Tiger Woods, U.S. Open and more: Big year ahead for NorCal golf

Most of the world’s best golfers will begin the New Year on Thursday in Maui — they’re no fools — but they also will spend time in Northern California in 2019.

Lots of time.

The year ahead bubbles with marquee events in the region, highlighted by the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach in June. This will be the sixth Open at Pebble and the first since Graeme McDowell won there in 2010.

But there’s more on tap in ’19. Northern California, which once struggled to attract pro tournaments beyond the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and an occasional Open, will host four PGA Tour events this calendar year — and an LPGA tournament, to boot.