Farmers Insurance Open Preview

Farmers Insurance Open Preview

Ladies and Gentlemen, we’ve officially reached the unofficial start of the PGA Tour season. Let’s take a look at the course, players, and some terribly inaccurate predictions for the upcoming Farmers Insurance Open in La Jolla, CA.

The Course(s):

Torrey Pines GC, San Diego, (La Jolla), CA

North Course: Par 72, 7,258 Yards

South Course: Par 72, 7,698 Yards

Yes, we have another one of those weird events where the players will play two different courses. Some will tee off on the North Course (much easier) Thursday, then play the South Course (former U.S. Open venue) Friday and vice versa. Those who make the 36-hole cut will then play the South Course through the weekend. Torrey Pines is widely considered one of the nicest municipal courses in the U.S., as it should be, considering it’s also in one of the richest neighborhoods in the U.S.

Distance is always at a premium at the South Course, which stretches into one of the longest on Tour. Distance can sometimes be negated if the wind blows off the ocean, but generally the bombers will have an advantage. The South Course will again host the U.S. Open in 2021.

The Players:

The FIO generally sports a strong field, and this year is no exception. While many of the Euros wait until later in the year to play in the U.S., Jon Rahm (2) and Justin Rose (6) will tee it up, as well as Rickie Fowler (7), Hideki Matsuyama (5) and Jason Day (14). The notable exclusion is Dustin Johnson, who usually plays this event. Of course, all eyes will be on Tiger as he plays his first “real” tournament since last year’s FIO, where he missed the cut.

Rahm is the heavy favorite yet again, coming off a victory at the Career Builder Challenge and winning this event last year. Again, if the wind blows, it’s anyone’s game.

Prediction:

Justin Rose is in excellent form at the moment, and there are a lot of hometown guys who know the course well, but I’ll once again go with Rahm. He came out of nowhere last year to vault all the way to #2 in the world, and has all the tools to be a long-time superstar on tour. I don’t usually like to pick guys that have won the previous week, but he’s one of the few I’ll make an exception for.

 

Losing DraftKings Lineup:

Jon Rahm

Tony Finau

Jhonnatan Vegas

Jamie Lovemark (Local)

Charley Hoffman (Local)

Michael Kim (Local)

 

Enjoy the tournament this weekend, and remember, we’re not that far away from playing on the course ourselves. Happy Golfing!

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