Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Wednesday Preview - Farmers Insurance Open

After the party that was the Phoenix Open, the PGA Tour heads to Torrey Pines, where players will go from elation to devastation. Essentially what the city of Seattle went through last Sunday.

Course: Torrey Pines South Course, measuring an incredibly lengthy 7,800 yards. It isn't just a long course, but the rough is thick. This is the toughest course the players have played so far this season. Players will also get a shot at the much easier North Course for one round in this tournament. Winning score may hit ten under par, but single digits will be a top 10.

Strength Of Field: A-. Adam Scott and Rory McIlroy are the only big players missing from this event. Justin Rose will begin his 2015 PGA Tour season this week. Tiger Wood and Phil Mickelson, fresh off missed cuts in Phoenix, will tee it up. Jason Day, Hideki Matsuyama, and last week's winner Brooks Koepka are all here. Very good field.

Extra Tidbits: Dustin Johnson returns to the PGA Tour after a six month leave of absence...Tiger Woods has won on this course nine times - eight in this event and the US Open in 2008. If Tiger was playing even decently right now, he would be a threat...Jin Park, Kyle Thompson, Daniel Miernicki, and Jake Knapp are the Monday qualifiers this week. Park and Thompson are former PGA Tour members. Miernicki is a member of the PGA Tour of Canada. Knapp is a junior at UCLA...Five players teeing it up this week are looking for their second victory of the season. FedEx Cup leader Jimmy Walker is the highest ranked of those players...Phil Mickelson has won this event three times, but his most recent came 14 years ago.


Fantasy Four:

Jordan Spieth - His first start on the PGA Tour in 2015 ended in a top 10 after his domination in Australia at the end of 2014. Has the game from tee to green to compete at the hardest courses. Won't be intimidated by the length of this course. Is desperate for win number 2.

Jason Day - Finished tied for second here last year. Finished T3 at the Tournament of Champions in Hawaii. Day might make this feature every week as long as I can start him, but this is the perfect place for him to get back into the winner's circle.

KJ Choi - Sleeper pick. Top 25 finish last week could have been better had it not been for a mediocre weekend. Finished tied for second here last year. Choi's best days are behind him, but he still competes at a high level every so often, and he has plenty of good vibes surrounding this tournament.

Justin Thomas - This is one of the only events that the rookie has already played, and he has some good vibes - he finished T10 last year as an amateur. Has finished in the top 25 for five straight tournaments, and is currently inside the top 30 in the FedEx Cup standings, all for a 21 year old rookie. 


Last Weeks Team:
Hideki Matsuyama: T2
Charley Hoffman: T53
Rickie Fowler: T46
Patrick Reed: T40

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