October 23, 2015
Frys.com Open to change to Safeway Open, stay at Silverado Resort
The PGA Tour will be back at Silverado Resort the next five years, but there’ll be a new title sponsor.
During the final round of last weekend’s Frys.com Open, it was announced on Golf Channel by Tournament Chairperson and Co-Founder of Fry’s Electronics, Kathy Kolder, that Fry’s Electronics would end its 10-year run as title sponsor.
The new sponsor will be California-based supermarket chain Safeway, which previously sponsored an LPGA event in Portland.
As part of the deal, the Safeway Open will continue to be held at Silverado Resort through 2020. Based in Napa, Silverado Resort is owned in part by Hall of Famer and Northern California native Johnny Miller.
“The PGA TOUR players and their families love coming to Silverado and Napa Valley” said Kolder. “We congratulate Safeway and Silverado on their new partnership and wish them the best on future tournaments.”
Frys Electronics had been the title sponsor of the tournament for the last 10 years.
During that time, the tournament became the season opening event in the reconfigured PGA TOUR schedule, gained full recognition in the FedExCup and the champion earned an invitation to play in The Masters.
2015 Frys.com Open champ Emiliano Grillo.
Originally held at CordeValle in San Martin from 2010 to 2013 following a move from Arizona, Silverado was supposed to be a temporary venue until a clubhouse project at Frys magnate John Fry’s private course The Institute in Morgan Hill was completed.
Complications, however, have since stalled The Institute clubhouse project.
Kolder said that while said Fry’s is pulling out as sponsor, it’s not completely leaving and instead “re-strategizing” its future in regard to professional golf.
“As soon as our elaborate clubhouse is finally built, we hope to announce an even more spectacular event,” Kolder said.
Emiliano Grillo won the 2015 Frys.com Open on Sunday, defeating Kevin Na on the second playoff hole to earn a victory in his first tournament as a member of the PGA TOUR.
Grillo graduated to the TOUR by winning the Web.com Championship at TPC Sawgrass on October 4th.
-Jerry Stewart
