Daly to play in Napa PGA Tour opener
Tournament officials did not exactly hide their motives in awarding sponsor exemptions for the PGA Tour’s seasonopening event in Napa — they went for pure power.
That’s why John Daly and Jamie Sadlowski landed spots in the Safeway Open field. Daly and Sadlowski probably won’t plant themselves in contention Oct. 5-8 at Silverado Resort, but they figure to offer entertainment value by unapologetically swinging for the heavens.
“I can’t wait to grip it and rip it for all the fans in Napa,” Daly said in a news release.
Daly, 51, gained renown during his prime — as much for his blue-collar image, personal-life turmoil and mammoth tee shots as for his two major championships (1991 PGA and ’95 British Open). He stands 14th on this year’s Champions Tour money list, with a victory in May and a tie for third Sunday.
Daly has missed the cut in his past 12 starts on the PGA Tour, dating to March 2015.
His most memorable Bay Area appearance, of course, occurred in October 2005, when he tangled with Tiger Woods in a riveting World Golf Championship duel at Harding Park. Daly missed a short par putt and lost on the second playoff hole.
Sadlowski, a 29-year-old Canadian, lacks Daly’s tour credentials, but he routinely crushes the ball into distant galaxies. He’s a two-time World Long Drive champion who abandoned those competitions last year to make a run at the PGA Tour.
His first tee shot at Colonial in May, in his first tour start, traveled 365 yards. Sadlowski shot 73-77 and missed the cut.
He’s had modest success this season on the Mackenzie Tour in his home country, making four cuts in eight starts. His best finish was a tie for 14th this month.
Stanford alum Maverick McNealy, who announced Wednesday that he will turn pro next month, also accepted a sponsor exemption to play in the Napa tournament. Phil Mickelson previously committed to join the field, as well.