SAN DIEGO – Tiger Woods owns Torrey Pines.
Brandt Snedeker rents it.
Woods has cashed in more than anyone at Torrey Pines, with seven titles in the Farmers Insurance Open and a victory in the 2008 U.S. Open on a broken leg. He also won a World Junior golf event here as a kid.
But Snedeker’s fortunes aren’t too shabby. He won here in 2012 and 2016. Finished second in 2010 and 2013. Finished third as a rookie in 2007 when an opening-round 61 was his introduction to the seaside resort. Tied for ninth twice. And in the 2008 U.S. Open here, he tied for ninth.
“Puts a smile on my face,” Snedeker said of Torrey Pines. “I love being here. I love the challenge that Torrey Pines brings. I love the greens. The fans kind of adopted me here as one of their own because it’s kind of where my career got started, my rookie year, 2007. So means a lot of stuff to me, so when I come here I’m always in a good mood, which when you get on Poa (Annua greens) is probably half the battle.
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“And I came here playing well. Played really good at Hawaii and just wasn’t able to kind of get the putter going the way I normally do, so came here with a lot of confidence.”
It’s showing. On the South Course, Snedeker tacked on a 67 Friday in the second round of the Farmers Insurance Open to his opening-round 69 and sits at 8 under in second place, two shots behind Ryan Palmer.
Torrey Pines doesn’t seem to be a logical place for Snedeker to excel. After all, he’s a Southern boy who grew up on bermuda greens, which don’t exactly get you ready for the bumpy rides Poa delivers and drives players batty. But since that 61 in 2007, he’s enjoyed Poa. He’s also notched two victories on Poa in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro Am.
“Because I played here my rookie year and putted unbelievable my first time ever on Poa Annua, I never had a bad feeling about it,” he said. “I think also Poa Annua really tests you to hit solid putts over and over and over again if you get the ball rolling. If you’re kind of off a little bit, it will really find it out.
“So if you’re rolling it great, the ball’s still going to roll good on Poa. If you’re off a little bit, it won’t.”
And while many people believe the South Course – used for the final two rounds of the tournament – is set up for bombers, Snedeker, who isn’t among the elite of the longest, disagrees.
“This golf course, for whatever reason, sets up really well for me,” he said. “I kind of know how you’re supposed to play it. You’ve got to think your way around it. Everybody thinks it’s this huge golf course and you’ve got to overpower it, and that’s not the case. You’ve really got to plot your way around this golf course and I did a good job of it today.
“If you don’t hit the ball in the fairway here, it’s going to be a long day. I’m not a long hitter like some of these guys are out here, so I’ve got to hit the fairway. Did a great job on the front nine, I kind of survived the back nine, so hopefully on the weekend I can kind of tighten up the driver a little bit.
“If I do that, I’ll have a lot of fun, and make some putts.”
