The 2023 Farmers Insurance Open begins Wednesday as the PGA Tour extends its normal tournament schedule by a day to make way for the NFL playoffs. Held at Torrey Pines, both the North Course and South Course will welcome some of the biggest names in the game to San Diego this week.
Commanding the field is none other than world No. 3 Jon Rahm. On these grounds, having clinched his first PGA Tour title at Torrey Pines in 2017 and his first major championship title at the 2021 US Open, the Spaniard holds the rocks of La Jolla near and dear to his heart. Rahm will try to mend his love affair with San Diego this week.
With two wins in his 2023 PGA Tour season, he will attempt to go for his third straight, a feat Scotty Scheffler, Xander Schaeffele and Tony Finau were unable to accomplish a season ago. While Rahm continues to rise, several stars, including last year’s Farmers Insurance Open runner-up Will Zalatoris, hope to land him.
Paring his last 12 holes of the competition, Zalatoris fell just short of his first PGA Tour victory when he lost in a playoff to Luke List. Local kids hope to put their stamp on Torrey Pines, alongside Schaffel as well as fellow Californians Max Homma and Collin Morikawa, Justin Thomas, Hideki Matsuyama, Finau and others.
event information
Organisation: 2023 Farmers Insurance Open | Dates: January 25-28
Location: Torrey Pines Golf Course – San Diego, California
cross: 72 | Yardage: 7,765 | purse: $8,700,000
Rick Gehman is joined by Patrick McDonald to preview the 2023 Farmers Insurance Open. Follow and listen to The First Cut On apple podcast And Spotify,
2023 Farmers Insurance Open Field, Odds
Courtesy of Caesars Sportsbook
- Jon Rahm (7/2)
- Xander Schoeffel (10-1): Take away his withdrawal from the Tournament of Champions and Schoeffel has quietly been one of the best players in the world. Running towards the finish line in the final round of The American Express, Schoeffel eventually scored a T3 effort to add to his recent finish of fourth, T9, and T3. After missing the cut in his first three starts at Torrey Pines, the SDSU alum has steadied the ship, namely in 2021 with a T2 finish.
- Tony Finau (12-1)
- Justin Thomas (14-1): The two-time major champion started his year on a fine note with a T25 finish at the Tournament of Champions. It was the continuation of a relatively poor stretch of 2022 as Thomas has been unable to finish in the top-10 in a full-field event since the Canadian Open in June. His iron game has dropped ever so slightly, and while his putter has been among the best on Tour, he continues to struggle with the putter.
- Colin Morikawa (14-1)
- Will Zaltoris (16-1): Last year’s tournament had all the makings of Zlatoris’ success before he even entered the fold. Ranking outside the top 60 in strokes gained, he led the field in both strokes and the approach from tee to green and strokes gained. This is what we’ve grown accustomed to seeing from Zlatoris, and with strong finishes of T11 and T36 in his two starts before his back injury, another spectacular ball-striking performance and title run could be in store.
- Sungjae Im (18-1)
- Jason Day (20-1): Hold on if you’ve heard this one before, but all signs point to The Day at Torrey Pines. Since 2013, Day has played the Farmers Insurance Open every year, including two trophies, two other podium finishes, one top-five, another top-10 finish, and a top-20 for good measure. His iron at the Coachella Valley led to a resurgent swing season, and if there was ever a time for the former world No. 1 to enter the winner’s circle for the first time in five years, you’d imagine it’s this week.
- Max Homma (22-1)
- Taylor Montgomery (25-1): Montgomery is officially the frontrunner for PGA Tour Rookie of the Year honors and it’s hard to imagine anyone catching him. In his first nine starts this season, Montgomery made the cut in each instance, collecting eight top-15 finishes including a fifth-place result at The American Express the week before. He received a sponsor’s invitation to the event a season earlier, during the Korn Ferry Tour, and earned a respectable T11 result.
2023 Farmers Insurance Open Expert Picks
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