It is a quick turnaround for the PGA Tour as the 2024 Farmers Insurance Open gets underway on Wednesday. Graciously moving the tournament up one day in order to avoid competing with the NFL conference title games on Sunday, the PGA Tour remains in the state of California for the sternest test of the early season.
The California kids will be out and about at Torrey Pines among a field headlined by last year's champion, Max Homa. Claiming his fourth title in his home state, Homa emerged from a clustered leaderboard last year that included major champions like Keegan Bradley and Collin Morikawa and outsider Sam Ryder. Homa will go for a mind-boggling fifth PGA Tour victory in California with other Golden State natives Morikawa, Patrick Cantlay, Xander Schauffele and Sahith Theegala rounding out the action.
The Farmers Insurance Open also marks the last chance for competitors to play their way into the first signature event of the season: next week's AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Three of the five players currently occupying spots in the Aon Swing 5 — Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Kevin Yu and Carl Yuan — are set to tee it up, while Grayson Murray and Justin Thomas will rest as their spots in next week's tournament are secured through other avenues of qualification.
International stars Min Woo Lee, Sungjae Im, Ludvig Åberg and Jason Day hope Torrey Pines is kind to them, while players like Tony Finau and Will Zalatoris look to thrive in the difficult scoring conditions.
2024 Farmers Insurance Open schedule
Dates: Jan. 24-27 | Location: Torrey Pines Golf Course — San Diego, California
Par: 72 | Yardage: 7,765 | Purse: $9,000,000
2024 Farmers Insurance Open field, odds
- Xander Schauffele (9-1): The Californian never truly threatened at The American Express but claimed a T3 for the second straight season. It proved to be a nice tune-up for the 2023 Farmers Insurance Open as he snagged a T13 and continued a renewed love affair with Torrey Pines. Playing at this golf course as a child, Schauffele struggled in the early stages of his professional career, missing four of his first five cuts. He has since made the weekend three times in a row including a runner-up performance in 2021. Over the last six months, he ranks sixth in strokes gained tee to green and sixth in strokes gained approach in the world.
- Max Homa (10-1): There are few certainties in life, let alone golf, but Homa showing up in California is one of them. The defending champion always seems to put his best foot forward in his home state, and this week should be no different as he goes for California title No. 5. Despite a slight downturn with the putter over the last couple tournaments, Homa ranks fifth in the world in total strokes gained over the last six months. A return to his native poa annua grass could be all that is needed for Homa to rediscover his groove on the greens.
- Patrick Cantlay (10-1): Cantlay's inability to solve the riddle that is Torrey Pines comes as a surprise. In three appearances at the Farmers Insurance Open, the world No. 6 has missed two cuts and has yet to crack the top 50. Given his proficiency from tee to green and his familiarity with poa annua, Cantlay should get going around the par 72 sooner rather than later. He experienced a poor weekend at The American Express but had connected on four straight top 15s prior.
- Collin Morikawa (11-1)
- Ludvig Åberg (20-1): The young Swede may have been the biggest disappointment to come out of the Hawaii swing as Åberg notched finishes of T47 and T30 in the first two events of the year. While he has thrived in birdie fests like his win at the RSM Classic last fall, the 24-year-old may actually be better suited for difficult courses like Torrey Pines. This presents a scary predicament for his competitors as Åberg ranks fourth in this field in strokes gained off the tee over the last six months.
- Min Woo Lee (22-1)
- Sungjae Im (22-1)
- Tony Finau (25-1): Finau has been very quiet since winning the Mexico Open last April, mainly because of a deficiency on the greens. He may have found something last week as he gained strokes in his two rounds at the Stadium Course en route to a T25 posting positive putting statistics for the first time since July. It comes at a very convenient time for Finau, who has thrived at Torrey Pines throughout his career. In nine starts, Finau has collected eight top-25 finishes including a runner-up result in 2021.
- Jason Day (25-1)
- Keegan Bradley (35-1)
- Eric Cole (35-1)
2024 Farmers Insurance Open expert picks
| Winner (11-1): Some players are destined to win at certain golf courses, and that rings true for Morikawa at Torrey Pines. The two-time major champion has come close a number of times including his run-in with Homa at last year's tournament and his close call at the 2021 U.S. Open. Morikawa continues to ride a heater with the irons and should fare well at a golf course that heavily favors tee-to-green acumen over putting prowess. Over the last six months, Morikawa ranks first in total strokes gained and second in strokes gained tee to green among those in the field. | |
| Contender (35-1): A playoff loser at the Sony Open, Bradley comes into his third start of the year riding a wave of form. He finished runner-up to Homa a year ago and was unable to apply pressure with a birdie on the 72nd hole, ultimately falling to the champion by two. Bradley's affinity for Torrey Pines did not just start in 2023, rather it stretches back to 2011; he has seven top 25s in 12 appearances. Always reliable from tee to green, Bradley led the field in strokes gained putting a season ago. | |
| Sleeper (80-1): Putting generally takes a back seat at Torrey Pines given the bumpy surfaces and unknown variables of poa annua grass. This allows players like List to contend and even win as he did in 2022 in a playoff over Will Zalatoris. The former champion has recently reentered the winner's circle at the Sanderson Farms Championship this past fall and is finding some serious form from tee to green. A heavy hitter of the golf ball, List has made six straight cuts at Torrey Pines with four top 25s and his maiden victory two years ago. | |
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