderson Farms Championship as a rookie in October of 2018 at the Country Club of Jackson in Jackson, Mississippi.

So far this season, Champ tied for 28th at the Sanderson Farms Championship, missed the cut at Shriners Hospitals for Children Open, and tied for 23rd at the Houston Open.

Strong field

The Safeway Open had its strongest field, with 15 of the top 30 players in the Official World Golf Ranking entered.

“The tournament is progressing really nice,” said Miller. “All in all, it was a great week.”
The tournament is the third event of the 2019-2020 schedule.

“The course has handled the scoring pretty well,” said Miller, a 25-time champion on the PGA Tour, with major victories at the 1973 U.S. Open and the 1976 Open Championship. “This year was the least amount of rough we’ve had in the history of the tournament. We had very short rough.

“The course is a good championship course, a good test. They’re tough greens. They’re not shooting 25-under-par or anything.”

Miller, the PGA Tour Player of the Year in 1974, redesigned the par-72, 7,166-yard North Course in 2011.

“The stars aligned this year, with no Presidents Cup or Ryder Cup the week before, for the first time in four years,” said Sanders. “Our date being third out the blocks, instead of first, really helped us get a great field. People really enjoyed the music shows again this year.

“The combination of a great date, turned into a great field. The weather was the best we’ve had. When you put it all together, the stars aligned over Silverado this year and everything worked out perfectly.”

Five-year agreement

The five-year agreement with Safeway as the title sponsor runs through 2020 with the PGA Tour event remaining at Silverado for the duration. Sanders said he is optimistic that the tournament will continue beyond 2020.

“We’re looking forward to the fifth year of our contract,” he said. “We’re looking forward to putting on our best event we’ve ever put on in 2020. I think the word’s getting out that we’ve got a special event, in a great part of the world. Great golf and great music.

“When I think of the event, I think of it as a golf festival. The model works – and it’s been embraced. It takes a little while for people to catch on and experience it and talk about it. We just could not be happier.”

The Safeway Open, televised by Golf Channel, has generated over $8 million for charities in the four years.

“We really believe in keeping things super affordable and keeping things fun and having more things to do at our golf events than watching golf only. That keeps people there. It keeps them coming back,” said Sanders.

Sanders’ team includes Matt McEvoy, the tournament director.

“I’m very proud of Matt McEvoy and the job he has done as tournament director of the Safeway Open. Matt has a bright future in the business,” said Sanders. “He’s worked really hard … to make us all proud of the Safeway Open.”

The tournament has support from 1,400 volunteers.

Cameron Champ had a scary start to his day on Sunday.

Playing in the final pairing at 2 p.m., Champ was welcomed with loud cheers and applause when he was introduced on the No. 1 tee of the North Course at Silverado Resort and Spa.

But as the 54-hole leader of the Safeway Open, he missed the fairway on his drive, well to the left, on the par-4, 436-yard first hole. The ball skipped off the cart path and stopped just short of a hazard, settling into the rough. He recovered quite well, landing his second shot from 95 yards on the green and one-putting for birdie from 6 feet, 9 inches, adding some separation on the leaderboard.

He came up well short on his drive on the par-3, 240-yard second hole. But he got up and down, hitting a pitch shot to 9 feet, 2 inches and making the par-saving putt. He made his par putt from 13 feet, 8 inches on the par-4, 424-yard third hole.

Champ was steady and solid throughout his final round. Playing close to his hometown of Sacramento, he got out of the rough when he missed fairways. He was on target with his short game. He made key putts on greens that are very challenging. He shot a 3-under-par 69 and won the $6.6 million PGA Tour fall season event.

Champ, who is from Sacramento, began the final round at 14-under for the tournament and with a three-stroke lead after firing a 67 on Saturday.

“I just kept grinding,” said Champ. “There were some pins I didn’t want to punish myself trying to go at and get short sided. We were trying to stay aggressive, but at the same time knowing where the trouble was. Then I got some key up and downs.

“This is kind of my home event, to have so many family and friends here. It’s just been awesome.”

As the Safeway Open winner, Champ receives $1.188 million. Presented by Chevron, the tournament is the third event of the Tour’s 2019-2020 schedule.

Champ’s final-round lead, which at one point was as many as five strokes, slipped to just one over Adam Hadwin late in the day when he bogeyed the par-4, 375-yard 17th hole following a 327-yard drive. He missed the green long on his approach shot.

Hadwin then moved to 16-under, tying Champ, when he made a birdie on the final hole, capping a round of 67.

“I didn’t panic. I overshot it,” said Champ, who was making only his 33rd PGA Tour start as a professional. “Then I thought I made the putt, but I didn't.”

Champ came right back, launching a mammoth 369-yard drive on the par-5, 575-yard 18th hole – the longest drive on that hole of any player of the week. He missed the green on his second shot from 198 yards, leaving him in a collection area, 42 feet from the hole. He wedged his third shot to 3 feet, 8 inches. He finished it off, making the birdie putt and raising his arms and putter triumphantly in the air at 5:55 p.m. in the fading daylight.

“That putt … I knew I wasn’t going to miss that,” said Champ. “The feeling I had, it was different. It wasn’t nerves, it was just kind of excitement.”

Champ finished the week at 17-under 271, one shot in front of Hadwin.

Marc Leishman came from behind to shoot 65 and finished alone in third place at 14-under 274.

Tying for fourth were Charles Howell III (68), Zac Blair (68) and Justin Thomas (69) at 13-under.

In a seventh-place tie were Dylan Frittelli (66), Cameron Percy (67) and Xinjun Zhang (69) at 12-under.

“I knew on 18 if I can put a good drive in the fairway, it would give me a good chance. I’d have a pretty easy birdie if I can just hit the green. Obviously I hit it just short and got up and down,” said Champ.

It’s been a very emotional week for Champ, as his grandfather, Mack Ray Champ, the one who got Cameron started in golf, has stage 4 cancer and is in hospice. Mack Ray Champ is retired from the U.S. Air Force.

“With everything going on with my family, with my grandpa, I wasn’t even sure if I was going to play. It was going to be a last minute deal. He does good, enjoys the days, but sometimes he’ll mention he’s kind of done. He feels like he doesn’t want to fight anymore,” Cameron Champ, 24, said.

“I knew he wanted me to play. I know he’s watched it on TV all day. I know ‘Pops’ is fine. He’ll always fight as hard as he can.

”I showed up Thursday and teed it up with no practice round, nothing. With everything going on, it just kind of blurred everything else. Obviously, golf, it’s my career, I love doing it, but it made me realize it’s not the most important thing, that there’s a lot more to life than just golf.”

With the win, Champ secures a spot in next year’s Sentry Tournament of Champions at Kapalua on Maui and the Masters Tournament, along with receiving 500 FedExCup points. He moves to No. 2 in the FedExCup standings.

“Everything fell into place. I was hitting it well off the tee, which for me I feel like I really feed off that. When I’m hitting it well off the tee, it just flows into every other aspect of my game,” said Champ. “My misses are better. I kept it in places where I can get it up and down, so I think it was just the flow.”

For the week, he led the field in driving distance (337.1) and in scrambling (career-best 84.2 percent).

Champ had his birdies on Nos. 3, 5, 6, 9 and 18.

His birdie putt on No. 5 was from 1 foot, 11 inches. His birdie putt on No. 6 was from 8 feet, 1 inch. He made birdie on No. 9 from 4 feet, 8 inches.

He saved par on the fourth hole, making the putt from 12 feet, 2 inches.

He chipped in to save par on No. 11 from 14 feet, 11 inches. He saved par on No. 15 from 2 feet, 4 inches.

Champ hit 5-of-14 fairways and 11-of-18 greens and had 26 putts.

“I hit some good quality chips,” he said.

Champ’s only bogeys came on Nos. 8 and 17.

Champ, a 2018 graduate of the Korn Ferry Tour, ran away from the field early on his way to his second PGA Tour title. The former Texas A&M star won his first title, the Sanderson Farms Championship as a rookie in October of 2018 at the Country Club of Jackson in Jackson, Mississippi. It was just his ninth start.

He was among five nominees for the Tour’s Rookie of the Year award for the 2018-19 season after leading the Tour in driving distance (317.9 yards) and finishing No. 62 in the FedExCup standings.

“When he’s hitting it straight, it’s hard to catch up because he’s 40 ahead of me and he’s got wedge or 9 iron when I’m hitting 5 iron or something,” said Collin Morikawa, a former UC Berkeley star, who won the Barracuda Championship in late July at Montreux Golf & Country Club in Reno, Nev. “It’s awesome to watch. I’ve watched and I’ve grown up playing with him a lot. I’ve always seen how far he hits it. The talent is there and he just needs to keep it in play.”

It was Champ’s third appearance in the tournament. He failed to make the cut after shooting 2-over in 2017 when he accepted a sponsor invitation as a senior at Texas A&M. Last year, he finished in a tie for 25th, shooting 7-under for the week.

The weather was mostly sunny, with a high of 69 and wind gusts to 18 mph.

The par-72, 7,166-yard layout had firm, dry and fast conditions, with the players getting release and roll on the fairways.

Tournament NotesThe gate for Saturday’s third round, announced by tournament staff, was 24,000, the largest single-day attendance in the history of the Safeway Open.

“It was based on perfect weather, a leaderboard full of stars, as well as a bunch of California guys. And also, Rob Thomas, our headliner, was our most popular musical show. He filled up the mansion lawn, to where we didn’t have any more room for anybody,” said Jeff Sanders, the tournament executive director and the President of Lagardere Sports North American Golf Event Division.

Lagardere Sports is the event’s management company.

“For the first time in three years, we did not follow the Presidents Cup or the Ryder Cup. So that gave us an opportunity to have a much better field. The stars aligned over this year’s tournament – great weather, great field, great music, a bunch of celebrities in the field. I think our musical shows were as good, or better, than we’ve ever had. All in all, I’m super pleased with it with this year’s tournament.”

The five-year agreement with Safeway as the title sponsor runs through 2020 with the PGA Tour event remaining at Silverado for the duration.

“I think the future is bright,” said Sanders.

Courtesy of Marty James, Napa Valley Register

Cameron Champ began the third round of the Safeway Open in Napa on Saturday tied for third place, three off the lead, and with a heavy heart.

His grandfather, Mack Ray Champ, the one who got Cameron started in golf while always providing support, encouragement and a helping hand, has stage 4 cancer and is in hospice.

“You know, ‘Pops’ is holding in there,” Cameron said. “I can’t tell you how many hours I spent with him. I was with him just about every day after school. He was definitely the biggest influence for me with his wisdom. He always gives me positive words. Every time I talk to him he gives me kind of a wake-up call.”

Cameron Champ began the third round of the Safeway Open in Napa on Saturday tied for third place, three off the lead, and with a heavy heart.

His grandfather, Mack Ray Champ, the one who got Cameron started in golf while always providing support, encouragement and a helping hand, has stage 4 cancer and is in hospice.

“You know, ‘Pops’ is holding in there,” Cameron said. “I can’t tell you how many hours I spent with him. I was with him just about every day after school. He was definitely the biggest influence for me with his wisdom. He always gives me positive words. Every time I talk to him he gives me kind of a wake-up call.”

Tied for ninth, at 9-under, is Bud Cauley (66), Zac Blair (66), Michael Thompson (68), Charles Howell III (69), Xinjun Zahng (70) and Brian Gay (70).

Justin Thomas got himself back into the thick of things at the Safeway Open on Friday.
 
A day after shooting 71 and landing in a tie for 51st place to open the PGA Tour fall season event at Silverado Resort and Spa, Thomas made one of the biggest moves, climbing straight to the top of the early-round leaderboard with a round that featured nine birdies and superb putting on greens that are considered very difficult.
 
Thomas had just one bogey on his card as he navigated his way to an 8-under-par 64 on the North Course on an overcast, cool day with temperatures in the 60s and swirling winds.
 
“I got off to such a bad start (Thursday),” he said. “I putted well, just didn’t make anything. The greens were very bumpy and I told myself that I knew I was going to get fresh greens this morning and I just took advantage of it.”
 
Thomas is one of the top players in the Safeway Open, as he is No. 6 in the Official World Golf Ranking, No. 3 in the FedExCup Ranking, and is a 10-time winner on Tour, highlighted by his victory at the BMW Championship in August at Medinah Country Club in Illinois.
 
Thomas is tied for third place at the halfway point of the tournament, which has a $6.6 million purse and is presented by Chevron. It’s the third event of the Tour’s 2019-2020 schedule. The winner will receive $1.188 million.
 
Bryson DeChambeau, a five-time Tour champion who is from Clovis, is the 36-hole leader. He had an 8-under 64 and is at 12-under for the tournament, two shots in front of Dixon’s Nick Watney, who had a 65 and is at 10-under.
 
Thomas went to 9-under, sharing the lead with Nick Taylor (66), Dylan Frittelli (65), Adam Long (68) among the early finishers.
 
Thomas is in a five-way tie for third place, with Cameron Champ (68) of Sacramento, Taylor, Frittelli and Long.
 
“My game is where it needs to be,” Thomas said. “I’m playing plenty well enough to win this tournament, I just need to go execute. I need to tighten some things up here and there. But I drove the ball very well the last two days, and again, my putter feels good in my hands. I need to be a little bit more precise with my irons and my short irons for my standards, I feel like. It’s just about executing and actually doing it.”
 
Thomas, the 2017 PGA Tour Player of the Year, began his round from the No. 10 tee. He hit 6-of-14 fairways in regulation, 14-of-18 greens, and was 2-of-2 on sand saves. His round required just 23 putts, as he made 131 feet of putts. His group, which also had Jim Furyk and Brandt Snedeker, drew one of the largest galleries.
 
“I hit a lot of very average to mediocre wedge shots that I was able to capitalize with the putts, so it’s just kind of one of those days I got away with stuff,” said Thomas, who won the FedExCup during the 2017 season when he also had five wins, including the PGA Championship. “I know that you can go low out here. It’s a course that is very short, the ball goes quite a long way with how firm it is. But because of how firm it is, you have to get it in the fairway and really have the correct angles into the greens. I felt like I did a pretty good job of that today.”
 
His birdies came on Nos. 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 1, 5, 8 and 9. His only bogey was on the sixth hole, as he missed the fairway right with his drive and his second shot to the green clipped an oak tree and came down in the rough. His third shot rolled off the green, behind the pin.
 
“I hit a couple loose drives there at the end,” said Thomas. “I felt like I had some opportunities to maybe give myself some more chances the last four holes or so. I just stayed patient.
 
“I’m playing well. I’m doing all the things I need to do. I need to get a little bit better in a couple spots. I’m just glad that I had a good day today to put myself in a lot better position than I was after (Thursday). The fresh greens this morning was a big difference.
 
“The hardest part is judging the greens. It’s just kind of about guessing and paying attention to your opponents and the shots they hit in.”
 
Thomas putted beautifully in the second round. His birdie putts were from 9 feet, 2 inches on No. 13; 5 feet, 1 inch on No. 14; 16 feet on No. 15; 19 feet, 9 inches on No. 16; 13 feet, 1 inch on No. 18; 27 feet, 2 inches on No. 1; 2 feet, 8 inches on No. 5; 9 feet, 2 inches on No. 8; and 8 feet, 11 inches on No. 9.
 
One of the best shots he hit was the 8-iron from the left rough on the par-5, 538-yard fifth hole. It was his second shot from an upslope, and he landed it on the green from 190 yards.
 
“It was a jumper lie,” said Thomas. “The hardest part was just getting it online with it that far below my feet and kind of making sure I caught it solid. Being a short iron, I didn’t have any trees in my way. It was hard to hit it on the green, but it wasn’t that hard to make a 4.”
 
DeChambeau is 11th in the OWGR and won his fifth Tour title during the 2019 season. He had a bogey-free round and had eight birdies. He hit 10-of-14 fairways, 15-of-18 greens and had 26 putts.
 
Watney has won five times on Tour.
 
Collin Morikawa, the Golfweek Men’s National Player of the Year and a four-time Division I PING All-American at UC Berkeley, made a surge on the leaderboard by shooting 64 to get to 8-under for the tournament. He is tied for eighth with John Oda.
 
“The course is playing tough, the greens are getting a lot firmer,” said Morikawa. “Fortunately, I was able to get out there early this morning. The wind was a little calmer. I was able to hit a few more fairways and just able to attack some pins. I had a lot better numbers.”
 
Morikawa played the Safeway Open on a sponsor’s invitation as a sophomore at Cal in 2016. He missed the 36-hole cut as an amateur after rounds of 74 and 69. He turned professional earlier this year and won the Barracuda Championship in July at Montreux Golf & Country Club in Reno, Nev. His caddie is J.J. Jakovac, a Napa native and 2000 Vintage High School graduate who is in the Chico State Athletic Hall of Fame.
 
Morikawa had 24 putts and hit 9-of-14 fairways and 14-of-18 greens. He made just over 58 feet of putts.
 
Francesco Molinari is among four players who are tied for 10th place at 7-under.

If Adam Scott had any complaints at all about his play last season, it was that he didn’t get the most out of his good rounds or his good weeks.
 
“Today felt like I kind of got the most out of myself,” said Scott, a former Masters champion who is from Australia.
 
Making his 2019-2020 PGA Tour season debut, Scott got off to a very good start in his first appearance at the Safeway Open in Napa. The wedge he hit on his approach shot on the par-4 10th, his starting hole, led to a par. He birdied the next hole, the par-3 11th.
 
Scott took off, shooting a 7-under-par 65 on the North Course at Silverado Resort and Spa, on a day when the weather changed dramatically, with much cooler temperatures and breezy conditions. The heat wave that hit the Napa Valley earlier in the week – with temperatures hovering around the 100-degree mark for three straight days – was all gone.
 
Scott and Andrew Landry are tied for lead in the fall season event, which has a $6.6 million purse and is presented by Chevron.
Landry played late in the day and also shot 65.
 
Scott and Landry lead by one shot over Francesco Molinari of Italy and Matthew NeSmith, each of whom had 66s. Molinari won The Open Championship in 2018.
 
“I had great control of my irons. I felt that on the range and right from my first shot into the 10th green this morning. It was right on my target. The 11th was right on my target,” said Scott, a 13-time winner on Tour. “So I knew I could just kind of pick safe but aggressive lines and I’ll be OK. They were kind of on the right shape. I took advantage of that pretty well.
 
“I never felt too much stress out there because I felt I could always put it where I needed to go into the green.”
 
Scott, No. 15 in the Official World Golf Ranking and No. 6 in the FedExCup Rankings, overcame a lone bogey by making an eagle and six birdies on the par-72, 7,166-yard course. He hit 8-of-14 fairways and 14-of-18 greens.
 
“I actually really enjoy this kind of tighter, smaller style courses,” said Scott. “We often play big, open, modern resort-style courses. A lot of the holes remind me of a lot of golf in areas of Australia, too, with the big trees.
 
“I feel quite comfortable out there.”
 
The greens at Silverado are known to be very difficult and put up a defense. Scott’s round included 27 putts and he made over 150 feet in putts. He was 2-of-2 on sand saves.
 
“I’ve been putting really nicely this whole year,” he said outside the scoring trailer, next to the practice green. “I really haven’t fiddled with it since the Tour Championship and just kind of kept the routine going and the rhythm. I’ve been rolling some long ones in, which is obviously very helpful no matter what they’re for – par or birdie or eagle. I felt really solid on the greens, so I’m just going to try and keep that going.”
 
Scott’s eagle came on the par-5, 538-yard fifth hole. He hit the middle of the green with a 4-iron second shot that split the trees.
 
“It was all happening there on the fifth – a fun way to kind of keep the momentum going and get the most out of the round,” said Scott.
 
Cameron Champ of Sacramento and Adam Long are tied for fifth after 67s.
 
Former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, an amateur who is in the tournament on a sponsor’s invitation, opened with a 2-under 70. Romo is a four-time Pro Bowl selection for the Cowboys and the current lead analyst for CBS Sports’ NFL coverage.
 
The Safeway Open, which has a field of 144 players, is the third event of the PGA Tour’s wrap-around schedule that bridges two years. The winner will receive $1.188 million.
 
It’s the strongest field in the tournament’s history.
 
Scott’s wins include the Masters Tournament in 2013, The Players Championship in 2004, The Tour Championship presented by Coca-Cola in 2006, World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational in 2011, and the World Golf Championships-Cadillac Championship in 2016.
 
He has been on eight Presidents Cup teams (2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017). Last season, he had second-place finishes at the Farmers Insurance Open in January at Torrey Pines in San Diego and the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio in June.
 
He played in all three FedExCup Playoffs, placing fifth at the Northern Trust at Liberty National Golf Club in Jersey City, New Jersey, tying for ninth at the BMW Championship at Medinah Country Club in Medinah, Illinois, and finishing sixth at the Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta.
 
Scott is looking for his first win since 2016.
 
“I think I just need to keep the intensity up,” said Scott. “I feel like I’ve had points like this in my career before. The most obvious to me was in 2012 where I played really, really great all year on the Tour and didn’t win and felt like I could have, and eventually I won a tournament late in the year in Australia just because I kind of kept the intensity up and kept pushing forward and not just being satisfied or getting frustrated with not getting a win.
 
“I kind of feel like I’m in that same place, and it’s a similar time of year where I hopefully can cross that line this year and set myself up with the confidence that gives you for a big year once we roll into 2020.
 
This is a nice way to start. I would like to have a lead going into Sunday and see what I can produce, to be honest.”
 
Romo is known for his years playing for the Cowboys, passing for 34,183 career yards with 248 touchdowns, a 65.3 completion percentage and a 97.1 passer rating.
 
Romo directed the Cowboys to four appearances in the postseason and was a Pro Bowl selection in 2006, 2007, 2009 and 2014. He retired following the 2016 season.
 
This week marks his his fourth appearance in a PGA Tour event. He played on a sponsor’s exemption and missed the cut in May at the AT&T Byron Nelson at Trinity Forest Golf Club in Dallas.
 
He played on sponsor’s invitations twice at the Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship, which is held at Corales Golf Club at Punta Cana, in the Dominican Republic. Romo missed the cut in both events.
 
“I’ve been putting well, so it was nice to come out here and keep that going,” said Romo. “These greens are tough, they’re tricky and you have to be really dialed in with the speed and the line, a lot of subtlety. But if it comes off your face where you’re aiming, it usually helps.
 
“I just played smart on some of the holes where pin locations were really difficult, just tried to commit to spots and where I was aiming. I controlled my ball today.”
 
Romo won the American Century Championship, a celebrity tournament at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course at Stateline, Nevada for the second straight year in July.
 
Notebook
* There will be a 36-hole cut after Friday’s second round to the low 65 scores and ties.
* Golf Channel continues its coverage of the Safeway Open on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, from 3-6 p.m. each day.
* The teams led by PGA Tour players Corey Conners and Marc Leishman tied for first place in Wednesday’s Safeway Open Pro-Am, each team at 8-under 64.
The teams led by Patrick Cantlay, Adam Hadwin, Byeong Hun An and Nate Lashley tied for third place, each team at 6-under.
There was a nine-way tie for seventh place.
* The weather forecast, provided by the PGA Tour, calls for temperatures on Friday ranging from 56 to 71, from 52 to 74 on Saturday, and from 48 to 70 on Sunday.
Temperatures will remain cool, likely only in the 70s this weekend, according to the Tour. Overnight lows could dip into the 40s as well, the Tour reported.

The Safeway Open presented by Chevron announced today that two-time NBA MVP and three-time NBA champion with the Golden State Warriors, Stephen Curry, will play in the Safeway Open Pro-Am presented by Citi on Wednesday, September 25 at Silverado Resort and Spa in Napa, CA. Curry will be paired with 44-time PGA TOUR winner and tournament ambassador Phil Mickelson and will tee off at 11:40 AM.
 
This marks the second time that Curry has participated in the Safeway Open Pro-Am. He previously played in the Pro-Am presented by Citi in 2016 and was paired with Harold Varner III. Curry is an avid golfer and 0.6 handicap. On Monday, Curry hosted the first Stephen Curry Charity Classic at TPC Harding Park to raise money for the “Eat. Learn. Play.” Foundation, the charity the Curry’s launched in July.
 
“I am looking forward to playing at Silverado Resort in the Safeway Open Pro-Am again this year. It is a great event, and to have the opportunity to play with a pro like Phil Mickelson is incredibly exciting,” said Curry.
 
“The Phil, Stephen pairing in the Pro-Am will provide golf fans a fun day on the course where I’m sure the banter will prove to be very entertaining,” said Jeff Sanders, President of Lagardere Sports Golf Events Division. “As we know, Stephen’s shooting stroke is the best in the NBA, but he doesn’t get enough credit for his great golf swing! The Pro-Am is always a great day to get up close to the players and watch great golf. It will be fun for the fans to see Stephen playing with Phil, the two best shot makers in their respective sports!”
 
Also participating in the Pro-Am presented by Citi is former Dallas Cowboys quarterback and current CBS analyst Tony Romo who will be paired with the current 5th ranked player in the world, Justin Thomas. Romo and Thomas will tee off at 11:50 AM following the featured group of Curry and Mickelson.
 
Following the group of Romo and Thomas and teeing off at 12:00 PM will be World Golf Hall of Fame member Fred Couples and world-renowned, Michelin star chef, Thomas Keller.
 
Other top PGA TOUR players currently scheduled to play in the Pro-Am on Wednesday at Silverado include: Patrick Cantlay, Bryson DeChambeau, Adam Scott, Francesco Molinari, Brandt Snedeker, Jim Furyk and John Daly.
 
The Safeway Open Pro-Am presented by Citi will feature a morning wave with tee times starting at 7:20 AM and an afternoon wave with tee times starting at 11:40 AM. In total, 48 PGA TOUR players will participate, each paired with three amateur partners. The Citi Pro-Am is open to all fans and tickets are on sale for $35 at www.safewayopen.com/tickets.
 
For tee times and more information on the Safeway Open presented by Chevron or the Safeway Open Pro-Am presented by Citi please visit www.safewayopen.com.

With the first round of the Safeway Open presented by Chevron just over a week away, the tournament already boasts the strongest player field in its history with 5 of the World’s top ranked players already committed: Justin Thomas, Patrick Cantlay, Bryson Dechambeau, Francesco Molinari and Adam Scott.
 
Along with many of the World’s top ranked players, the Safeway Open will again feature World Golf Hall of Fame member and golf’s most popular player Phil Mickelson, along with other notable names including Fred Couples, John Daly, Brandt Snedeker, Jim Furyk, Jimmy Walker, Pat Perez, Jason Dufner and Mark Leishman. In total, the field includes 15 of the top ranked golfers in the world and many of the players named to the U.S. and International Presidents Cup teams (Thomas, DeChambeau, Cantlay, Scott, Leishman, Ancer, Pan).
 
“When the PGA TOUR moved the schedule up this past year, we were hopeful that the result would be more top players playing the Safeway Open presented by Chevron,” said Jeff Sanders, President, Lagardere Sports Golf Events, the company producing the Safeway Open. “We are excited to now offer our fans the opportunity to see top PGA TOUR talent along with one of the very best fan experiences on the PGA TOUR.”
 
Adding some celebrity allure to the event, Sanders announced in August that former NFL Pro Bowl Quarterback and current CBS Analyst Tony Romo will compete in the event via a Sponsor Invitation.
 
While the tournament has seen an increase in the number of top players making the trip to Napa, there are a number of players with strong local ties as well. Cal alum Colin Morikawa who earned his first PGA TOUR victory at the Barracuda Championship in July, will be joined by fellow Cal alums and PGA TOUR winners Max Homa and James Hahn. Morikawa received a Sponsor Invitation to play in the 2016 Safeway Open and competed as an amateur while he was still a sophomore at Cal. 
 
Sacramento natives Cameron Champ and Nick Watney have joined the field as well as Stockton native Ricky Barnes. Watney has five PGA TOUR victories in his career and Champ will defend his win at last year’s Sanderson Farms Championship next week, the week before the Safeway Open. Champ played in his first PGA TOUR event as an amateur at the 2017 Safeway Open via a Sponsors Invitation. He returned in 2018 after graduating from the Korn Ferry Tour to play in the Safeway Open as a professional, going on to win the Sanderson Farms event the next week.
 
Winner of the 2018 PGA TOUR “Most Fan First Award,” the Safeway Open presented by Chevron will offer three nightly concerts after golf on site on the Silverado Mansion lawn and NO COVER CHARGES again this year. The event will be held September 25-29 at Silverado Resort and Spa in Napa, CA.
 
For more information, player field updates, tickets and more please visit www.safewayopen.com.

Safeway Executives, Chevron Executives, Lagardere Sports, tournament sponsors and media members attended Media Day today for the 4th annual Safeway Open presented by Chevron at Silverado Resort and Spa. The Safeway Open presented by Chevron, the third event of the 2019-2020 PGA TOUR season, will once again take place at Silverado Resort and Spa in Napa, CA, September 25-29.
 
Jeff Sanders, President of Lagardere Sports North American Golf Event Division kicked off the event with tournament updates and news and was joined by Golf Hall of Fame Member and host of the Safeway Open, Johnny Miller as well as special guests Tony Romo and Cameron Champ.
 
Sanders announced that in addition to previously announced headliners Phil Mickelson, Fred Couples, John Daly and others, former Masters Champion Adam Scott (15th ranked player in the world) and former British Open Champion Francesco Molinari (11th ranked player in the world) have recently committed to the Safeway Open field. This year marks the first time that Scott and Molinari will play in the tournament.
 
“Napa and Silverado are two wonderful places to bring the family. Players’ wives love it and so do the PGA TOUR professionals.  The Safeway Open’s new position on the tournament schedule opens the door for more top players to be here. I think the commitments of Scott and Molinari are just the beginning to an already excellent field,” said Sanders during the press conference.
 
Current CBS broadcaster and former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, playing on a sponsor invitation in the Safeway Open, along with PGA TOUR player and 2018 Sanderson Farms Champion Cameron Champ gave exclusive interviews to those in attendance on Wednesday’s Media Day.
 
Champ, the TOUR Driving distance leader and Sacramento, CA native kicked off the interviews in hot seat style fashion questions from golf legend Johnny Miller.
 
“It was great to get a win so early. You get so excited to play on TOUR that sometimes you forget the little things. I was proud of myself for staying composed and closing out the win,” Champ said while talking about his rookie season on the PGA TOUR and his first career win at the 2018 Sanderson Farms Championship.
 
When asked about what playing so close to Sacramento meant to Champ, he said, “It’s great to be out here at Silverado. Being close to home and seeing all your friends and family makes the event very special. I really love being out here”
 
Following Cameron Champ’s interview, Tony Romo joined the Media Day, answering questions from Johnny Miller and Jeff Sanders.
“There is a lot of nitty gritty things that you don’t know about golf until you really take it seriously. As I continue to drop strokes, I add that to the knowledge I have been gaining,” said Romo when asked about his preparation in advance of the Safeway Open.
 
Romo also mentioned the new golf routine that he has settled into as he works to prepare his game to compete against the best golfers in the world.
 
“I’ve been waking up, getting in a workout and back exercises working on my mobility; then I get on the range with my swing coaches; go out and play some; then hit the putting greens for an hour or two. It’s a grind”
 
Last year’s Safeway Open presented by Chevron ended in dramatic fashion. 72 holes was not enough to determine a winner in Napa Valley. Three players in Brandt Snedeker, Kevin Tway and Ryan Moore entered a playoff. The playoff went three holes with Kevin Tway outlasting the rest of the group. His 5-straight birdie performance (Last 2 regulation holes and all 3 playoff holes) led him to victory at 14-under.
 
As part of the tournament updates that Sanders provided, he announced a few special events and fan enhancements that will be available for all fans attending the Safeway Open presented by Chevron.
 
As previously announced, the Safeway Open Concert Series will return this year. The concerts will again be held on the Chevron Stage at Silverado Resort and Spa immediately following completion of the golf tournament rounds featuring country music star Jake Owen on Thursday, legendary rock band Bad Company on Friday and Grammy Award winner Rob Thomas of Matchbox Twenty on Saturday night.
 
The 25,000-square foot Safeway Food and Wine Pavilion open to all ticket holders featuring pop-up restaurants from celebrity chefs Thomas Keller, Iron Chef Morimoto and Charlie Palmer is back. With a 360-degree bar and prime seating viewing decks, the Pavilion is in the center of all the action at the Safeway Open.
 
The Brew Loft on the par-3, 11th hole will be receiving a major enhancement. Not only will the venue increase in size, but Thomas Keller is opening his second pop-up restaurant, La Calenda, at the Safeway Open in the Brew Loft.
 
The Spirits Lounge will also be increased in size and again feature specialty cocktails. Located greenside on the 17th, the Spirits Lounge will offer more than 10 popular spirits brands.
 
The Under Armour Junior Clinic will be held on Wednesday, September 25th on the Silverado Driving Range at 4:00 P.M. and is a hands-on event for kids 15 and under to take lessons from the world’s best golfers. Admission is free and no ticket is needed to attend the Under Armour Junior Clinic.
 
Daily tickets to the Safeway Open PGA TOUR event are on sale now for only $35 and include admission to the Safeway Open Concert Series, as well as the Safeway Food and Wine Pavilion and other on-course hospitality venues. There are NO additional cover charges or upgraded tickets needed for entry into any of these fan friendly venues on the golf course or the concerts after golf at Silverado.
 
The Safeway Open presented by Chevron will be broadcast globally live on Golf Channel all four days. The tournament will feature a $6.6 Million purse with $1.88 MILLION going to the winner.
 
For more information and to buy tickets, please visit safewayopen.com

The Safeway Open Tournament Committee announced today that junior golf phenom Akshay Bhatia has accepted a Sponsor Invitation to compete in his first professional event on the PGA TOUR at the Safeway Open presented by Chevron, September 26-29 at Silverado Resort and Spa in Napa, CA. On Wednesday, Bhatia became the youngest player ever to be named to the United States Walker Cup Team at the age of 17.
 
Bhatia joins Jordan Spieth and Patrick Rodgers as the most recent players to play on the United States Walker Cup team before playing in college. He made a splash this summer when he played in the Valspar Championship in April as a 17-year-old amateur and two weeks later proceeded to Monday qualify into the Korn Ferry Tour’s Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail Championship. His appearance at the age of 17 in the Safeway Open will be his first event as a professional.
 
Bhatia has won five junior events in the past year including the Jones Cup Invitational and recently finished in the Top 10 at both the European Amateur Championship and the U.S. Junior Amateur. He won two silver medals at the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics in both the boy’s individual and the mixed team where he played with Lucy Li. He also represented the United States on the 2017 Junior Presidents Cup and 2018 Junior Ryder Cup teams.
 
“I’m very excited to make the Safeway Open my first event as a professional on the PGA TOUR. This is what I have been working toward for a long time,” said Bhatia. “I am very thankful that Safeway and the tournament committee have given me this exciting opportunity”.
 
Last week former Dallas Cowboys Quarterback and CBS analyst, Tony Romo, also accepted a Sponsor’s Invitation to compete in the Safeway Open presented by Chevron.
 
The winner of the PGA TOUR’s “Most Fan First Event” award last year, the Safeway Open presented by Chevron PGA TOUR golf event and the Chevron three-night Concert Series will provide fans with an authentic Napa experience by bringing together world-renowned local chefs including Thomas Keller of French Laundry, over 50 wineries, popular musicians and 144 of the world’s best golfers all on one stage. The Safeway Open presented by Chevron will return to Silverado Resort and Spa this September 25-29 and again feature 44-time PGA TOUR winner and crowd favorite Phil Mickelson, fan favorite Fred Couples and 142 of the best golfers in the world.
 
The concert series will again be held on the Chevron Stage at Silverado Resort and Spa immediately following completion of the golf tournament rounds featuring country music star Jake Owen on Thursday, legendary rock band Bad Company on Friday and Grammy Award winner Rob Thomas of Matchbox Twenty on Saturday night. Previous lineups for the Safeway Open Concert Series have included Sammy Hagar, Billy Idol, Young the Giant, Weezer, X Ambassadors, Goo Goo Dolls, Third Eye Blind, Gavin DeGraw and Charles Kelley.
 
Daily tickets to the Safeway Open PGA TOUR event are on sale now for only $35 and include admission to the Safeway Open Concert Series, as well as the 27,000-square foot Safeway Food and Wine Pavilion featuring prime viewing platforms and many other on-site food, wine, beer and spirits venues. There are NO additional cover charges or upgraded tickets needed for entry into these fan friendly venues on the golf course or the concerts after golf at Silverado.
 
The event is in its fourth year with Safeway as the title sponsor and hosts many of the best golfers in the world as they compete Thursday through Sunday for a $6.6 million-dollar purse, with $1.188 million to the winner. The player field of 144 golfers has included elite players such as Phil Mickelson, Jon Rahm, Matt Kuchar, Justin Thomas, Webb Simpson and Paul Casey.
 
The Safeway Open Concert Series is sponsored by Smithfield Foods on Thursday night, Aidells and Gallo Salame on Friday night, and Michelob Ultra Pure Gold on Saturday night.
 
For more information on the Safeway Open presented by Chevron, Safeway Open Concert Series, and to buy tickets, please visit www.safewayopen.com.