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๐จ๐จ๐จ RTL - PSA! The PGA Tour starts on Wednesday this week.
We will stay in beautiful southern California for another week and play the Farmers Insurance Open on the famed North and South courses at Torrey Pines. Quite possibly the best public golf facility in the country, this 36-hole facility sits on the cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Players will compete once on the North and once on the South over the first two rounds. Those making the 36-hole cut will compete on the South Course for the weekend.
California has been under siege from the weather over the last month. Storms have been drenching the state in historic fashion. Director of Agronomy Devin Cullen said, "With a few rain events still projected between now and the tournament, Iโm expecting the course to play longer and thicker than it already does. Should be fun.โ Not sure what his definition of fun is, but I believe it will take some serious length and accuracy to tame Torrey this week.
The Farmers has always captured a solid field. The two courses, date on the calendar alongside Tiger's annual start to the season carried the competition. This year is different. Framers doesn't carry a "designated" title on the schedule and going forward will have to create a stir of its own without the big cat.
The courses at Torrey are visually stunning. The stark contrast between the elevated architecture resting cliffside against the beautiful blue Pacific Ocean creates a wonderful palate. Unfortunately, the holes aren't nearly as interesting as the landscape. Rees Jones completed his last renovation in 2019. What's left of this William Bell father-son original is big, brutal and (if I'm honest) boring.
Much like the contrast between course and sea, this week will not be the birdie-fest we just saw in Palm Springs. The average winning score over the past ten years at Torrey is 13 under par (-15 average for the past five editions). Although all winners at the Farmers are great ball strikers, they aren't always high on the odds board.
The field of 156 competitors will be cut to the Top 65 and ties for the weekend. Nestled between two Pro-Ams on the PGA Tour schedule, I'm excited to see some challenging golf. For three rounds, they will play a beast of course. The South stretches 7,700+ yards and will be playing long. It's probably not too hard for us to figure out what it will take to contend as a skill set. Who will those golfers be? Keep reading, and you'll be sure to find out!
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Farmers on TV:
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Who's on our List?
The last ten winners of the Farmers Insurance Open gained an average of 5.3 strokes against the field from tee to green (SG:T2G). Torrey Pines is a ball-strikers testing ground. Take for example the two men in the playoff last year: Will Zalatoris and Luke List. Two of the best long iron and drivers of the golf ball on tour. This week our research begins and ends with the guys who can flat out flush it!
Jon Rahm is the favorite this week and the rest of the tour will be doing everything in their power to stop him from winning three times in three starts. We haven't even played a month in 2023 and I can already tell this season is going to be special. The prototype player for Torrey is Tiger or Rahm for that matter. Get it in play, great iron play, save it around the green when needed and roll it with confidence. I believe big names will continue to win and this course has all the attributes to supply us with another modern champion.
Xander Schauffele (+1200)
Pick 2* (+1800)
Pick 3* (+3000)
Alex Smalley (+8000)
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