By Josh Weaver
Gilroy sports editor
There is a PGA Tour event taking place in our backyard. Bask in
that splendor for a moment.
It’s a busy weekend for Bay Area sports. The Giants open the
National League Championship Series on Saturday and the Sharks
begin the home portion of 2010-11 campaign on the same day.
By Josh Weaver
Gilroy sports editor
There is a PGA Tour event taking place in our backyard. Bask in that splendor for a moment.
It’s a busy weekend for Bay Area sports. The Giants open the National League Championship Series on Saturday and the Sharks begin the home portion of 2010-11 campaign on the same day.
But there is plenty of time to watch those games after spending a glorious afternoon outside on the links surrounded by golf’s best.
The Frys.com Open, the Silicon Valley’s first PGA Tour event hit the ground running Thursday as fans and players enjoyed summer-like conditions.
The weather is perfect and the course at CordeValle Golf Resort in San Martin is in pristine condition.
“It’s such a pretty place in such a unique area. It really does stand out,” 2009 Frys.com runner-up Jaime Lovemark said Tuesday following a practice round.
Lovemark is currently No. 1 on the money list on the Nationwide Tour and was involved in a three-person playoff with Fowler and defending Frys.com champion Troy Matteson in 2009.
“I’m not sure what the winning score might be, maybe 15, 16-under,” he said.
One-hundred and 32 professionals are in town for the spectacular, which carries a $5 million purse, and $900,000 to the winner.
Among some of the recognizable names such as the always entertaining John Daly, David Duval, Justin Leonard, is 21-year-old Rickie Fowler, who has taken the circut by storm in 2010.
Fowler, a captain’s pick for the 2010 Ryder Cup, is 32nd on the money list heading into the week.
Also in the field are Bay Area residents, Erick Justesen (Sacramento), John Ellis (San Jose), Joseph Bramlett (Saratoga), Isaac Weintraub (Santa Cruz), Kevin Sutherland (Sacramento) and Kevin Chappell (Fresno), sprinkling the tournament with some local color.
Ricky Barnes, a Stockton native who has six top-10 finishes on the PGA Tour in 2010 said he expects a large contingent of family and friends following his rounds.
“Anywhere within about two hours of Northern California feels like home,” he said earlier in the week. “I played here last November and it was softer. I heard that it’s running out a little bit. You can either challenge it or kind of lay back.”
The Frys.com Open tournament committee’s concerted effort to bring the fans close to the action has added exciting dynamics while still maintaing the professional etiquette expected at a golf tournament.
The 17th hole will be a main attraction all week. A drivable par 4, the 17th hole is also the site of Birdies for Beers. A tent located off of the 17th green will offer discounted beers for five minutes following a birdie on that hole. It isn’t a new concept, but is one the players get a kick out of as well.
“They have done that at a few Nationwide events,” Lovemark said. “We had one in San Francisco where it was an eagle for free beers for a half hour, or something like that. I made eagle on nine, I holed-out from the fairway and the crowd went nuts. We enjoy it, but if you miss a putt, you get booed off the green.”
If Thursday’s round is any indication of how the weekend will turn out, this is a can’t-miss event.
Tickets are still available at a single-day price of $35 – that isn’t asking too much.
