PGA Tour’s 2017-18 season opener
What: Safeway Open Where: Silverado Resort, Napa (North Course/7,203 yards, par 72) When: Thursday through Sunday Purse: $6.2 million 2016 winner: Brendan Steele (18-under-par) Tickets: safewayopen.com TV: 2:30-5:30 daily, Golf Channel Quick turnaround: Eleven days after the Tour Championship ended — and only four days after Sunday’s final round of the Presidents Cup — the new PGA Tour season tees off in Napa. Most of the world’s top players will skip the event, after playing five of the past six weeks. Lefty’s back: Phil Mickelson is the biggest draw in this year’s field, and also the highest-ranked player at No. 30. Mickelson returns to Napa fresh off a strong performance in the Presidents Cup, in which he helped the U.S. roll past the International team. Mickelson tied for eighth last year at Silverado, shooting four rounds in the 60s (three 69s and a final-round 67). Iowa’s finest: Two-time major champion Zach Johnson will make his inaugural appearance in the tournament. Johnson, with 12 PGA Tour wins in his career, finished 40th on the money list last season and seeks his first victory since he memorably won the British Open at St. Andrews in July 2015. Bear territory: Two players on Cal’s powerful 2012-13 team, Michael Kim and Brandon Hagy, will play this week. Kim tied for third last year at Silverado, after shooting 65-67 on the weekend; that was the highest of his six top-25 finishes for the season. Hagy, who was third on tour in driving distance (averaging 312.7 yards), also posted six top-25s. Stanford flavor: Patrick Rodgers and Maverick McNealy offer a strong Stanford tandem. Rodgers advanced to the second round of the PGA Tour playoffs and nearly nabbed his first victory in July, at the John Deere Classic (he finished second to Bryson DeChambeau). McNealy, who matched the school record of 11 victories shared by Rodgers and Tiger Woods, will make his professional debut this week in Napa. Future champ? Another young player with abundant promise is Sacramento native Cameron Champ. He burst onto the scene at this year’s U.S. Open; he started the weekend only two shots off the lead after shooting 70-69. Champ, a senior at Texas A&M and one of only two amateurs make the cut at Erin Hills, ultimately tied for 32nd. He landed a sponsor exemption to play at Silverado. Quotable: “We’re not going to get that many A-listers, but we’ll have Phil and that really helps. … We’ve had Rory (McIlroy) in the past, and we had Justin Rose and some of these other guys who are pretty dang good: Phil last year, Justin Thomas, Jon Rahm. We’ve had some nice players come here, and some good winners.” — Johnny Miller, tournament host and part-owner of Silverado