Frys.com Open moves to California
BY Bruce Young | US PGA Tour | 2010 Frys.com Open | Preview | 12 Oct 2010
San Martin in California is the new home for the Frys.com Open, an event that in its previous three years was played at the Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale in Arizona.
The move to the Robert Trent Jones designed and redesigned CordeValle Golf Club between San Francisco and the Monterey Peninsula was essentially due to Frys Electronics headquarters being based in San Jose about 30 minutes drive north on 101.
Despite the absence of the PGA Tour’s absolute elite players there are many high quality players of the present and future, more especially amongst the latter, Rickie Fowler and Jamie Lovemark.
Lovemark, who finished runner up in this event twelve months ago, is currently leading the Nationwide Tour money list but gets an invite this week and it will be interesting to see if he can bring his great form over to the PGA Tour.
Rickie Fowler is the only 2010 Ryder Cup player in the field. Buoyed by his remarkable comeback to snatch a half point in the singles matches against Edoardo Molinari and keep his team alive till the death at Celtic Manor, Fowler must be a chance to break through for his first PGA Tour victory.
Bo Van Pelt has not won this season but he has been one of the more consistent players and after his 6th place finish last week in Georgia I expect him to do well. He made it to the Tour Championship and contended in events such as the Players and the Memorial where the fields were considerably stronger than this.
Arjun Atwal has played beautifully these last few weeks, winning in Greensboro and then finishing third last week in Georgia. He has had a very good season overall and it would not surprise to see it continue this week.
Joe Durant is another who is playing very well at present, a 6th place last week in Georgia following two top twenties in his two previous starts. The 46 year old is still the most accurate driver on the PGA Tour and this strategic golf course this week might just suit.
Justin Leonard has played very solidly in recent months without really threatening – except for his third place finish in Greensboro. He seems to be building momentum however and at his best he is more than capable of handling this field.
Stuart Appleby shot 59 to win the Greenbrier event over two months ago and has made every cut since but he has seldom contended in that time. He has had a month off since the BMW so could be better for the break.
Other Australians in the field are Aaron Baddeley, Cameron Percy, David Lutterus, Greg Chalmers, James Nitties, Jarrod Lyle, Mathew Goggin, Nathan Green, Rod Pampling and Steve Elkington with all but Chalmers, Green and Elkington in desperate need of something special if they are to be playing with full status on the PGA Tour in 2011.
