Blog#305 FARMERS INSURANCE OPEN

Blog#305 FARMERS INSURANCE OPEN

TORREY PINES SOUTH COURSE

LA JOLLA, CA JAN 29-FEB 1

PURSE $9,600,000+$300,000 3%

PAR 72 (Both Courses)

Torrey Pines is a municipal course owned by the city of San Diego. Residents pay $44,

And over 62 pay $32. Players play 1 RD each on the North and South Courses. The final 2 are played on the South Course, which is 7765 yards and usually plays 3 or 4 strokes harder than the North 7258’.

FAVORITES

1 Xander Schauffele 14/1 I don’t think his game is back yet after an injury last year.

2 Ludvig Aberg 17/1 I would pick him but he withdrew last week due to illness.

3 Cameron Young 19/1 OWGR 20, In 2025 8 Top 10s and 1st win at Wyndham Championship.

4 SW Kim 22/1 With his meltdown on front 9 last week, I doubt if he can win.

5 Patrick Cantlay 25/1 His age just is not there yet to win.

6 Json Day 25/1 Has a great RD 4 last week

7 Keegan Bradley 25/1 I think he still has Ryder Cup hangover.

8 JJ Spaun 25/1 Had a breakout year last year with. US Open win.

9 Harris English 27/1 Last years winner, very tough to repeat.

10 Hideki Matsuyama 27/1 Hwe got hot last year at Genesis to win, could win.

LONGSHOTS I am picking Cameron Young to win.

Chris Gotterup 30/1 or Ryan Gerard 35/1. They were 1/2 at the Sony so it may be a push.

Will Zalatoris 40/1 Finished 18th last week and coming off a year long injury layoff.

4 Brooks Koepka 55/1 First PGA tournament after 4 years with LIV. It would be a good story if he won. I always suspected he took the LIV $ because his injuries threatened his PGA career (5 major wins, 9 total). He won the PGA Championship as a member of LIV in 2023. Unlike other LIV participants, he did not wear his LIV uniform, but Nike shirt and hat. For me, this was an indication that he was not totally committed to LIV and now is a member of the PGA TOUR.

The Hardest Hole on the South course is #7 Par 4 462’ Dogleg Right. This is the hole where Tiger Woods defeated Rocco Mediate in the 2008 US Open. Woods made a 12’ putt Sunday on the 18th hole after trailing by 5 strokes with 6 holes to play to force an 18 hole playoff on Monday. It was the last time for the US Open to have an 18 hole playoff. Woods, who was in extreme pain from a knee injury, won on the 19th hole which was sudden death. At 32 this was his 4th US Open and his 14th Major. He would not win his 15th until the 2019 Masters.

SEVENTH HOLE