2015 Frys.com Open Pre-Tournament Notes

  • Dates: October 12-18, 2015
  • Where: Silverado Resort & Spa (North Course), Napa, Calif.
  • Par/Yards: 36-36–72/7,203 yards
  • Field: 144
  • 2014 champion: Sangmoon Bae
  • Purse: $6,000,000/$1,080,000 (winner)
  • FedExCup: 500 points (winner)
  • Format: 72-hole stroke play
  • Website: frysopengolf.com
  • Facebook: facebook/frysopengolf
  • Twitter: @frysopengolf

A look at the 2014 Frys.com Open

  • In his first start at the Frys.com Open, Sangmoon Bae converted a four-stroke lead after 54 holes into a two-stroke margin of victory over Steven Bowditch. In round three, Bae made five consecutive birdies early, on hole Nos. 2-6, and ended strong with an eagle-birdie finish on Nos. 17 and 18, respectively.
  • With his win, Bae became the third international winner of the event, joining Jonas Blix (2013) and Mike Weir (2007). His victory at Silverado also marked the 15th win by a player of Korean-descent.
  • Following his win early in the 2014-15 PGA TOUR Season, Bae would add four additional top-10 finishes to his season, en route to berths in all four of the FedExCup Playoffs events, where Bae was selected by Captain Nick Price to represent the International Team in the Presidents Cup in his home country of South Korea (2-1-1). Due to military obligations in South Korea, Bae will remain in country after the Presidents Cup and be unable to defend his Frys.com Open title.

Frys.com Open and the FedExCup

  • This week, the PGA TOUR begins its third season featuring a wraparound schedule that bridges two years with 47 events.
  • The 2015-16 PGA TOUR Season kicks off with the Frys.com Open and includes seven events during the fall of 2015, all of which will award FedExCup points.
  • After a seven week break, the season will resume in January with the traditional swing through Hawaii before moving to the West Coast.
  • The FedExCup Playoffs once again features four events and concludes in September 2015 with the TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola and the crowning of the FedExCup champion.
  • Every week is significant in the race for the FedExCup – four of the seven winners from the fall calendar of 2014 (Sangmoon Bae, Robert Streb, Bubba Watson and Charley Hoffman) qualified for the TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola and two others (Ryan Moore and Ben Martin) finished inside the top 40.

Johnny Miller and Dave Stockton at the 2015 Frys.com Open

  • PGA TOUR great Johnny Miller – a World Golf Hall of Fame Member and one of the owners of Napa Valley’s Silverado Resort and Spa – will again have a big presence on site at this year’s Frys.com Open.
    • In being selected as last year’s honoree, Miller amassed 25 PGA TOUR victories, including major championship victories at the 1973 U.S. Open and 1976 Open Championship. He also won twice on TOUR at Silverado, winning the Kaiser International Open in back to back seasons (1974-75).
  • Miller joins an impressive roster of Frys.com Open honorees, including Peter Jacobsen (2013), Ken Venturi (2012), Roger Maltbie (2011) and Robert Trent Jones II (2010).
  • The Honoree of this year’s Frys.com Open is Dave Stockton.
    • A California native, Stockton won the Champions Tour’s Napa Valley Championship at Silverado Resort and Spa in 1993.
  • Past honorees include Roger Maltbie (2011), Ken Venturi (2012), Peter Jacobsen (2013) and Johnny Miller (2014).

PGA TOUR returns to Silverado Resort & Spa

  • The PGA TOUR returns to Silverado Resort & Spa’s North Course this week for the second-straight year of the Frys.com Open.
  • Silverado also hosted a TOUR event from 1968-1980, contested as the Kaiser International Open Invitational from 1968-1976 and the Anheuser-Busch Golf Classic from 1977- 1980.
  • Among an impressive list of winners at that event are two-time winner/current Frys.com Open host Johnny Miller (1974-75), Jack Nicklaus (1969), Ben Crenshaw (1980) and Tom Watson (1978). In addition, the Champions Tour hosted an event at Silverado from 1989-2002.

Notables in the Field

  • Although he will be making just his first start in the Frys.com Open, world No. 3 Rory McIlroy returns to Northern California with good vibes.
    • His first of two wins on the PGA TOUR this past season came in May at the World Golf Championships-Dell Match Play Championship at TPC Harding Park in San Francisco.
    • Two starts later, McIlroy claimed his second victory of the season at the Wells Fargo Championship.
    • In all, McIlroy claimed seven top-10 finishes in just 12 starts on TOUR and ended the season ranked 15th in the FedExCup standings.
    • At 26 years old, McIlroy comes to this week’s Frys.com Open with 11 TOUR titles under his belt, of which four are major championship titles.
  • Like McIlroy, Justin Rose is poised to make his first start at the Frys.com Open this season.
    • Earlier this year in the 2014-15 PGA TOUR Season, Rose captured his seventh TOUR title at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans.
    • Rose is coming off a stellar season, having collected eight top-10 finishes in 20 starts, including his win in New Orleans. He ended the season by claiming a share of second place at the TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola, en route to finishing eighth in the FedExCup standings.
    • 2014-15 PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year Daniel Berger collected six top-10 finishes this past season, including a playoff loss at The Honda Classic and a solo-second at the BMW Championship in the FedExCup Playoffs. As the only rookie to make it to the TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola, Berger finished 11th in the FedExCup standings.
      • Berger is making his second-straight start at the Frys.com Open. Following rounds of 75-72 last year, he missed the cut at Silverado.
    • Looking to improve on last year’s runner-up finish at Silverado, Australian Steven Bowditch returns to this week’s Frys.com Open on the heels of his first appearance in The Presidents Cup (1-2-0).
      • Persuaded by 10 top-25 finishes, including his second career PGA TOUR win at the AT&T Byron Nelson, Bowditch was one of the two Captain’s picks for the International Team by Captain Nick Price.

A broader look at the field

  • Fifteen winners from the 2014-15 PGA TOUR Season.
  • Eight players from the 2015 TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola.
  • Four participants in last week’s Presidents Cup; Steven Bowditch (1-2-0), Chris Kirk (1-2-0), Hideki Matsuyama (2-1-1) and Charl Schwartzel (1-3-0).

Additional Frys.com Open Notes/Records

  • Before Sangmoon Bae last year, the Frys.com Open had produced three straight come-frombehind winners; Bryce Molder (2011), Jonas Blixt (2012) and Jimmy Walker (2013).
  • Before Bae, the last 54-hole leader to hang on for the win was Rocco Mediate in 2010, who also owns the only wire-to-wire win at the Frys.com Open.
  • The 72-hole tournament record is 18-under 262, held by five players (most recently 2009 champion Troy Matteson and runners-up Rickie Fowler and Jamie Lovemark).
  • Best 18 hole Score (each at Grayhawk GC): 61, Mark Hensby (R2/2007), Kevin Stadler (R2/2008/), Mike Weir (R4/2009), Troy Matteson (R2/2009 and R3/2009).
  • Best Round 1 Score: 62 (Nick O’Hern in 2012/CordeValle GC). • Best Round 2 Score: 61 (Hensby/2007, Stadler/2008, Matteson/2009).
  • Best Round 3 Score: 61 (Matteson/2009).
  • Best Round 4 Score: 61 (Mike Weir/2009).
  • Best 36-hole score: 128 (John Mallinger, 2012/CordeValle GC).
  • Best 54-hole score: 194 (Troy Matteson, 2009).
  • The Frys.com Open has produced eight aces, most recently Y.E. Yang in 2013 (R2/No. 7/CordeValle GC).
  • Low finish by a winner: 63 (Cameron Beckman, 2008).
  • High finish by a winner: 73 (Rocco Mediate, 2010, CordeValle GC).
  • Low start by a winner: 64 (Rocco Mediate, 2010, CordeValle GC).
  • High start by a winner: 72 (Troy Matteson, 2009).
  • Largest 18-hole lead: 3 (Nick O’Hern, 2012, CordeValle GC).
  • Largest 36-hole lead: 4 (John Mallinger, 2012, CordeValle GC).
  • Largest 54-hole lead: 3 (Troy Matteson, 2009; Rocco Mediate, 2010, CordeValle GC).
  • Largest margin of victory: 2 (Jimmy Walker, 2014, CordeValle GC).
  • Best come-from-behind win: 3 (Cameron Beckman/2008, Bryce Molder/2011/CordeValle GC, Jimmy Walker/2014/CordeValle GC).

Spotlight Charity

  • American Institute of Mathematics (AIM) The American Institute of Mathematics, a nonprofit organization, was founded in 1994 by Silicon Valley businessmen John Fry and Steve Sorenson, longtime supporters of mathematical research.
  • AIM strives to broaden participation in the mathematical sciences at every level, from professional mathematicians working on the most important mathematical problems of our day, to young students exploring mathematics through activities that encourage collaborative, creative problem solving.
  • The support of Fry’s Electronics has enabled the American Institute of Mathematics to expand its influence and the scope of its important work throughout the world.
  • In addition, the Frys.com Open strives to make an impact in the community through charitable donations and has raised more than $6 million for charity in the past eight years.

About Frys Electronics, Inc.

  • Fry’s Electronics, Inc. was founded in 1985 in Sunnyvale, California in a 20,000 square-foot location by the three Fry brothers, John, Randy, and Dave; and Kathy Kolder, with all the founders actively involved in the daily operation of the business.
  • Founded as a Silicon Valley retail electronics store providing a one-stop-shopping environment for the Hi-Tech Professional, Fry’s continues to keep hitech professionals supplied with products representing the latest technological trends and advances in the personal computer marketplace.
  • Fry’s retails over 50,000 electronic items within each of its 34 stores. Fry’s also provides customers with added shopping opportunities via its online center at Fry’s.com.

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