Horses for Courses: Farmers Insurance Open

Every winter since 1968 the PGA TOUR has been hosted by the famed Torrey Pines Golf Club in La Jolla, California, and this year, thankfully, isn’t any different. The famed South Course will serve as annual host and will also be the venue for this season’s U.S. Open in June. Before we put the cart in front of that horse, for the second week in a row a field of 156 will navigate two courses in Rounds 1 and 2 before moving to the South Course for the final two rounds. This familiar piece of real estate has produced elite leaderboards and that shouldn’t change this week with a deep field. RELATED: Power Rankings | Expert Picks | The First Look The South Course and its undulating Poa annua greens add even more bite than the distance tee to green. It’s hardly a surprise why the USGA will return here to host its national championship again. Both courses have three inches of over-seeded (Rye) Kikuyugrass, as normal, this time of year. Tom Weiskopf’s North Course redesign made its debut in 2017. With friendly bentgrass greens and four Par-5 holes, it plays the easier of the two annually. At just 7,258 yards it will play 507 yards less than the South and with less tallying on the scorecard. The 69th edition of the Farmers Insurance Open will pay out a handsome $7.5 million purse with the winner pocketing $1.35 million and 500 FedExCup points for posting the low four rounds. It never rains in Southern California, but there is Marine Layer, blustery winds and cool temperatures that will have a say before a winner is crowned, hopefully on schedule Sunday. Hold all tickets to the end as just two winners in the last decade held the 54-hole lead and only three this century not named Tiger Woods. Recent Event Winners Stats Recent Winners and Notables 2020: Marc Leishman (-15, 273) Shot 65 on Australia Day to make up four shots and win by one over 2017 champ Jon Rahm. … 65 was the co-low of the week on the South Course. … Posted 11-under on the weekend. … Becomes the fourth consecutive international winner, but just fifth overall in 68 events. … At 35 he joins the club of 30 and older winners in four of the last five events. … Second straight winner to open on the North Course, but just the third since 2010. … Hit only 3 of 14 fairways in the final round, but found 14 of 18 GIR. … One of only 19 rounds in the 60s on Sunday. … Won in his 12th start (10 made cuts). … Entered the week on a personal streak of five straight paydays including a pair of top 10s. Notables: 54-hole leader Jon Rahm (2nd) posted 65, co-low of the week on the South, on Saturday but 70 on Sunday left him one short. … Rory McIlroy (T3) was just one of four players to post both weekend rounds in the 60s (67-69). … 2016 and 2012 winner Brandt Snedeker (T3) picks up another podium, his sixth and sits No. 2 on the all-time money list. … Tom Hoge (5th) closed with 67-68 for his best finish at FIO. … Tony Finau (T6) and Patrick Reed (T6) were the only two post all four rounds 70 or better. … 2011 winner Bubba Watson (T6) played for the first time since 2014. … San Diegan Charley Hoffman (T9) also posted 65 on Sunday. … Ryan Palmer (T21) posted 62 at the North Course and led after 36 holes. … Cameron Davis (T38) posted 65, the second lowest on the North. … Sebastian Cappelen (T21) opened with 66 on the South Course and shared the first round lead. … Only 20 bogey-free rounds for the week. … Cut was 1-under. … Rough was a bushy four inches. … The North Course played almost two shots easier, 70.57 to 72.53. 2019: Justin Rose (-21, 267) Picked up his 10th TOUR win in the easiest conditions at the event since 2001. … Set the 36-hole (-15) and 54-hole (-18) tournament records. … Missed tying the tournament record by a shot. … Became the first winner to play the North Course in Round 1 (63) since 2010. … Played the South Course 12-under. … Third consecutive top 10 at event. … Won in his ninth try. … Closed 2018 on fire and knocked the rust off at The American Express (T34) the week prior. Notables: Adam Scott (2nd) picked the right season for a debut. … Talor Gooch (T3) was the only American in the top seven. … Hideki Matsuyama (T3) posted the only round above par in the top 12 with 73 on Saturday. … Defending champion Jason Day (T5) was seven back. … Rory McIlroy (T5) posted the lowest round on the North Course (65) in Round 2 in his debut. … 2017 winner Jon Rahm (T5) opened with 62 on the North Course to lead after 18, but also posted two rounds of 72 on the South. … Billy Horschel (8th) picked up his second top 10 in four years. … Only Scott played the weekend better than Gary Woodland (T9). … Only one bogey free round on the weekend. … Cut was 3-under. … Scoring average on the South was under par at 71.73. … Weather was perfect. 2018: Jason Day (-10, 278) Defeated Alex Noren and Ryan Palmer (first to be eliminated) in a six-hole playoff for his second victory at Torrey Pines. … Won a four-man playoff in 2015. … As is usual for the winner here, he trailed by three heading into the final round. … Posted one of the 11 rounds (70) in the red on Sunday. … Posted 64 in Round 2 on the North. … Joined the group of recent winners who made hay (T1) on Par-4 holes. … Two wins in nine visits to this point. … T16 in 2020 is his worst payday in his last nine trips. Notables: Noren led by one after 54 holes. … Palmer was paired in the final group and led thru 36 holes. … JB Holmes (4th) posted the round of the week with 65 on Saturday. … Keegan Bradley (5th) backed up his T4 from 2017. … Tony Finau (T6) opened with 65 on the North to lead after 18 and was 9-under after 36. … Charles Howell III (T6) has never missed the cut here and posted 69 on Sunday, the co-low round of the day. … Harris English (T8) picked up his second top 10 in four starts. … Marc Leishman (T8) raked his fourth top 10 in 10 starts. … The light for Justin Rose (T8) finally turned on. … Defending champ Jon Rahm (T29) was one back after 36 holes. … Gary Woodland (T12) 66 on Saturday was only bested by Holmes. … Hideki Matsuyama (T12) closed with 69, tying Howell for the low round Sunday. … Third highest Sunday scoring (74.78) since 2000. Key stat leaders Top golfers in each statistic on the 2019-2020 PGA TOUR are listed only if they are scheduled to compete this week. * – Top 10 finish here since 2016 ** – Previous Champion Strokes-Gained: Tee to Green 2 *Hideki Matsuayama 3 *Jon Rahm 6 *Rory McIlroy 7 Xander Schauffele 8 Harold Varner III 10 Scottie Scheffler 11 *Tony Finau 16 Corey Conners 18 *Harris English 20 Viktor Hovland 22 Luke List 24 Emiliano Grillo 25 Cameron Tringale 26 *Patrick Reed 29 *Ryan Palmer Par-4 Scoring 4 Xander Schauffele 6 *Jon Rahm 6 *Patrick Reed 6 Scottie Scheffler 10 *Harris English 10 *Rory McIlroy 10 *Brandt Snedeker 14 Doc Redman 14 Cameron Tringale 14 *Hideki Matsuyama 14 *Tony Finau 14 Ryan Moore 21 Cameron Percy 21 *Harry Higgs 21 **Scott Stallings 21 *Joel Dahmen 21 **Kyle Stanley 21 Sungjae Im 21 Henrik Norlander 21 *Adam Scott 21 *Bubba Watson Bogey Avoidance 2 *Jon Rahm 3 *Harris English 4 Xander Schauffele 9 Cameron Tringale 11 Russell Knox 20 Adam Schenk 21 *Hideki Matsuyama 22 *Pat Perez 24 *Adam Scott 25 Matthew NeSmith 26 *Brandt Snedeker Horses for Courses

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