Course Record Set On First Round Of PGA Safeway Open In Napa Valley [PHOTOSHOW]

NAPA COUNTY, CA – Photos and post by Al Francis from the 2016 Safeway Open at the Silverado Resort and Spa in Napa Valley:

Golf fans enjoyed a spectacular opening round Thursday at the Safeway Open PGA Tour event at the Silverado Resort and Spa in Napa.

Scott Piercy, of Las Vegas, started the PGA tour season with a big bang when he set a new course record at the PGA event. The bearded Piercy teed off early and piled up 12 birdies and 2 bogeys for a 10-under round of 62 breaking the previous record by one stroke.

To top that in the early afternoon rounds, Jon Rahm of Spain slipped in a hole-in-one make things more exciting. The excited Rahm bursted into the press room holding up two bottles of William Hill Estate WineryCabernet Sauvignon from the nearby winery to toast his golfing feat with the media.

Much larger crowds came out for the opening round under clear skies, however, meteorologist Willis Young of the PGA said he expected one to two inches of rain at the Napa Valley golf course on Friday morning -- today -- as a result of a cold front bringing tropical moisture from the Gulf of Alaska.

The crowds were much larger for the opening round, compared to the Pro Am the day before. One Bay Area woman was delighted she got to meet golf legend Johnny Miller while having lunch at the Grill. She said she and her husband came for many year to Silverado.

After golf, music was provided on the lawn in front of the main mansion.

For more information on the tournament line-up, see www.safewayopen.com

• Also see: Tiger, Who? Safeway Open Attracts Huge Crowds To Napa Valley [PHOTOSHOW]

Photo credit Al Francis of NapaSonomaPhotos.com.

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