Tag: 2020 Safeway Open

Stewart Cink ends 4,074-day drought, wins Safeway Open with his son on the bag

Golfweek’s Adam Schupak discusses Stewart Cink’s incredible win at the 2020 Safeway Open from Silverado Resort’s North Course.

Golfweek’s Adam Schupak discusses Stewart Cink’s incredible win at the 2020 Safeway Open from Silverado Resort’s North Course.

Golfweek Rewind: September 14, 2020

Golfweek’s JuliaKate E. Culpepper recaps the top golf stories of the week including Stewart Cink winning the Safeway Open, John Daly reveals he was diagnosed with bladder cancer, and Brooks Koepka withdrawing from the U.S. Open.

Golfweek’s JuliaKate E. Culpepper recaps the top golf stories of the week including Stewart Cink winning the Safeway Open, John Daly reveals he was diagnosed with bladder cancer, and Brooks Koepka withdrawing from the U.S. Open.

Phil Mickelson on his game heading into the U.S. Open: ‘It’s not a complete mess’

Phil Mickelson says his game isn’t far off but he needs it to click quickly if he’s going to have a chance to win the 120th U.S. Open.

NAPA, Calif. – Ready or not, here comes Phil in search of the elusive U.S. Open title that would complete his career Grand Slam.

Mickelson shot a final-round 2-under-70 to finish 10-under 278 at the Safeway Open. He lipped out for birdie at the last, otherwise he would’ve finished with four straight birdies.

“I played better on the back and hit some better shots,” he said. “I’ll head over to Winged Foot and see if I can put it together.”

Mickelson’s week at Silverado Resort’s North Course – an uninspiring T-44 finish – could be summed up as the good, the bad and the ugly.

The good? Mickelson had a streak of 42 consecutive holes without a bogey until he ran into trouble on the front nine Sunday, finishing bogey, double bogey, bogey. Mickelson also was pleased with his short game, especially his bunker play (7 of 7 in sand saves) and short putting.

SAFEWAY OPEN: Scores

“Short game, chipping, bunker play was good. That was probably the highlight was my bunker play was good,” he said. “I actually putted OK. I putted OK from short distance.”

But Mickelson also conceded there was work to be done.

“It’s not a complete mess,” he said, “but I’m not striking it the way I’ve been striking it the last few months. It’s not far off, but it’s got to click in the next few days.”

In particular, his tee game. Mickelson hit just 12 of 56 fairways, which ranked dead last of all the players who made the cut. He lost more than three strokes to the field off the tee (72nd of 73), and Winged Foot’s narrow fairways and punitive rough won’t be as forgiving. That’s why “the ugly” may have been ranking last in the field in proximity on approach shots at nearly 38 feet from the hole. Mickelson was most concerned with his crooked driving, especially missing to the left.

“The last couple of months I’ve been missing it more to the right and not worried about the left and the left crept in again,” he said. “For years I missed it left. I haven’t been fearing that at all lately, but this week I missed it left, which is not – that’s not good. I can deal with missing it right now, but not left.”

Mickelson always has enjoyed playing his way into a major, and he reminded a small gathering of writers that his performance before a major hasn’t always been an indicator of future success, or lack thereof.

“I’ve won a major winning the week before, I’ve won a major missing the cut the week before. You just don’t know how it’s going to be,” he said. “Right now I’m right in between. I feel like I’m on the precipice of playing really well, but I’ve got to let it click here.”

Mickelson fielded one final question and it left reporters in laughter. When asked what he thought about having odds of 75-to-1 to win the U.S. Open, Mickelson flashed a grin and said, “I’m not a gambling man, so I wouldn’t know.”

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James Hahn, playing close to his childhood home, shares 54-hole lead at Safeway Open

Golfweek’s Adam Schupak discusses the third round of play for the Safeway Open from Silverado Resort and Spa – North Course.

Golfweek’s Adam Schupak discusses the third round of play for the Safeway Open from Silverado Resort and Spa – North Course.

James Hahn, playing close to his childhood home, shares 54-hole lead at Safeway Open

NAPA, Calif. – James Hahn has a secret advantage at this week’s Safeway Open. He’s sleeping at his childhood home in Alameda, a suburb of Oakland, where his parents moved to from South Korea when he was 2 years old. “Bought it for dirt cheap and …

NAPA, Calif. – James Hahn has a secret advantage at this week’s Safeway Open. He’s sleeping at his childhood home in Alameda, a suburb of Oakland, where his parents moved to from South Korea when he was 2 years old.

“Bought it for dirt cheap and it’s worth a lot more now,” he said. “But it’s good because I have my family there and the last thing I want to do is be alone in a hotel room having a million thoughts go through my mind and try to play out all the scenarios. It’s easier just to watch – what were we watching the other day? – some Peppa Pig with my daughter. You know, most guys don’t have that luxury of watching Peppa Pig, but I do.”

Hahn, 38, has been making the hour-long drive to Silverado Resort and Spa and he’ll have a late tee time on Sunday after shooting a bogey-free 6-under 66 on the North Course to share the 54-hole lead with Cameron Percy and Brian Stuard at 16-under 200.

Hahn’s father leased the driving range at Galbraith Golf Course from the city of Oakland – the facility later was renovated by Johnny Miller and re-named Metropolitan Golf Links – and it’s where Hahn took up the game at age 4 and developed his homespun swing through trial and error.

Hahn played his college golf at Cal-Berkeley but despite enjoying the Northern California hospitality, the Safeway Open has never been good to him: He missed the 54-hole cut last year, the 36-hole cut twice, making a T-41 in 2015 his best result in four previous starts.

“My wife said a couple weeks ago, ‘Why do you go to Silverado?’ I go, ‘Why not? I go see my family, it’s a great golf tournament, love supporting the local events.’ She said, ‘You never played well there, why would you want to play there?’ ” Hahn recounted. “It might have a little to do with low expectations and coming out here and finally seeing the breaks and seeing the putts go in. I think that has a lot to do with it.”

SAFEWAY OPEN: Leaderboard | Tee times, TV info

It didn’t hurt that Hahn made three of his five birdies on the par-3s during the third round.

“I mean, those par 3s are tough out there. The one that I didn’t birdie was hole 7. I skanked a 4-iron to 25 feet and hit a great putt,” he said.

Hahn has won twice previously on Tour, most recently at the 2016 Wells Fargo Championship. He’s playing this week on a major-medical exemption after being sidelined for eight months in 2019 with an elbow injury. Hahn has 14 starts remaining to retain his playing privileges, which could create added pressure, but doesn’t seem to be bothering Hahn one bit.

“It’s the same as trying to win a golf tournament, I can tell you that, because you’ve heard it before, winning takes care of itself. It takes care of a lot of problems,” he said. “You know, the medical is just something in the back of my mind, to be honest with you. I come out every week trying to win a golf tournament, so if I can keep my focus there, I think I’m doing things right.”

Hahn will have his hands full on Sunday as 28 golfers are within four strokes of the lead, ranging from 18-year-old Akshay Bhatia to a pair of 40-somethings in Percy, one of the co-leaders, and Stewart Cink, 47, who birdied six of the first eight holes en route to shooting 65 and trails by two strokes. Cink hasn’t won since the 2009 British Open playoff over Tom Watson, but said, “I remember what it’s like. I mean, it was 11 years ago when I won The Open Championship, but I feel like it was yesterday. I remember that day, after it was all said and done, looking back and thinking I really didn’t do anything all that special today, I was just myself and that’s the key.”

Stuard, 37, has one Tour title at the 2016 Zurich Classic of New Orleans. He reeled off three birdies in a row starting at the third and canned a 7-foot birdie at 18 to cap off a 66. Stuard is riding a hot putter this week – he ranks fifth in Strokes Gained: Putting – into the final round.

“I feel like if I drive it well tomorrow and, you know, get the putter rolling, then we’ll see,” he said.

Percy, 46, has never won on the Tour, coming closest when he lost a playoff when Jonathan Byrd made an ace to claim victory in Las Vegas in 2010. He was the first player in the field to get to 16 under when he canned a 32-foot birdie putt at No. 10, but he required two late birdies to cancel out two bogeys coming home.

What would victory mean to the Australian journeyman pro?

“It would mean the world to me. Yeah, it would be fantastic,” he said. “It would mean I get to go to Augusta, which is a goal. I’ve never been to Augusta, which is the biggest goal you have when you come over here. I just thought I’d get there, I haven’t got there yet, so it’s a big deal.”

Sam Burns, the 36-hole leader, struggled to shoot 72, and shares fourth with Harry Higgs (70) and Kristoffer Ventura (66); all three are seeking their first Tour title.

Russell Knox, who along with Mark Anderson has played bogey-free this week, leads a group of five golfers at 14 under. Sahith Theegala, playing on a sponsor exemption and making just his fourth Tour start as a professional, surged into contention by shooting 64 to get to 13 under.

Phil Mickelson (T-43) won’t be part of the trophy hunt on Sunday. He posted consecutive bogey-free rounds for the first time since 2016, but declared his 2-under 70 on Saturday his worst round in three months.

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Phil Mickelson: ‘This is the worst I’ve played in the last three months’

Phil Mickelson shot a bogey-free round but he felt he turned a 64 into a 70 at Silverado Resort in the third round of the Safeway Open.

NAPA, Calif. — Phil Mickelson didn’t mince words when asked about his 2-under 70 at Silverado Resort and Spa’s North Course in the third round of the Safeway Open: “This is the worst I’ve played in the last three months.”

Mickelson shot his second straight bogey-free round, which is nothing to sneeze at, but he hit just one fairway on the day and ranks 70th of 73 in strokes gained: off-the-tee (-1.889). “It’s deceptive because I didn’t make a bogey, but I didn’t drive it well, I didn’t chip it well and I didn’t putt well. I turned a 64 into a 70 and I’ve got some work to do,” he said.

Missing fairways will be more exponentially more penal next week at the U.S. Open and Mickelson knows that. He headed straight to the practice-putting green and started working with his Dave Pelz Putting Tutor, the beginning of an extensive range session alongside instructor Andrew Getson in search of answers.

SAFEWAY OPEN: Leaderboard | Tee times, TV info

“I’m not discouraged because I’m fresh and I’m not worn out, so I can put in the time and the effort and the work to hopefully get it fixed,” Mickelson said.

Mickelson made birdies at Nos. 4 and 9, but parred the last nine holes. He improved to 8-under 208, middle of the pack and out of contention for winning the title on Sunday. Asked what he’d like to get out of Sunday’s final round, Mickelson said, “Scoring, getting the ball in the hole, hitting the shots, playing a good final round. You know, there’s some tough pins and to play smart, shape shots into there, make some putts, see if I can shoot something in the low 60s and get some momentum for next week.”

 

Mickelson is using this week as a warmup for the national championship he needs a victory in to complete the career Grand Slam — which this year is at Winged Foot, where he finished second in 2006.

“I would like to at least be competitive, you know, and give myself a reasonable chance. I drove it very poorly all week at Winged Foot in ’06 and my short game was phenomenal, it was the best short game week of my career. I need to strike it better,” he said. “I felt like I have been striking it better. You know, I struck it much better at the PGA (Championship), didn’t putt well, but if I put it together, I think I can be competitive and that’s what I would like to do, is have one or two more good chances at it.”

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After enduring Hurricane Laura, Sam Burns storms to lead at Safeway Open

Sam Burns shot 65 on Friday to grab a 2-stroke lead over Harry Higgs at the Safeway Open.

NAPA, California – Just a few weeks ago, after Hurricane Laura battered the Louisiana community that he calls home, Sam Burns grabbed a chainsaw and chopped down a tree that fell in a neighbor’s driveway across the street.

“I just tried to help out where I could,” he said. “I don’t think I did a whole lot, but I just tried to be a helping hand.”

It puts a water ball and subsequent double bogey at the par-3 11th hole, Burns’s second hole of the day at Silverado Resort and Spa’s North Course, in proper perspective, but it doesn’t mean Burns didn’t simmer on the inside.

“It pissed me off a little bit, woke me up, I guess,” he said. “It picked me up, like, ‘Hey, let’s go.’ Just kind of stuck with it and the golf course opened up for me the rest of the day.”

Did it ever. Burns birdied the next three holes and eight in a 12-hole span to shoot 7-under 65 and open a two-stroke lead over Harry Higgs after the second round of the Safeway Open.

SAFEWAY OPEN: Leaderboard | Tee times, TV info

Burns, 24, is another up-and-coming American pro who has floated under the radar as the likes of Collin Morikawa, Matt Wolff, Norway’s Viktor Hovland won tournaments, and, more recently, Scottie Scheffler, have made headlines. But Burns has an impressive pedigree too: 2014 AJGA Rolex Junior Player of the Year; a three-time state champion at Louisiana; All-American and Jack Nicklaus Award winner in 2016-17. He’s confident his time will come.

“Comparison is kind of the thief of joy. I try to stay as far away from that as possible,” he said. “There’s no timeline for me.”

That timeline could accelerate if he continues playing the way he has during the opening two rounds. Despite the early double bogey, Burns improved to 15-under 129 and hit 16 of 18 greens in the second round and ranks first in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-green. He credited his strong ballstriking performance to his ability to adjust quickly to a new set of irons he put in the bag this week.

“Some of the guys at Callaway came to my house last week and we worked on some stuff with my irons, put the new irons in play. So far, they’ve been pretty good,” He said.

Burns is making his 61st Tour start this week and if anything has slowed his progression, it may be due to breaking his right ankle in July 2019, which forced him to miss the rest of the 2018-19 season.

“I came back and tried to play in the fall but came back too early, just really bothered by my ankle,” said Burns, who made his first FedEx Cup Playoff appearance and finished No. 111 in the standings.

Higgs shot the low round of the day, a bogey-free 62 that included a walk-off albatross.

Australian Cameron Percy (64-68), American D.J. Trahan and Scot Russell Knox (63-69) shared third. Knox, the overnight leader, was stuck in neutral most of the day, but finished with birdies on the final two holes and drew inspiration from the U.S. Open tennis.

“I watched a great tennis match last night, Serena Williams and Victoria Azarenka. Azarenka got dominated the first set. It was amazing so watch her pump herself up. Her body language changed and it was really amazing how she lifted her level of play and was able to go on and win the match,” Knox said. “Kind of inspired me to try and do that today. I mean, when things were kind of in neutral, I was like, you know what, let’s get going here. A little Friday fist pumps never hurt anyone.”

Doug Ghim (66), one of 13 players who had to finish his first round in the morning, and James Hahn (65), who has 14 events remaining on a medical exemption to regain his playing privileges, are tied for six at 11 under.

“I’m just counting down the number of tournaments that I have remaining,” Hahn said. “Just kind of walking the course today, I was just kind of telling myself I have 14 opportunities to win a golf tournament and from there, you know, whatever happens, whether they let me keep playing or whether they tell me to go home, I think I’m just going to go out and try to give it my all.”

Phil Mickelson birdied three holes in a row beginning at No. 8 and posted a bogey-free round of 67.

“I needed to go a little bit lower, but I’ve got a chance if I go really low tomorrow, 8- 9-under, to get myself in it for Sunday,” Mickelson said.

Major winners Jordan Spieth, Sergio Garcia and Shane Lowry won’t have that chance as they were among the casualties of the 36-hole cut.

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Pat Perez sheds long locks: ‘It was just driving me nuts’

Pat Perez feels like he lost 40 pounds due to cutting his hair. The PGA Tour pro debuted his new look at the Safeway Open.

NAPA, California – New season, new hairdo for Pat Perez, who hacked off several inches a week ago. That doesn’t deserve a breaking news bulletin by any stretch of the imagination, but after going a year without doing so, his look this week is noticeably different.

He went from Steven Seagal waking up from a coma in the movie “Hard to Kill” to, well, Pat Perez.

“I had to, I couldn’t do it anymore. It was blowing in my eyes last week,” said the also clean-shaven Perez. “I feel like I lost 40 pounds. I don’t look like it, but I feel like I did.”

That’s not the only change for Perez. He moved the position of the golf ball in his stance on his putting stroke and the putts started rolling in. Perez carded a 3-under 69 on Friday at Silverado Resort and Spa’s North Course to improve to 10-under 134 after 36 holes at the Safeway Open.

SAFEWAY OPEN: Leaderboard | Tee times, TV info

“My ball was just too far up, which makes me hit across it and up, which makes it spin right. Left to rights, I’ve been really bad on them,” said Perez of his decision to move the ball about two balls back in his stance. “Started making some putts and I thought, you know, might as well go with it. I’m pretty comfortable standing over the putter right now.”

Perez already has holed over 212 feet of putts through 36 holes and ranks sixth in the field in Strokes Gained: Putting (+3.681).

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And then the hair was gone.

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Perez also worked with swing instructor Drew Steckel on making a swing change that is paying quick dividends.

“I’ve finally tried to get (my wrist) bowed at the top more, then drop it in the slot. It’s really hard because I’ve done it the other way for so long and I’ve just been reluctant to do it. But I started hitting it just so bad and so sideways, I just couldn’t do it anymore, I had to make a switch,” he said. “I’m so afraid of hitting it left with that motion, but when I do it right, it just feels incredible. I’ve seen some shots this week I haven’t seen in so long, I’m pretty excited about it going forward throughout this fall season. Keep working on it and see what happens.”

Perez, 44, heard his fair share of jokes about his long hair, but his wife liked it so he kept his barber at bay. He appreciated being told that the shorter ‘do made him look younger.

A before and after of Pat Perez who had a major haircut. (Kyle Terada/ USA Today Sports and Jed Jacobsoh/Getty Images)

“I heard it all. Great moss, lettuce, hockey hair, you name it,” he said, noting that he might grow it long again. “It was just driving me nuts. It was so hot this summer and it just was like a drape.”

Almost as long as his hair is the length of the time since Perez has been part of the trophy hunt. His last of three Tour victories was the 2017 CIMB Classic, and he hasn’t recorded a top-10 finish since the 2019 Mayakoba Classic nearly a year ago. He withdrew from his two most recent starts with a foot injury at the Wyndham Championship and an ankle injury at the Northern Trust. Perez trails leader Sam Burns by five strokes.

“I’ve played horrible for so many weeks, I was fighting trying to get going, trying to hit it like this, but now, I don’t know, it always feels great being in contention,” he said. “That’s why we’re out here, to have a chance to win, at least have a good week and that’s all you ask for.”

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Watch: Harry Higgs makes walk-off albatross to shoot 62 at Safeway Open

During the PGA Tours Safeway Open, Harry Higgs made a walk-off albatross. He finished with a 62 and is in contention after the second round.

NAPA, California – Harry Higgs had a day to remember at Silverado Resort & Spa’s North Course. He capped off a 10-under 62 by holing out his second shot from 230 yards at the par-5 ninth hole for an albatross.

“There’s not really much to say. I hit my 4-iron solid, it drew a little bit, landed short, rolled in the hole,” he said. “I mean, what a wonderful way to end the day and also just really weird. Being the last hole, it’s so final.”

Higgs said he knew he hit it on the button and then he heard a volunteer stationed just left of the green scream, “It’s in the hole, it’s in the hole!”

Higgs’s reaction was priceless.

SAFEWAY OPEN: Leaderboard | Tee times, TV info

“I just took my club and threw it on the ground. It was just full panic,” he said. “You get so amped up and excited, I might fling that thing and Lord knows where it goes. I’m sure it looked funny and ridiculous. I’m sure it could probably be a ‘not top-10 play’ just based on the poor reaction that I gave it.

“No, I mean, what a great way to finish. I had a little panic freakout, jump for joy and then I threw my club.”

Once the euphoria dissipated, his mind shifted to what did marking a two on his scorecard do for his chances in the Safeway Open.

“I finished and said, ‘What did we even shoot?’ I felt like I was 6, 7, 8, something like that,” he said. Try 10, as in under and a bogey-free day to boot. “It was just one of those days where good numbers, good feel, was really exact, didn’t ever push it too far where you could short-side yourself if you mis-hit it. I holed plenty of putts and they were often pretty close, but I holed plenty of putts. There are a few more that I would like to have, I left a couple short throughout the day, but you can’t complain, I just shot 62. If I complain, no one’s going to listen.”

Starting the second round on the back nine, Higgs made back-to-back birdies at Nos. 11 and 12, and then reeled off four birdies in a row beginning at 15. He made the turn in 30. He tacked on a birdie at the third hole when he drained a 14-foot birdie, but then cooled off with five straight pars before his remarkable finish. And what did Higgs do with his albatross ball?

“I signed it and gave it to the volunteer,” he said. “Rufus was with us today, I just signed it, ‘Thanks for going with us, 2 on No. 9,’ a couple exclamation points, signed it and handed it to him. I figure that was better than me keeping it and losing it.”

It marked the first albatross on the Tour since Johnson Wagner in the first round of the 2019 RSM Classic at the 15th hole, and Higgs became the third player in tournament history to do so.

Higgs recorded one of seven top-25 finishes here a year ago in his rookie campaign, and is searching for his first PGA Tour title. He improved to 13-under 131 and trails Sam Burns by two strokes at the midway point. His final-hole heroics made for an unforgettable round, but Higgs was worried about probably the only potential downside of making an albatross.

“I hope that I can like calm down in an hour or so, so I can take a nap,” he said. “I was looking forward to a nap all day long and I might be too jacked up now to actually fall asleep.”

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Final hole nightmare has Jordan Spieth packing bags, still searching for lost form

Jordan Spieth acknowledged his continued struggles at the Safeway Open and remained confident that things will start to come together.

“We may as well pack our bags.”

That’s what Jordan Spieth said to his caddie on his final hole of Friday’s second round of the Safeway Open in Napa, California. Instead of staying in Wine Country for two more rounds, Spieth knew he had to decide whether to head home to Texas for a couple days of rest or head to New York for some extra prep time at Winged Foot ahead of next week’s U.S. Open.

And it all happened in an instant. Looking for mini-victories as he tries to emerge from a slump lasting more than two years, Spieth was on the cutline and on the ninth hole of the North Course at Silverado Resort and Spa when his travel itinerary changed as quickly as his second shot on the par-5 banged off a tree limb and headed straight into a hazard.

Thinking he needed to make birdie to feel comfortable about making the cut, Spieth had to take a drop and made double-bogey 7 and packed his bags.

SAFEWAY OPEN: Leaderboard | Tee times, TV info

He declined to speak to the media following the round but then again, the story hasn’t changed. Spieth’s struggles continue, whether he’s fighting an uncooperative driver, dealing with sluggish iron play or clashing with his putter.

And momentum? He can’t find any.

The former world No. 1 has dropped to 67th in the official world rankings and he hasn’t won since capturing the Claret Jug in the 2017 Open Championship. The three-time major champion, with 11 PGA Tour titles on his resume, has played 54 events since finishing in a tie for third in the 2018 Masters and has more missed cuts – 10 – than top-10 finishes – 8.

Since golf returned in June following a 13-week break due to COVID-19, Spieth has one top-10 and three MCs. His latest trunk slammer came Friday when, after starting on the 10th hole, he was piecing together a good round despite not having his best form. There was Spieth magic – he knocked in a flop shot for birdie on 17 after his errant approach clanked off a camera tripod. He also knocked a long iron from 222 yards to two feet for a birdie on the seventh and had four other birdies.

He was grinding toward the weekend before it all ended on the ninth hole.

Jordan Spieth during the second round of the 2020 Safeway Open at Silverado Resort in Napa, California. (Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)

But Spieth will continue to grind. He won’t sulk, won’t get lazy, won’t quit. He’s confident his best form will return along with his status as one of the game’s best.

“I almost feel at times like the game is testing me a little bit right now because I feel really good about the progress I’ve been making, and then it seems like I’ll really have one (good round) brewing, and then I’ll get where I used to hit a tree and go in the fairway, it’ll hit a tree and go off the cart path out-of-bounds,” Spieth said ahead of the 102nd PGA Championship last month.

“It just feels like I kind of here or there am taking some punches right now.”

The latest haymaker came on the ninth hole in Napa, where his ball hit a tree but didn’t go into the fairway.

“I’m in no hurry,” Spieth said at the PGA Championship. “I’ve got a lot of years in front of me and hopefully the best years in front of me. I just stay the course. I keep my head down, focus on what our team is trying to accomplish and work each day really, really hard. I’ve worked my butt off over the last year mentally, physically and mechanically.

“Things will start to come together.”

Since those words, Spieth has tied for 71st in the PGA Championship, tied for 72nd in the Wyndham Championship and missed the cut in the Northern Trust and the Safeway Open. And now he heads to Winged Foot, a rugged course that is not kind to anyone trying to emerge from an abyss of poor play.

But Spieth will continue his search for lost form no matter where his travels take him.

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