The next stop on the PGA TOUR is the Farmers Insurance Open, which tees off on Thursday.
Since 1968, the Farmers Insurance Open has been contested at Torrey Pines Golf Course in La Jolla, California. The tournament is played on the North and South courses for the first two rounds, with the more difficult South course hosting on the weekend.
Tiger Woods, a seven-time winner of the event as well as the 2008 U.S. Open that was played on the South course, is recovering from another knee surgery and isn’t in the field. But, three of the top 10 and 10 of the top 20 players in the world will be playing at Torrey Pines this weekend.
Last year’s tournament was won by Marc Leishman, who returns to defend his title. Si Woo Kim was victorious at last week’s American Express, beating Patrick Cantlay by a shot. Kim is also in the field this week.
Three of the top 10 and 10 of the top 20 players in the world will be playing at Torrey Pines this weekend.
Big Names To Watch
While Jon Rahm, the 2017 champion, is the top betting pick at +700 odds, he’s coming off a withdrawal from last week’s American Express due to back issues. Rahm, at number two, is the highest-ranked player in the field, but concerns about his health might make some other favorites better bets.
Seventh-ranked Rory McIlroy is coming off a strong showing at last week’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship on the European Tour. He held the third-round lead but faded to third after a closing even-par 72.
The 31-year-old Irishman’s last PGA TOUR event was at the Masters, where he managed to finish in a tie for fifth after opening with a 75. McIlroy’s odds to win at Torrey Pines are at +750, just behind the frontrunner Rahm. If the four-time major champion with 18 career TOUR wins can overcome some jet lag, he could be a big factor.
Xander Schauffele, a 2015 graduate of nearby San Diego State, has been knocking on the door in the 2021 season. He has three top five finishes and nothing worse than a tie for 17th in five events. In his most recent outing, he managed a fifth-place tie in the Sentry Tournament of Champions.
The 27-year-old finished 2020 with a second-place finish in the FedEx Cup behind champion Dustin Johnson. Schauffele failed to win in 2020, so he should be due to break out for his fifth career victory on TOUR. At odds of +1300, there are a lot worse bets that could be made.
Up and Coming
Viktor Hovland, the 23-year-old Norwegian out of Oklahoma State, is already a multiple winner on TOUR, including the Mayakoba Golf Classic presented by Unifin in December. He’s only missed three cuts in 31 official TOUR starts and plays like a seasoned veteran.
He has four top 15 finishes in six 2021 season events, including the Mayakoba win. He’s up to 14th in the Official World Golf Rankings and is at +2300 odds to win the Farmers.
That’s a cool $2,300 win on a $100 bet on a player who is still learning how to get the ball close to the hole from the fairway. It’s hard to imagine how tough he’ll be when that happens.
