Top Underdogs to Bet on at the Farmers Insurance Open

Si Woo Kim putts on the first hole as Max Homa, foreground, watches during the final round of The American Express golf tournament on the Pete Dye Stadium Course at PGA West Sunday, Jan. 24, 2021, in La Quinta, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

The 70th edition of the Farmers Insurance Open this week will be without Tiger Woods and world number one Dustin Johnson, but there are still a lot of talented players in the field. The North and South courses at Torrey Pines in La Jolla, California will host 152 of the best golfers in the world.

Second-ranked Jon Rahm, sixth-ranked Xander Schauffele and seventh-ranked Rory McIlroy top the betting odds. There are seven other players in the field that rank between 11th and 20th in the world, giving the Farmers a lot of depth quality.

With the number of players entered in a golf tournament, making a winning pick to come away victorious is always challenging. The upside is that with odds usually beginning at +600 or higher, a winning bet generally carries a hefty payout.

Rahm is at +700, McIlroy +750, and Schauffele comes in at +1300. Tony Finau, after a good finish last week, is at +2100, followed by Viktor Hovland (+2300) and Harris English (+2300). 

There are some other solid bets farther down the odds list that offer great value for the money.

If you’re looking for a great comeback story, Max Homa at +16000 might be a good wager. The 30-year-old was tied for the lead after three rounds last weekend but faltered to a 76 on Sunday at The American Express.

Big-Name Longshots

Brooks Koepka, at 12th in the world and +3100, is still trying to get his game back in shape after last year’s surgery and recovery. The four-time major champion with seven TOUR wins is coming off a missed cut at The American Express, but he has a pair of top 10 finishes among his five events in the 2021 season.

His highest finish at this event is a tie for 41st in 2015, but the U.S. Open will be played on the South course later this year. With Koepka’s focus on the majors, he may be more inclined to put extra effort into this week’s tournament.

After a frustrating season and a half, Rickie Fowler seemed to find something in his last three rounds at The American Express. After an opening 1-over-par 73 left him well outside the projected cut line, he grinded out a 6-under 66 on Friday and ended the week in a tie for 21st.

It was his best finish in the last nine tournaments, dating back to his tie for 15th at the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational in August. Fowler’s best finish in the Farmers was a tie for fifth way back in 2010, and he added a tie for sixth in 2013. The 32-year-old out of Oklahoma State is too good of a player not to turn things around and a good longshot bet at +7500.

Good Story 

If you’re looking for a great comeback story, Max Homa at +16000 might be a good wager. The 30-year-old was tied for the lead after three rounds last weekend but faltered to a 76 on Sunday at The American Express. It was frustrating to watch him struggle and finally settle for a tie for 21st.

Homa recorded four top 10s in 2020, including a tie for third at the 3M Open and a tie for ninth in last year’s Farmers Insurance Open. If he can capture the magic of his first three rounds last week and his last time at Torrey Pines, it would be quite the story and a big payout on the wager.

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