This week in golf will surely be entertaining as the Farmers Insurance Open kicks off on Wednesday. Fans are eager for top-tier competition in what will be the first full-field tournament this year. Between January 26 and 29, the PGA’s best players will fight for a chance at victory at prestigious Torrey Pines. Players will rotate between the North and South courses on Wednesday and Thursday. Following a 36-hole cut, the remaining players will play from the South course for the final two days of competition. Interestingly, this tournament will be the first to be documented by Netflix for their new PGA documentary series following players on tour.
Today we’ll each select two players we believe can win the event, as well as a long-shot or “sleeper” pick. With a field consisting of names like Jon Rahm, Jordan Spieth, and Justin Thomas, fans are certain to witness some amazing play in the coming days.
Chris Gallagher and Mike Quintero contributed to this article.
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Jon Rahm
Coming off a frustrating week at La Quinta Country Club, Rahm is looking to bounce back from his out-of-character performance. Though the World No. 1 (OWGR) had putting issues throughout the American Express tournament, his willingness to get after it and hunt pins is unmatched. Expect a big rebound week for Rahm.
Hideki Matsuyama
Carrying momentum from his recent victory at the Sony Open, Matsuyama is hoping to get a matching result at Torrey Pines this week. After going on a heater in 2021, Matsuyama has become a popular pick for a lot of tournaments. The Japanese superstar has won two of the last three tour events, and looks to be in top form. Look for his short game to shine, as he has gained six or more strokes with his putter at the Farmers twice in his career.
Xander Schauffele
Schauffele will be looking to build upon a strong showing on this course a year ago. The 28-year-old finished in a tie for seventh at the U.S. Open. He carded a third-round 72, followed by a final-round 71. Getting off to a hot start to begin his 2022 season, he finished in 12th place at the Hero World Challenge in December. Along with this, the San Diego State University alum also finished in 12th place at the Sentry Tournament of Champions. One of the longest hitters in the field, he is currently averaging over 305 yards off the tee. He is also hitting more than 72 percent of the greens in regulation, which should set him up to score well on the challenging South Course.
Daniel Berger
Quickly becoming a household name on Tour in 2021, Berger captured his lone win of the year at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. However, the Florida native also finished inside the top 10 eight times, including an eighth-place finish at the Open Championship in July. Red hot to kick off his 2022 campaign, the Florida State University product carded four straight rounds in the 60s at the Sentry Tournament of Champions to finish in a tie for fifth with Thomas. One of the best ball strikers in the world, he is currently leading this weekend’s field in strokes gained/approach over the past 50 rounds. Furthermore, he is also hitting 88.3 percent of his fairways while gaining more than two strokes from tee to green.
Sleepers
Sam Burns
Burns has played some of the best golf of his young career of late after turning pro in 2017. The 25-year-old has one win, two top-five finishes and three top-10 finishes over his last five starts. Additionally, he has finished inside the top 20 in each of his previous seven appearances. A winner at the Valspar Championship a year ago, the Shreveport, LA native has the short game to navigate the well-guarded greens at Torrey Pines. He is currently 16th in the world in scrambling while also remaining 89th in strokes gained putting. Now up to number 13 in the world golf rankings, Burns is listed at +2500 to capture the victory.
Will Zalatoris
The young gun made his presence known early last year with a solo 2nd place finish at the Masters. Since then, he has been on every golf gambler’s radar as a name on the rise. Following a T-6 finish at the Amex last week, Zalatoris appears to be sharpening his craft early in the season. Though winless on tour, the rising 25-year-old will surely come across a victory sooner rather than later. Could this be the week?
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