The PGA Tour’s West Coast swing continues with its annual return to the famed Torrey Pines, a 36-hole course just north of San Diego, California, for the Farmers Insurance Open.
The Farmers is played on both Torrey Pines’ South, (7,765 yards) and North (7,258 yards) courses; golfers will play one round each on the South and North before the 36-hole cut. The final two rounds will be played on the South Course, which also hosted the 2008 and 2021 US Opens.
Set atop the cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean, Torrey Pines has been kind to Australians over the years with Marc Leishman and Jason Day recent winners.
Here are the players we like this week:
Jon Rahm $8
Even at $8, it’s not bad value for a world No.1 with a record as hot as Rahm at Torrey. Rahm grabbed his first PGA Tour win at Torrey, in 2017, as well as his first Major, the 2021 US Open. He also owns results of T5, 2 and T7 at the Farmers. Adding to the nostalgia is the fact he got engaged in the La Jolla area, so it’s a spiritual home for Rahm. Did we mention he shares the course record (62) on the North course (1st round, 2019)?
Marc Leishman $34
Leishman could have won multiple times at Torrey by now, a place he says he felt at ease from the moment of his first visit as a teenager for the Junior World championships. Leishman won the Farmers in 2020, and he also has two runner-ups among seven top-25s in 13 starts. At $34, he is solid value.
Tony Finau $26
Finau has everything Torrey Pines asks of its champions – length, accuracy and the ability to put on California poa annua greens in (US) winter. It’s no wonder why Finau has a seven top-25 results from as many starts, including four top 10s. Finau will win here soon. Why not this week?
Dark Horse: Francesco Molinari $71
The 2018 British Open winner has a record at Torrey worth having a bet on and he is coming off a T6 at last week’s PGA Tour event in the California desert. The Italian finished T13 at the 2021 US Open at Torrey Pines and T10 at 2021 Farmers.
Top Aussie: Leishman (see above)
Aussies abroad (courtesy of Australian Golf Media)
PGA Tour
Farmers Insurance Open
Torrey Pines, San Diego, California, USA
4.20am (South course) Jason Day, Hideki Matsuyama, Joaquin Niemann
4.30am (South) Marc Leishman, Phil Mickelson, Patrick Reed
4.30am (North course) Cam Davis, Sungjae Im, Michael Thompson
5.40am (North) Matt Jones, Billy Horschel, Brandt Snedeker
6am (North) Brett Drewitt, Austin Smotherman, Michael Block
Defending champion: Patrick Reed
Past Aussie winners: Marc Leishman (2020) and Jason Day (2015, 2018)
Top Aussie prediction: Marc Leishman
TV guide: Live 4am-8am Friday, Saturday; Live 7am-12pm Sunday, Monday on Fox Sports 503
DP World Tour
Slync.io Dubai Desert Classic
Majilis Course, Emirates Golf Club, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
2.10pm* Scott Hend, Maximilian Kieffer, Haotong Li
3.50pm* Jason Scrivener, Antoine Rozner, Chris Paisley
6.50pm* Wade Ormsby, Darren Fichardt, Lucas Bjerregaard
7.30pm Adam Scott, Robert MacIntyre, Tommy Fleetwood
7.40pm Lucas Herbert, Padraig Harrington, Rasmus Hojgaard
8.10pm* Maverick Antcliff, Marc Warren, Eddie Pepperell
Defending champion: Paul Casey
Past Aussie winners: Richard Green (1997) and Lucas Herbert (2020)
TV guide: Live 3pm-8pm, 10.30pm-12.30am Thursday; Live 6.30pm-12.30am Friday; Live 7.30pm-12.30am Saturday; Live 7:30pm-12.00am Sunday on Fox Sports 503
LPGA Tour
Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio
Boca Rio Golf Club, Boca Raton, Florida, USA
3.45am* Katherine Kirk, Christina Kim, Marissa Steen
4.40am* Karrie Webb, Su Oh, Inbee Park
Defending champion: Nelly Korda
Past Aussie winners: Nil
Top Aussie prediction: Su Oh
TV guide: Replay 1pm Friday, Saturday; Live 4am-7am Sunday, Monday on Fox Sports 503
