Out of the Rough: Farmers Insurance Open (2026

The PGA Tour heads to one of its most storied venues for this week’s Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines.

The Farmers Insurance Open returns for another installment in San Diego as this event, although under various names, has been a part of the PGA Tour schedule since 1952.

Like what we saw last week, it’s another multi-venue affair, although we’ll see just two courses this week opposed to three.

Both courses, the North and South courses at Torrey Pines, will be played alternately across Thursday and Friday before the post 36-hole cut. The top 65-plus ties who make the cut will play the final two rounds at the South Course.

In years past, this event lined up with the NFL’s Championship Sunday and therefore would see  Wednesday start to have the event conclude on Saturday to not compete for viewership.

As the 2026 PGA Tour season started a week later than normal, this event no longer clashes with the NFLs Championship Sunday.

The Field

As annually is the case, a world-class field is slated to take to the North and South courses of Torrey Pines this week.

World No. 4 Xander Schauffele is set to make his 2026 season debut this week as he headlines this field.

He’ll be joined by J.J. Spaun (No. 7,) Justin Rose (No. 10,) Harris English (No. 11,) Alex Noren (No. 13,) Hideki Matsuyama (No. 15,) Keegan Bradley (No. 16,) Chris Gotterup (No. 17,) Ludvig Aberg (No. 18,) Cameron Young (No. 20,) Maverick McNealy (No 23) and Aaron Rai (No. 24) as members of the top 25 of the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR) in this week’s field.

Of course, all eyes will be on Brooks Koepka, who makes his first start on the PGA Tour since joining LIV Golf in 2022. The nine-time PGA Tour winner and five-time Masters Champion will garnish a ton of attention this week, and rightfully so.

English comes in as the defending champion, having topped Sam Stevens by a stroke a season ago.

Other former champions teeing it up this week include Matthieu Pavon (2024,) Max Homa (2023,) Luke List (2022,) Rose (2019,) Jason Day (2018 & 2015) and Brandt Snedeker (2016 & 2012.) 

The Course(s)

The South Course

The South Course annually plays as one of the longest courses on the PGA Tour, playing as a par-72 at roughly 7,785 yards.

Being one of the most storied championship golf courses in the United States, Torrey Pines South offers a major-like feel to it.

Off-the-tee, driving distance will of course be a factor with the length this course offers. Bombers will be encouraged to swing away to set up their second shots routinely across all three rounds.

However, the fairways here at the South Course are narrow and with the combination of golfers opting for driver due to its length, The South Course offers one of the highest missed fairway percentages on Tour.

Due to the course’s length, approach shots from 200-plus yards will be of the norm this week.

The greens featured this week are Pao greens. They’re both firm and small and due to this, the South Course also features one of the lowest greens in regulation percentages of the PGA Tour as well. This is also attributed to the long approach shots golfers will be taking into the greens.

Golfers will be forced to work around-the-greens often due to this and will need to bring their A-game in the scrambling department if they hope to claim victory.

These pao greens are also some of the most difficult greens to putt on each season as it is a grass type not often seen on Tour.

The South Course features a multitude of par fours that play over 450-yards. Golfers will need to take advantage of the par-fours this week however and get comfortable grinding out the par threes and par fives.

The North Course

The North Course is considerably easier than the South Course here at Torrey Pines.

It also plays as a par-72 but at just 7,258 yards.

It’ll be crucial that golfers take advantage of their one round at the North Course if they hope to win this week.

Historically speaking, failing to shoot in the 60’s on the North Course will essentially eliminate any golfer from the tournament. 

Since 2000, the winning score has reached -20 or better just once (Justin Rose in 2019) at this event. The average winning score has been -14.08 dating back to 2000. English won last year at -8.

The Weather

As of the time of writing this, Thursday calls for a 20-percent chance of precipitation, five-percent chance on Friday and a zero-percent chance across the weekend. Temperatures will begin at 67-degrees on Thursday before reaching 71-degrees on Friday. Temperatures will peak at 73-degrees on Saturday before returning to 71-degrees on Sunday. Winds are set at eight miles-per-hour across all of Thursday, Friday and Saturday before settling to seven miles-per-hour on Sunday. 

Key Stats

• Strokes Gained: Approach (SG: APP)

• Average Driving Distance

• Proximity to the Hole from 200-plus Yards

• Hit Fairway Percentage

• Greens in Regulation Percentage (GIR%)

• Scrambling

• Strokes Gained: Putting on Poa (SG: PUTT Poa)

• Par Four Scoring Average

• Strokes Gained: Around the Green (SG: ATG)

• Par Five Scoring Average

Betting Chart

J.J. Spaun (+3300)

Spaun finished last season fifth on Tour in SG: APP, 16th in par-four average scoring, 35th in GIR%, 40th in SG: PUTT Poa, 54th in scrambling, 62nd in average driving distance, 69th in par-five average scoring, 86th in SG: ATG, 87th in hit fairway percentage and 121st in proximity to the hole from 200-plus yards. Torrey Pines has hosted the U.S. Open twice (2008 and 2021,) and of course, Spaun is the defending U.S. Open Champion. He knows how to play this type of golf course. He’s played once so far this season, pacing T40th at the Sony Open in Hawaii. He placed 34th last year at the Genesis Invitational and 15th at this event a season ago. He missed the cut in both 2024 and 2023 but placed 34th in 2022. He missed the cut at the U.S. Open here in 2021 and missed the cut at this event in 2021. He placed 30th in 2020 here. 

Jake Knapp (+4500)

Knapp has great course history here over the past two years. He placed 17th here at the Genesis Invitational a season ago and also placed 32nd at this event. He also placed third at this event in 2024. Knapp teed it up at the Sony Open in Hawaii so far this season, placing T11th. Knapp finished last season fourth on Tour in par-five average scoring, 16th in both average driving distance and par-four average scoring, 39th in scrambling, 44th in proximity to the hole from 200-plus yards, 79th in GIR%, 92nd in SG: PUTT Poa, 104th in SG: APP, 124th in SG: ATG and 139th in hit fairway percentage. 

Pierceson Coody (+6600)

I am quickly becoming a massive Coody fan. I just love the way he plays golf and that style, at least to the eye test, should transfer to this event. He’s played here three times prior, missing the cut in both 2025 and 2024 as well as at the U.S. Open in 2021. However, he is a much better golfer than he was even a year ago. Coody has played both events so far this season, placing T18th last week at The American Express and T13th at the Sony Open in Hawaii. He finished last season first on Tour in par-five average scoring, fourth in both GIR% and par-four average scoring, 26th in average driving distance, 28th in proximity to the hole from 200-plus yards, 43rd in scrambling, 63rd in hit fairway percentage, 92nd in SG: ATG, 94th in SG: APP and 144th in SG: PUTT Poa. Putting is the concern and although he lost strokes last week at The American Express, he gained 0.598 strokes-per-round at The Sony Open in Hawaii. 

Nicolai Hojgaard (+6600)

Hojgaard heads state-side for the first time this season, most recently placing T4th at last week’s Hero Dubai Desert Classic. He also played the Dubai Invitational where he finished T52nd. He’s played this event just once prior, placing second in 2024. Hojgaard finished last season third on Tour in average driving distance, fifth in par-five average scoring, 11th in SG: APP, 18th in proximity to the hole from 200-plus yards, 20th in GIR%, 49th in SG: PUTT Poa, 109th in par-four average scoring, 162nd in scrambling, 166th in hit fairway percentage and 166th in SG: ATG. 

Sami Valimaki (+17500)

This is a massive number for a guy who has a real chance to win any golf event he tees it up at. He got his maiden PGA Tour victory this past fall, winning The RSM Classic. The win made him Finland’s first ever winner on the PGA Tour. He placed 15th here a season ago and 43rd in 2024. Valimaki has played once so far this season, missing the cut last week at The American Express. He finished last week sixth on Tour in SG: PUTT Poa, 18th in SG: APP, 27th in par-four average scoring, 47th in both proximity to the hole from 200-plus yards and GIR%, 69th in par-five average scoring, 72nd in scrambling, 91st in hit fairway percentage, 147th in SG: ATG and 152nd in average driving distance.

2025 Betting Card

• Keegan Bradley (+2400) - T15th

• Taylor Pendrith (+3500) - T7th

• Mark Hubbard (+6000) - T68th

• Alex Smalley (+10000) - MC

• Taylor Montgomery (+100000) - MC

2024 Betting Card

• Ludvig Aberg (+1800) - T9th

• Tony Finau (+2500) - T6th

• Justin Rose (+4500) - T56th

• Stephan Jaeger (+8000) - T3rd

• Adam Svensson (+9000) - MC

• J.J. Spaun (+11000) - MC

• Doug Ghim (+27000) - T13th