Safeway Open: PGA Tour begins its 2017-18 campaign

After an offseason that spanned almost two whole weeks, the PGA Tour is back.

The new season kicks off in Napa, Calif., at the Safeway Open, where Tony Finau enters as a 12/1 favorite.

Most of the top names are taking the week off after playing in the Presidents Cup last week. Phil Mickelson is the only player from the American side in the field and is 16/1, just behind Finau.

Silverado Country Club's North Course hosts the event for the fourth time. It's a par 72 that plays at around 7,200 yards. The course is on the easier side with scores of 15-under winning the first two tournaments and 18-under winning last year.

This is one of the weaker fields of the PGA Tour season. It also has a bunch of fresh faces with the recent crop of Web.com Tour graduates all looking to make an immediate impact like Emiliano Grillo did here two years ago. Grillo won the Web.com Tour Championship, then followed up two weeks later by winning the Safeway.

My card in these early Tour events will be a little more loaded with the Web guys. There tends to be more value there early in the season while books try to figure out just how they fit on the Tour.

Here's a look at my card for the week.

I'll be back later to break down the plays.

Joshua has spent the last five years writing about sports and the last 10 years betting them, mostly on golf. He's one of approximately five people who will watch the PGA over the NFL in November. Follow him on Twitter @JoshuaPerry22

Photo: © Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Be part of the Action

Download the Sports Action app at the App Store or Google Play