For many, this week is the unofficial start of the golf season.
The PGA Tour is back at Torrey Pines in San Diego, California, for the 2024 Farmers Insurance Open. The property’s North and South courses will be used for the first two rounds before the final 36 are played on the South Course on Friday and Saturday — yes, there’s a Saturday finish this week.
Defending champion Max Homa is back to defend his title and is joined in the field by Xander Schauffele, Patrick Cantlay, Collin Morikawa, Ludvig Aberg, Tony Finau and Jason Day.
We haven’t seen Homa since he tied for 14th at the 2024 opener in Maui.
Golf course
Torrey Pines (North) | Par 72 | 7,258 yards
Torrey Pines (South) | Par 72 | 7,765 yards
Betting preview
Previous event results (American Express)
Xander Schauffele (12/1): T-3
Sungjae Im (20/1): T-25
J.T. Poston (30/1): T-11
Jason Day (35/1): T-34
Another close call with Schauffele tying for third. Credit to you if you bet Nick Dunlap to win outright last week at the AmEx, I don’t feel too bad about missing that one. What a win for the kid.
Odds
| Player | Odds | Player | Odds |
| Xander Schauffele | (+900) | Keegan Bradley | (+3000) |
| Patrick Cantlay | (+1100) | Eric Cole | (+3500) |
| Collin Morikawa | (+1100) | Nicolai Hojgaard | (+4000) |
| Max Homa | (+1200) | Sepp Straka | (+4500) |
| Min Woo Lee | (+2000) | Harris English | (+4500) |
| Ludvig Aberg | (+2000) | Will Zalatoris | (+5000) |
| Tony Finau | (+2200) | Beau Hossler | (+5000) |
| Sungjae Im | (+2200) | Adrian Meronk | (+5000) |
| Jason Day | (+2500) | Patrick Rodgers | (+6000) |
| Sahith Theegala | (+3000) | Hideki Matsuyama | (+6000) |
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Ludvig Aberg (20/1)
Aberg hasn’t posted a great finish thus far in 2024, tying for 47th at The Sentry and 30th at the Sony Open.
However, I think Torrey Pines — narrow fairways, long holes — fits Aberg perfectly.
The Swede averaged 317.1 yards off the tee last season, ranking 6th on Tour. As for accuracy, Aberg hit 65.47 percent of fairways, good enough for 27th.
Jason Day (25/1)
Does it feel like I’m chasing a Day win at this point? Yeah, a little bit. But this week it’s for good reason.
The Aussie couldn’t get much going at the American Express last week, eventually finishing 34th. At The Sentry earlier this month, Day grabbed a share of 10th. And just last month, the former world No. 1 teamed with Lydia Ko to win the Grant Thornton Invitational. Ko won on the LPGA last week, so is it Day’s turn this go around?
He’s played tremendously well at Torrey Pines throughout his career, winning twice (2015, 2018) and finishing inside the top 10 in three of the last five years (T-16 in 2020).
Keegan Bradley (30/1)
After tying for 45th at The Sentry, Bradley lost in a playoff at the Sony Open.
He’s played well at the Farmers Insurance Open throughout his career, making 10 cuts in 12 starts and grabbing three top-5 finishes in his last six appearances including second to Max Homa in ’23.
Adrian Meronk (50/1)
Adrian Meronk? Really? Yes, and here’s why.
Meronk has played beautiful golf to begin 2024 on the DP World Tour, finishing 10th at the Dubai Invitational and 2nd to Rory McIlroy at last week’s Hero Dubai Desert Classic.
The big man from Poland is a 5-time winner on the DP World Tour, with four of those coming since July 2022. He’s learned how to win, and now it’s time to do it on the biggest stage in golf.
If you feel uncomfortable taking Meronk outright at 50/1, he’s +120 to finish inside the top 30.
Update: Meronk withdrew from the event Wednesday morning prior to the start of the first round.
Adrian Meronk WD before the first round of the Farmers Insurance Open. Erik Barnes is now in.
— PGA TOUR Communications (@PGATOURComms) January 24, 2024
