Less than two weeks before it hosts the first PGA Tour event in
Silicon Valley, CordeValle Golf Club is almost ready for its
close-up.
Less than two weeks before it hosts the first PGA Tour event in Silicon Valley, CordeValle Golf Club is almost ready for its close-up.
Construction is picking up along the resort’s tranquil championship course this month, as workers install grandstands, skyboxes and hospitality tents for the Oct. 14-17 Frys.com Open.
The major structures are scheduled to be completed by Oct. 8, five days prior to the official start of the tournament week, a PGA Tour official who oversees the construction said in an e-mail. Final touches will be done next weekend.
The grandstands, which are open to the public, seat about 2,000 people and are located at the 17th and 18th greens – normally the eighth and ninth – and first and 13th tees.
The are also 10 skyboxes along the 18th green and four lining the 17th. Each will hold 50 people per day.
Hospitality tents are being built on the 18th fairway, 18th green, 17th green and the patio of the clubhouse.
There will also be three social clubs with prime views of the 17th tee (The Drive, sponsored by Audi), the ninth green (The Turn) and the Nos. 1-13 tees (The Starter) with preferred seating for hospitality clients, VIPs and weeklong badgeholders. Each club will accommodate 10-14 people.
The number of spectators each day of the tournament is limited to 15,000.
COMMITMENTS
Justin Leonard and Henrik Stenson are among the latest players who have committed to play in the Frys.com Open.
Leonard is a 12-time PGA Tour winner, including the 1996 British Open, and Stenson has won two PGA events. Both have played in multiple Ryder Cups – Leonard for the U.S., Stenson for Europe – and have been ranked as high as fourth and fifth, respectively, in the world.
Robert Allenby, a four-time PGA Tour winner, and Trevor Immelman, a two-time winner, have also committed to play in the tournament as have 2008 Zurich Classic champion Andres Romero and Kevin Streelman, ranked 67th on the PGA Tour money list.
Players have until 5 p.m. Oct. 8 to commit to play.
CELL PHONES ALLOWED
As part of a test done by the PGA Tour, fans will be allowed to carry mobile devices at the Frys.com Open and use them in select areas on the golf course, tournament director Ian Knight announced recently.
The test is being conducted to gauge the possibility of integrating mobile devices into the tour to enhance the overall fan experience.
“We understand that mobile devices have become a part of everyday life,” Rick George, PGA Tour chief of operations, said in a press release. “There is a balance we are looking to achieve between maintaining the integrity of the competition and allowing spectators to utilize their mobile devices in various capacities. We anticipate our fans will be respectful of the policy, and we thank the Frys.com Open for its willingness to help with the testing process.”
Current Frys.com Open entries:
Blake Adams, Michael Allen, Arjun Atwal, Briny Baird, Rich Barcelo, Ricky Barnes, Cameron Beckman, Matt Bettencourt, Henrik Bjornstad, Kris Blanks, Jason Bohn, Justin Bolli, Craig Bowden, Jonathan Byrd, Alex Cejka, Greg Chalmers, Kevin Chappell, Daniel Chopra, Chad Collins, Michael Connell, Ben Curtis, John Daly, Brian Davis, Graham DeLaet, Brent Delahoussaye, Chris DiMarco, James Driscoll, David Duval, Steve Elkington, Brad Faxon, Steve Flesch, Martin Flores, Rickie Fowler, Robert Garrigus, Tom Gillis, Mathew Goggin, Jeff Gove, Paul Goydos, Nathan Green, Mathias Gronberg, Todd Hamilton, Tim Herron, Charley Hoffman, Ryuji Imada, Trevor Immelman, Lee Janzen, Kevin Johnson, Richard S. Johnson, Matt Jones, Jerry Kelly, Greg Kraft, Cliff Kresge, Derek Lamely, Marc Leishman, Justin Leonard, Michael Letzig, Spencer Levin, Jamie Lovemark, Bill Lunde, David Lutterus, Jarrod Lyle, Will MacKenzie, John Mallinger, Troy Matteson, Billy Mayfair, Scott McCarro, Parker McLachlin, Andrew McLardy, George McNeill, Rocco Mediate, John Merrick, Troy Merritt, Shaun Micheel, Bryce Molder, Garth Mulroy, James Nitties, Joe Ogilvie, Greg Owen, Rod Pampling, Brenden Pappas, Cameron Percy, Pat Perez, Tom Pernice, Jr., Tim Petrovic, Carl Pettersson, Scott Piercy, D.A. Points, Aron Price, Alex Prugh, Ted Purdy, Brett Quigley, Jeff Quinney, Chris Riley, John Rollins, Andres Romero, Rory Sabbatini, Jeev Milkha Singh, Kevin Stadler, Henrik Stenson, Kevin Streelman, Chris Stroud, Brian Stuard, Kevin Sutherland, Roger Tambellini, Josh Teater, Roland Thatcher, Nicholas Thompson, Chris Tidland, D.J. Trahan, Cameron Tringale, Jerod Turner, Omar Uresti, Vance Veazey, Johnson Wagner, Charles Warren, Isaac Weintraub, Brett Wetterich, Steve Wheatcroft, Charlie Wi, Jay Williamson, Chris Wilson, Dean Wilson, Mark Wilson.
