For the second time in four weeks, the PGA Tour returns to Torrey Pines, though this time it’s a signature event. The circumstances are singular, as the Genesis Invitational is traditionally hosted at Riviera in the Pacific Palisades, yet the California wildfires have made the decision to move the event out of Los Angeles an obvious one.
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While the layout’s repetitiveness is certainly a worthwhile criticism, Torrey Pines remains a championship venue that can undeniably challenge the best golfers in the world, and a fitting host for one of the tour’s flagship events. Unlike the Farmers Insurance Open, Torrey Pines South will host all four days of this week’s event, and despite a limited field of 70 players, the tournament will also feature a cut.
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false Public Torrey Pines Golf Course: South La Jolla, CA 3.9 23 Panelists
- 100 Greatest Public
- Best In State
Torrey Pines sits on one of the prettiest golf course sites in America, atop coastal bluffs north of San Diego with eye-dazzling views of the Pacific. Rees Jones’ remodeling of the South Course in the early 2000s not only made the course competitive for the 2008 U.S. Open (won by Tiger Woods in a playoff over Rocco Mediate), it also brought several coastal canyons into play for everyday play, especially on the par-3 third and par-4 14th. An annual PGA Tour stop, Torrey Pines received another boost by Jones prior to hosting its second U.S. Open in 2021, this one won by Jon Rahm. Explore our full review
This time at Torrey, we have a loaded field, including Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa and Ludvig Aberg, amongst others. Xander Schauffele is notably missing in action while still recovering from a hip injury, but it will still be a treat to see many of the best players in the world take on a championship venue. San Diego has experienced more rainfall in the past few weeks, and we can expect softer and more receptive conditions than what we saw at Torrey Pines last month. With that being said, the rough may be an even greater challenge, and long and accurate driving will absolutely be required. Let’s dive into the DraftKings slate for the tour’s third signature event of the season.
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$10,000 range Play: Rory McIlroy, $10,900
I’m expecting a wetter and softer Torrey Pines this year, which should play right into the hands of Rory McIlroy. There are very few skills where McIlroy has a defined and clear edge over Scottie Scheffler, but pure carry distance is certainly one of them, and Torrey Pines in soft conditions remains one of the most distance-biased tests on tour. This is one of the select golf courses on tour where the gap between McIlroy and Scottie should not be this large, if any.
(Only 4 guys, and I would not advocate strongly against any of them)
$9,000 range Play: Taylor Pendrith, $9,000
We have been riding Taylor Pendrith for a number of weeks (if not months) in this column, and this event feels like the ideal breakthrough spot for the big-hitting Canadian. Pendrith has recorded seventh- and ninth-place finishes in his past two appearances at Torrey Pines, and his elite power off the tee and putting upside is a perfect fit for the iconic tour venue.
Fade: Patrick Cantlay, $9,400
Coming off a 33rd-place finish at Pebble Beach, Patrick Cantlay continues to underwhelm, and I’m just not sure the upside is there at this price tag. Cantlay has only recorded one top-25 finish in five appearances at Torrey Pines, and his approach play continues to be a major weakness. Until he starts sniffing contention, there are other directions I’ll be looking at this price point.
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$8,000 range Play: Tony Finau, $8,200
Don’t be swayed by an MC at Torrey Pines a few weeks ago. Tony Finau has a remarkable history at the San Diego venue. In 12 appearances, Finau has recorded nine top-25 finishes and six top-10 finishes. His power off the tee and long iron play continues to pay dividends at Torrey Pines, and he is actually coming off a strong putting performance on the bumpy, Poa greens of Pebble Beach.
Fade: Jordan Spieth, $8,500
I was just as excited as any golf fan to see Jordan Spieth on the first page of the leader board last week in Phoenix, but I’m still not sold that the three-time major winner is all the way back. Even at his peak, Spieth has always underperformed at long and difficult golf courses compared to other elite players, and conquering Torrey Pines still feels like a big ask for a player in his third start back from injury.
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$7,000 range Play: Viktor Hovland, $7,900
I was modestly encouraged by what I saw out of Viktor Hovland at Pebble Beach, and unlike Jordan Spieth, we are still receiving a healthy discount on an elite player. When at his best, Torrey Pines is an excellent fit for Hovland’s skill-set, and the lack of short grass around the greens in exchange for thick rough has generally been a positive for the Norwegian’s short game woes as well.
Fade: Byeong Hun An, $7,700
While Byeong Hun An certainly possesses the power off the tee to compete at Torrey Pines, I simply cannot trust his iron play. An has now lost strokes on approach in all four starts this year. Furthermore, An has failed to finish in the top 40 in four appearances at Torrey Pines, and we have enough of a sample size that something about the San Diego venue simply does not fit his eye.
Flier: Wyndham Clark, $7,300
In terms of players with elite power off the tee and putting upside, Wyndham Clark may present the most value on the entire board. The former U.S. Open champion is quietly beginning to find form, and while he tailed off last week in Phoenix after holding the first-round lead, Torrey Pines is another golf course that fits his skill-set.
$6,000 range Play: Gary Woodland, $6,600
We wrote up Gary Woodland in the low $7,000 range last week, and I see no reason to hop off now. Woodland has quietly finished in the top 25 in all three starts this year, gaining strokes in both ball-striking categories in every occurrence. The former U.S. Open champion at Pebble Beach also has shown a clear comfortability on Poa greens over the year, as well as the chilly, California, coastal climate.
Andy Lack is a PGA Tour writer and podcaster from New York City who now resides in Los Angeles. Andy is the founder and CEO of Inside Sports Network, a website devoted to the predictive quality of advanced analytics and golf course architecture. He came to Golf Digest’s betting panel after previously writing for Run Pure Sports, RickRunGood.com, the Score and GolfWRX. In his free time, Andy can likely be found on a golf course. Follow him on Twitter: @adplacksports
This article was originally published on golfdigest.com
