X
Lost password?

Don't have an account?
Gain Access Now

X

Receive free daily analysis

NFL
NBA
NHL
NASCAR
CFB
MLB
MMA
PGA
ESPORTS
BETTING

Already have an account? Log In

X

Forgot Password


POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

Horse For The Course: PGA DFS Course History - 2023 Farmers Insurance Open

Hello, folks and welcome back to Horse For The Course! If you are a regular reader of this article, then you probably know that we've been in the Jon Rahm business in 2023. And let me tell ya...business is booming!

We're now two for two on the Spaniard in the new year, as he looked downright dominant en route to his second win in a row at the American Express. It also marked Rahm's fourth win in his last six starts. This week, he'll turn his attention to another golf course on which he's historically thrived in Torrey Pines. Do you think Rahm is one of our Horses for the Farmers Insurance Open? SPOILER ALERT: Yep.

Horse For The Course is an article that highlights players in this week's field with elite course history and is part of our free PGA DFS content here at RotoBaller. For my favorite DFS plays of the week check out my Core Four article here at RotoBaller every Wednesday. It's part of our amazing PGA Premium package that includes an all-new PGA Research Station, Lineup Builder & Optimizer, and some of the best articles in the PGA DFS industry! You can sign up now using Promo Code: NICE for an extra discount at checkout!

Featured Promo: Get any DFS Premium Bundle for for 50% off using code SUMMER! Win more with expert advice from proven winners and exclusive DFS tools. Get instant access to RotoBaller's Lineup Optimizers, Research Stations, daily picks and VIP chat rooms across 10 sports! Go Premium, Win More!

 

2023 Farmers Insurance Open

While the Farmers Insurance Open isn't one of the PGA Tour's 13 "elevated events" this year, you can make the argument that it needs little help to feel like an important tournament. Landing on the schedule after the laid-back vibe of the Hawaiian Swing and sandwiched between a pair of vanilla Pro-Am events, the Farmers sticks out due to the quality of its main host course - Torrey Pines South - and the depth of field that it draws annually.

Though the Pro-Am format is shelved this week, the Farmers does come with its own quirks, as golfers will play one round each on the difficult Torrey Pines South, and the significantly easier Torrey North layout, before a 36-hole cut determines who will spend the weekend fighting it out at Torrey South. Golfers will need to take advantage of their round on the North course while trying to survive on the South.

This event routinely draws a stout field and this year is no different, as half of the OWGR's top-10 players will be in attendance this week. Ball-striking extraordinaire Luke List is your defending Farmers champion. List falls into one of the two categories of players that seem to thrive at the Farmers: terrific ball strikers and short-game specialists, with List fitting in the former category and past Farmers' champs such as Patrick Reed, Jason Day, and Marc Leishman landing in the latter. Notables for the 2023 edition include the white-hot Jon Rahm, last year's Farmers runner-up Will Zalatoris, Justin Thomas, and Collin Morikawa, who will be making his first start since an epic meltdown in the year's first event.

You can also find out who the smart money is on by checking out Spencer Aguiar's PGA DFS: Vegas Report every week. And be sure to read all of our other top-notch weekly PGA DFS articles to help you win big!

 

The Course: Torrey Pines

South Course: Par 72 - 7,765 Yards, Greens: Poa Annua, Designed By: William Bell

North Course: Par 72 - 7,258, Greens: Bent w/ Poa, Designed By: William Bell

While nothing like last week's American Express, we are again faced with rotating courses this week. Over the first two rounds, players will play once on Torrey Pines South and once on Torrey Pines North. Those that make the cut will finish out the weekend on the South course, the more famous and difficult of the two.

The South Course hosted the U.S. Open two years ago if that gives you any indication as to its quality. While we won't see U.S. Open-tough conditions this week, the two courses are vastly different with the North playing much easier than the difficult South.

Players will need to take advantage of their round on the North and survive the South in order to play on the weekend. The cut line is often around even or a few shots over par. Players that make the cut will play both weekend rounds on the South course and it can be brutal. Even with a non-U.S. Open setup it is long and mean with thick rough. The South will test every facet of a player's tee-to-green game. This will send me toward targeting players with complete games rather than a specific strength with an emphasis on golfers that have a history of performing well on tough courses.

 

Recent Farmers Winners & Scoring Info

  • 2022: Luke List (-15)
  • 2021: Patrick Reed (-14)
  • 2020: Marc Leishman (-15)
  • 2019: Justin Rose (-21)
  • 2018: Jason Day (-10)
  • Average Winning Score Last Five Years: -15
  • Average Cut Line Score Last Five Years: -1.8

 

The Horse

Jon Rahm

  • Event Scoring Average: 69.29 (Six career starts)
  • Notable Course History: T3 (2022), T7 ('21), 2nd ('20), T5 ('19), Win ('17) *Win ('21 U.S. Open)
  • DraftKings Price:  FanDuel Price: 

No, you are not experiencing deja vu. Yes, this is the third time Jon Rahm has been featured in HFTC this year. I doubt that I'll hear many complaints from readers, as the Spaniard has won both of the other times he was tabbed in this article.

God mode. The ultimate heater. Dominant. Tiger like. Whatever you want to call it, Rahm is the best player in the world right now and the 28-year-old is playing the finest golf of his already-sterling career at the moment. After blitzing the field to win last week at the American Express, Rahmbo has now won back-to-back tournaments and four times in his last six starts. Yeah, Jon Rahm is good at golf.

If his dominant recent form isn't reason enough to like his chances at the Farmers this week, just wait until you get a load of his track record at Torrey Pines. It's crazy good. Most recently, Rahm won the 2021 U.S. Open held at Torrey South and he's been borderline superhuman in other trips to the public course.

He's one of only two players in this week's field with two or more Farmers starts that boasts a sub-70 career scoring average (69.29) and he's gained a startling 48.02 strokes total in this event since 2018, which is the best mark among this week's entrants. The Spaniard is a cumulative 65-under par in the Farmers since 2017.

 

The Ponies

Tony Finau

  • Event Scoring Average: 70.43 (Eight career starts)
  • Notable Course History: T2 ('21), T6 ('20), T6 ('18), T4 ('17)
  • DraftKings Price:  FanDuel Price: 

If we toss out a missed cut last year at a time when his game was in a funk, Tony Finau has been perfect at the Farmers, making the cut in seven of his eight career starts. Finau has recorded finishes of T6 or better in half of those outings.

His prodigious length off the tee and overall excellence with the driver (fourth in the Farmers field in Good Drives Gained) has allowed Finau to excel at Torrey Pines, as well as other major-championship-caliber venues. Historically, he thrives on challenging layouts such as Torrey and gains an average of 1.16 strokes per round on his competitors at courses considered difficult.

Long known as "Top Five Tony", Finau has shattered the stigma that he can't win tournaments over the last two years by capturing the Northern Trust playoff event to close 2021 before reeling off three more victories since July of last year. In concert with his Torrey track record, this new-found ability to close out tournaments makes Finau one of the most dangerous options on the board this week.

Will Zalatoris

  • Event Scoring Average: 69.70 (Three career starts)
  • Notable Course History: 2nd ('22), T7 ('21)
  • DraftKings Price:  FanDuel Price: 

Sometimes, you just know when a young player is going to feast on a course for his entire career, and Will Zalatoris' fast acclimation to Torrey Pines makes it seem as though the Texan will thrive at the Cali track for years and years to come.

Willie Z dropped a heartbreaking playoff to Luke List in last year's edition of the Farmers. It was just one in a series of "what could have beens" for Zalatoris in 2022, who in addition to his runner-up finish at Torrey, was also forced to settle for second place in both the PGA Championship and U.S. Open.

The youngster eventually got his first career PGA Tour victory at the FedEx St. Jude in Memphis before an injured back forced him to miss the Tour Championship and the Presidents Cup. He's shown no ill effects of the injury since returning to action at the Sentry TOC, where he recorded a T11 on four rounds of 69 or lower. Zalatoris was again solid, if unspectacular, in another birdie-fest environment at the AmEx, logging a T36 and finishing at 16-under par at La Quinta.

He should find the more rigorous test that Torrey will provide this week far more to his liking than his previous starts of the year. Zalatoris has a scoring average of 69.12 across his last eight rounds at the Farmers, including a third-round 65 in last year's edition that was one of the finest rounds you will ever see on the PGA Tour. He possesses the type of ball-striking prowess (first in field SG: Ball Striking last 50 rounds) that should lead to more success at Torrey Pines.

Did you know RotoBaller has a Premium DFS PGA subscription?

Like what you read today? You can show your support for Joe by using promo code NICE when purchasing a PGA Premium Pass. You get 10% off and full access to all of our Premium PGA articles, DFS tools, and Lineup Optimizer!

 

Jason Day

  • Event Scoring Average: 70.75 (13 career starts)
  • Notable Course History: T3 ('22), T5 ('19), Win ('18), Win ('15), T2 ('14)
  • DraftKings Price:  FanDuel Price: 

I'm sure my RotoBaller colleague and ardent Jason Day supporter, Spencer Aguiar, will have plenty to say about his man on the site this week, but I'll go ahead and get the love-fest started here, as J-Day arrives to Torrey for this year's edition of the Farmers toting not only an elite tournament resume but also suddenly-resurgent form.

The Aussie is a two-time Farmers champion (2018 & 2014). It's understandable if that seems like ancient history, though we only have to look back to last year to find an impressive T3 result in this event, which indicates that Day's reign at Torrey Pines isn't quite over yet.

In addition to his sterling track record here, the former world No. 1 has flashed some encouraging output of late. Day logged a top-10 and three additional top-25s over his last four starts of 2022, and demonstrated some serious firepower at the AmEx, racking up 23 birdies and an eagle en route to a T18 result in La Quinta. The 35-year-old has turned back the clock from a ball-striking perspective, ranking 10th on the PGA Tour in SG: Approach and ninth in Total Driving for the 2022-23 season.

 

Ryan Palmer

  • Event Scoring Average: 70.39 (Seven career starts)
  • Notable Course History: T16 ('22), T2 ('21), T21 ('20), T13 ('19), T2 ('18)
  • DraftKings Price:  FanDuel Price: 

Like the aforementioned Day, Ryan Palmer is a grizzled veteran that's shown he still has what it takes to compete on this difficult Torrey Pines layout. The 46-year-old's best golf might be behind him, but Palmer has continued to thrive in this event, as he's notched a pair of runner-up finishes and no result worse than tied for 21st over his last five Farmers starts.

Though he's got a lot of mileage on the tires, Palmer is still surprisingly long off the tee. He averaged just over 305 yards in driving distance last season and closed the year standing 27th on the PGA Tour in SG: OTT. That ability with the driver has served him well at Torrey Pines, as his total strokes gained (+44.63) at the Farmers since 2018 trails only Jon Rahm.

Palmer's recent form hasn't been much to speak of, although he did log a solid T32 in a knock-the-rust-off outing at the Sony Open two weeks ago in which he gained 2.4 strokes T2G. The Texan is the very definition of a course history play this week and is certainly an intriguing salary-saving option on this DFS slate.

  Win More With RotoBaller

Win more with expert tools and advice from proven winners! RotoBaller's PGA Premium Packages feature several savvy analysts and proven winners for DFS and betting.

Our very own Joe Nicely took down a big DraftKings DFS tournament for the Travelers Championship. And as an encore, RotoBaller subscriber @tenndolly2 won $100K on FanDuel with the help of Joe and the rest of our Premium PGA team:

Between all the incredible Premium PGA DFS and Betting content and tools we put out each week, and our Premium Slack Community where we chat with our subscribers before lineups lock, RotoBaller PGA subscribers are armed with the tools, analysis, and advice to win more.

Golf DFS News and Player Outlooks


More PGA Analysis and DFS Lineup Picks

POPULAR FANTASY TOOLS

Expert Advice
Articles & Tools
Import Your Leagues
Daily Stats & Leaders
All Pitcher Matchups
Compare Any Players
Compare Any Players
Rookies & Call-Ups
24x7 News and Alerts

REAL-TIME FANTASY NEWS

Najee Harris

Likely to Miss Time at Start of Training Camp
Justin Thomas

Finishes Tied For 22nd at Genesis Scottish Open
Scottie Scheffler

Finishes Tied For Eighth at Genesis Scottish Open
Jon Rahm

Finishes in Second at LIV Andalucia
Collin Morikawa

Misses The Cut at Genesis Scottish Open
Hideki Matsuyama

Finishes Tied For 13th at Rocket Mortgage Classic
Brooks Koepka

Finishes Tied For 32nd at LIV Andalucia
Tommy Fleetwood

Finishes Tied For 34th at Genesis Scottish Open
Jason Day

Misses The Cut at John Deere Classic
Ludvig Aberg

Finishes Tied For Eighth at Genesis Scottish Open
Cam Taylor-Britt

has Benefited From Addition of Al Golden
Rome Odunze

Could Take Off in Year 2
RJ Harvey

to Get "Significant" Work in Broncos' Passing Game
Jackson Powers-Johnson

More Comfortable Heading into Year 2
Luke McCaffrey

In Line for Larger Role?
Braelon Allen

Jets Viewing Braelon Allen as Long-Term Starter?
Joel Embiid

Participating in Partial Basketball Activities
Victor Wembanyama

Officially Cleared to Return After Blood-Clot Recovery
Mike Williams

Heading to PUP List
Garrett Wilson

Lands Historic Deal
Colston Loveland

Shoulder "Good" After Surgery
New York Jets

Jets Pushing Sauce Gardner to Strive for Perfection
Xavier Worthy

Chiefs to Open Up Offense in 2025
Tallison Teixeira

Suffers First-Round TKO
Derrick Lewis

Scores First-Round TKO
Michael Lorenzen

Royals Put Michael Lorenzen on Injured List With Oblique Strain
Stephen Thompson

Loses Controversial Split Decision
Stefon Diggs

Likely to Begin Camp Working on the Side
Gabriel Bonfim

Wins Controversial Split Decision
Calvin Kattar

Gets Outclassed At UFC Nashville
Xavier Legette

Should be More Productive
Steve Garcia

Extends His Win Streak
Cole Bishop

has Good Shot to Win a Starting Job
Nate Landwehr

Gets Knocked Out
Nate Wiggins

Ravens Think Nate Wiggins has Star Potential
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere Scores Third-Round Knockout
Kel'el Ware

Collects 21 Points in Summer League Loss on Sunday
Austen Lane

Suffers Submission Loss
Vitor Petrino

Scores First-Round Submission In Heavyweight Debut
Cam Spencer

Contract Being Restructured
Drew Timme

Scores 30 Points in Summer League Loss to Wizards
Quinshon Judkins

More Details Emerge on Quinshon Judkins' Arrest
Tuco Tokkos

Earns His First UFC Win
Alexandre Sarr

Logs Impressive Outing in Summer League Action on Sunday
Junior Tafa

Unsuccessful in his Light-Heavyweight Debut
Kaden Elliss

Could be Atlanta's Most Impactful Pass-Rusher
Kyle Filipowski

Scores 21 Points in Summer League Loss to Warriors
Darius Robinson

Ready to Make his Mark in 2025?
Jauan Jennings

Expected to Report for Training Camp
Trey Smith

the Only Player Still on the Franchise Tag
Cody Williams

Collects 22 Points in Summer League Loss on Sunday
Chase Elliott

Charges to A Finish of Third At Sonoma
Chase Briscoe

Finishes Second With his First Career Road-Course Top-Five at Sonoma
Christopher Bell

Rollercoaster Day Ends With Top-5 Finish at Sonoma
William Byron

Maintains the Regular-Season Points Lead
Kyle Busch

Earns A Hard-Fought Top-10 Finish At Sonoma
Alex Ovechkin

Not Thinking About Retirement
PIT

Penguins Acquire Arturs Silovs
NHL

Nikolai Kovalenko Returns to Russia
Yoshinobu Yamamoto

Tosses Gem Against Giants
Shota Imanaga

Shuts Down Yankees on Sunday
Nathan Eovaldi

Dominant Again in Seventh Win
Tyler Reddick

Evades Near Upset to Remain Alive in In-Season Challenge
Ty Gibbs

One of Three Tylers to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinals
Kyle Larson

Curiously Mediocre at Sonoma Before Late-Race Crash
NASCAR

John H. Nemechek Edges Out Teammate to Make In-Season Challenge Semifinal
Alex Bowman

Ty Dillon Bumps Alex Bowman to Advance to In-Season Challenge Semifinal
Chicago White Sox

Billy Carlson Goes 10th Overall to White Sox
Cincinnati Reds

Steele Hall Selected Ninth by Cincinnati
Toronto Blue Jays

Blue Jays Select JoJo Parker with Eighth Overall Pick
Boston Celtics

Damian Lillard Drawing Interest from the Celtics
Miami Marlins

Marlins Select Aiva Arquette With Seventh Overall Pick
Pittsburgh Pirates

Pirates Select Seth Hernandez with Sixth Overall Pick
Kyle Stowers

Punishes Former Team with Three-Homer Game
St. Louis Cardinals

Cardinals Select Liam Doyle with Fifth Overall Pick
Daniel Gafford

Agrees to Contract Extension with Dallas
Colorado Rockies

Rockies Select Ethan Holliday Fourth Overall
Seattle Mariners

Kade Anderson Selected Third Overall by Seattle
Ha-Seong Kim

X-rays on Ha-Seong Kim's Foot Come Back Negative
Los Angeles Angels

Tyler Bremner Selected Second Overall by Angels in 2025 MLB Draft
Washington Nationals

Nationals Select Eli Willits First Overall
Jake Meyers

to Miss More Than Three Weeks With Calf Injury
Cooper Flagg

Shut Down for Rest of Summer League
LeBron James

Hasn't Requested a Trade
Memphis Grizzlies

Cole Anthony, Grizzlies Agree to Contract Buyout
Edward Cabrera

Hopeful to Avoid Injured List
Oneil Cruz

Absent on Sunday
Lars Nootbaar

Placed on 10-Day Injured List
Jake Burger

Scratched on Sunday
Shane Van Gisbergen

Can Anyone Beat Shane van Gisbergen at Sonoma?
Tyler Reddick

Better at Sonoma Than Record Shows
Chase Elliott

a Prime DFS Option at Sonoma
Michael McDowell

Struggling a Bit at Sonoma
NASCAR

Christopher Bell Has Never Finished Better Than Ninth at Sonoma
Ryan Blaney

Has Top-10 Upside at Sonoma
NASCAR

Sunday at Sonoma Will Likely Be a Long Race for Bubba Wallace
Kyle Larson

Is A Likely Top-Five Contender for Sonoma
Ryan Preece

Points Position Could Affect Race at Sonoma
Todd Gilliland

Struggling to Find Speed at Sonoma
Ty Gibbs

May be an Underrated Favorite to Compete for the Win at Sonoma
Alexandre Sarr

Plays Well in Summer League Loss to Phoenix
Yang Hansen

Looks Good on Friday Night
Erik Karlsson

Open to Move Away From Pittsburgh
Zach Hyman

Hopes to be Ready for Start of Next Season
SJ

Jeff Skinner Joins Sharks on One-Year Contract
Kon Knueppel

Struggles in Summer League Win
Walter Clayton Jr.

Plays Well on Friday Night
Cody Williams

Scores 21 Points in Summer League Loss
Kyle Filipowski

Leads the Way on Friday Night
Isaiah Jackson

Signs Three-Year Extension
Marvin Bagley III

Joining the Wizards
Ryan Reaves

Traded to Sharks
Vladislav Kolyachonok

Moves to Dallas
Matt Dumba

Lands in Pittsburgh
Mackie Samoskevich

Re-Signs with Panthers on One-Year Deal
Josh Manson

Inks Two-Year Extension with Avalanche
EDM

Isaac Howard Signs Three-Year, Entry-Level Contract With Oilers
Tallison Teixeira

Set For His First UFC Main Event
Derrick Lewis

Set To Headline UFC Nashville
Gabriel Bonfim

Looks For His Third UFC Win
Stephen Thompson

Returns At UFC Nashville
Steve Garcia

Looks To Extend His Win Streak
Calvin Kattar

In Dire Need Of Victory
Morgan Charrière

Morgan Charriere A Favorite At UFC Nashville
Nate Landwehr

Aims To Bounce Back
MMA

Austen Lane Looks To Get Back In The Win Column
Gary Woodland

Looking to Find Rhythm at Scottish Open
Aaron Rai

Brings Consistent Play to Scottish Open
Maverick McNealy

a Solid Value Play at Scottish Open
Aldrich Potgieter

Making Scottish Open Debut
Tom Kim

Looks to Rebound at Scottish Open
Brian Harman

a Safe Option at Scottish Open
Luke Clanton

a Sneaky Value Play at Scottish Open
Sam Burns

Looking to Stay Hot at Scottish Open
Nicolai Hojgaard

May Feel More at Home in Europe
Harry Hall

Showing Fine Form Heading to Scotland
Ryan Fox

Playing Well Since Early Spring Struggles
Max Greyserman

has Solid History at the Genesis Scottish Open
RANKINGS
C
1B
2B
3B
SS
OF
SP
RP

RANKINGS

QB
RB
WR
TE
K
DEF