-
Pamela Maldonado
Multiple Authors
The PGA Tour travels to San Diego for the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines, a rotating event that distinguishes patience from impulsiveness.
Players will alternate rounds between the North and South courses until the weekend, after which they will converge on the South, recognized for being the longer and more challenging of the two.
Scoring tends to be modest here. Last year, Harris English clinched victory at eight under par, with only a few competitors finishing five under or better. This sets the tone for the type of week ahead.
Torrey rewards golfers who can handle their misses, scramble skillfully, and remain composed on Poa annua greens. Distance is an advantage, but the ability to recover is even more crucial.
The players I favor for top-20 finishes share profiles I trust to contend for a victory. While I often lean toward plus money when it makes sense, there are appealing outright numbers for those willing to consider longer shots.
Best bets
Harris English: Top 20 (+130)
Full odds:
-
Top 10 +270
-
Top 5 +550
-
To win 32-1
English offers stability on a course known for penalizing inconsistency. Torrey Pines favors patience, effective scrambling, and the capability to endure lengthy periods where par is a favorable score. This encapsulates English’s game. He excels by missing in advantageous areas, successfully getting up and down when others struggle, and maintaining mental steadiness even when momentum wanes. His experience on this course is an asset, allowing him to navigate both visually and strategically. With his exceptional scrambling abilities and long-standing comfort on Poa annua greens—where putting can often feel unpredictable—his comfort level elevates his baseline performance. If his putting shows even slight improvement, his chances for victory become substantial.
Hideki Matsuyama: Top 20 (+130)
Full odds:
-
Top 10 +265
-
Top 5 +540
-
To win 30-1
Torrey Pines favors the one skill Matsuyama excels at: exceptional ball striking that thrives on challenging courses. Since this isn’t a birdie-fest, navigating through the difficulties of Torrey takes precedence over simply scoring low. Matsuyama consistently gains strokes from tee to green here, indicating he hits greens, avoids high scores, and positions himself for stress-free pars. For those not deeply into golf betting, this is the crucial statistic: Matsuyama effectively keeps the ball out of trouble. even if he’s not a top-tier putter, achieving even an average performance on the greens could suffice when his iron play is sharp. On a demanding layout, Matsuyama’s profile offers a high floor—exactly what you need for a Top 20 bet.
Ryan Gerard: Top 20 (+160)
Full odds:
-
Top 10 +345
-
Top 5 +710
-
To win 43-1
Gerard is my preferred pick this week. If you miss greens, can you still salvage a par? That’s the primary attribute I’m seeking. Gerard has quietly excelled around the green, and that ability could prove crucial here compared to sheer birdie-making prowess. His recent form reinforces this: back-to-back runner-up finishes, showcasing confidence along with improved putting in both competitions. Given his T15 finish here last year and a couple of Top 25 performances on similar courses, Gerard may feel at ease navigating this course. If he can steer clear of disastrous holes and manage his misses, he can maintain a manageable scorecard.
Players to consider for Daily Fantasy
Engage with daily fantasy golf on DraftKings.
Wyndham Clark, $8,500: He blends high potential with reliability. His standout trait is his weighted strokes gained putting (second) and he also performs well around the green, ranking top 10 for Poa putting (7th). While his results at Torrey can be inconsistent due to fluctuating ball-striking, when his putting aligns, he can accumulate birdie runs and earn bonus points. He’s more suited for tournaments than for cash wagers.
Christiaan Bezuidenhout, $7,300: He represents a floor-first choice with unexpected upside. His scrambling skills are among the best in the field, which come into play as greens are missed frequently. He also has solid overall putting performance and excels on these greens, minimizing the risks that tend to undermine cheaper players. Bezuidenhout may not overpower par 5s, but he skillfully avoids calamities and keeps rounds on track. In fantasy terms, this translates to four stable rounds, consistent points, and salary relief without sacrificing equity.
DFS player to fade
Cameron Young, $10,000: This week, spending high on raw talent instead of finding a scoring path suited for Torrey feels misplaced. His past performances here (a T20 and a missed cut) don’t justify this price point; his Poa putting lacks reliability, and his fantasy worth relies on making birdies, something this course suppresses. At this cost, you need either a strong course fit or elite putting skills, neither of which Young demonstrates. While he might finish T12, this pricing is geared towards tournament-winning potential. You’ll be wasting budget that could fund two stronger mid-range candidates with better cut equity and similar upside.
