2 months agoAfter an elite fall, Ludvig Aberg has struggled to start this season. Aberg didn't handle his Hawaiian debuts earlier this month with T47 and T30 finishes. This week Aberg makes his Torrey Pines debut and he profiles as the type of player that should have success at the course. Aberg is an accurate, long driver with the skills to scramble and save par. With a week off following two poor performances, Aberg could have slightly less ownership this week.Source: PGATOUR.com
2 months agoThere's no reason to bet against Xander Schauffele this week. He has the game to win this event, regularly requiring elite scrambling skills. Schauffele has some of the best short-game statistics on the PGA Tour and has the course history to back that up. What has escaped Schauffele at Torrey Pines is a win and that's what will be required for the most expensive player on DraftKings.Source: PGATOUR.com
2 months agoJ.J. Spaun was one of the bigger disappointments at the Sony Open two weeks ago -- firing rounds of 71-70 to miss his first cut in nearly seven months. The Southern California kid will have a chance to rebound at Torrey Pines: a venue that sits less than 20 miles from his alma mater at SDSU. Spaun has made four of seven cuts here at the Farmers since 2017, including a ninth-place finish on debut. Given his familiarity on poa annua greens and the emphasis placed on long-iron play at Torrey Pines, Spaun would seem to be a premier bounce-back candidate. At just $7,300 on DraftKings, he's worth a look if you need a pivot off of chalkier options around him.Source: PGA Tour
2 months agoAfter a seven-start stretch from July to January that saw Billy Horschel record five finishes of 20th or better, last week's missed cut at the American Express poured a bit of cold water on his projected resurgence. There will be no rest for the weary this week at Torrey Pines, however, as Horschel will make his third consecutive start at a venue that routinely ranks as one of the most difficult on the PGA Tour. Horschel has experienced a fair amount of success around Torrey Pines: Recording three finishes of 11th or better in seven starts since 2016. On the surface, a 7,800-yard golf course with poa annua greens doesn't profile as the optimal course fit, but Billy has shown us on many occasions that he's capable of mixing it up on tracks that conventional wisdom would tell you are over his head entirely. I remain cautiously optimistic about his prospects this week.Source: PGA Tour
2 months agoThe meteoric rise of 25-year-old Min Woo Lee has been one of the top stories of the last year in the golfing world. The flamboyant Australian has firmly established himself as one of the premier up-and-coming prospects not just with two titles in Australia and Macao, but also with two marquee finishes at the PLAYERS Championship and U.S. Open. His elite driving/short game combination should suit the formidable links of Torrey Pines to a tee, but time will tell if he can match his lagging approach play to the established assets already in his toolkit. Players with his tools don't come around very often, but until we get a full measure of him around these PGA Tour venues, it's difficult to treat Min Woo as anything more than a volatile projection. At the very least, spectators to his debut will be treated to one of the greatest airshows in the game. Source: PGA Tour
2 months ago2023 Farmers Insurance Open champion Max Homa has every reason to like his chances again just 12 months later. He's recorded nine consecutive top-15 finishes around the world over the last six months, he started the new year with the best tee-to-green performance he's logged since last March's Arnold Palmer Invitational, and he's back on a putting surface on which he's won four of his six career PGA Tour titles. Homa's California track record is one of the more remarkable runs currently going in the sport -- four wins and six additional top-10s over the last four seasons -- and with this year's Farmers Open field devoid of its usual top dog (Jon Rahm), Homa's expectations are as high as they've ever been around Torrey Pines.Source: PGA Tour
2 months agoChris Gotterup has generated plenty of hype over the last several years and is looking to become a household name in his first year on the PGA Tour. The 24-year-old certainly has the pedigree to do so; in his final year of college at the University of Oklahoma, Gotterup won both the Fred Haskins Award and the Jack Nicklaus Award as the nation's top collegiate golfer. Since then, he's littered the Korn Ferry Tour leaderboards with top-25 finishes week-in and week-out. He has also made the cut in nine of his 14 career PGA Tour starts, highlighted by a T4 at the John Deere Classic in 2022 where he averaged 335 yards per tee shot. Gotterup's driving distance and clubhead speed should be a huge differentiator for him this week, and fantasy managers should consider getting exposure to him at his mere $6,500 price tag on DraftKings.Source: PGA Tour
2 months agoDavis Thompson may be a tempting option for fantasy managers this week given his $7,200 price tag on DraftKings. The 24-year-old Georgia Bulldog is off to a solid start in his second PGA Tour season, having made the cut in all seven of his starts and picking up three top-25 finishes during that span. Unfortunately, Thompson does not appear to be a great course fit for Torrey Pines. While he does excel in driving accuracy and approach play from 200+ yards, he ranks 74th in driving distance, 68th in overall approach play, 75th in scrambling, and almost dead last in putting on Poa annua over the last 36 rounds. In his only start here last year, he lost over four strokes around-the-green and over three strokes putting en route to a T69 finish. Thompson may not have the upside fantasy managers are seeking at this week's Farmers Insurance Open.Source: PGA Tour
2 months agoDespite coming off back-to-back missed cuts, Justin Suh may be a golfer for fantasy managers to target this week. The second-year PGA Tour pro played solid golf in the fall swing, finishing the 2023 calendar year with five-straight made cuts, including a T10 at the ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP and a fourth-place finish at the World Wide Technology Championship. His skill set should lead to a solid showing at Torrey Pines, just as it did with his 20th-place finish at this event last year. He's one of the best total drivers of the ball in the field, and he's the 10th-best putter on Poa annua over the last 36 rounds. Fantasy managers looking for value plays with high-upside in the low-$7,000 range on DraftKings would be wise to get their fair share of Suh this week.Source: PGA Tour
2 months agoChristiaan Bezuidenhout was on a mission at The American Express last week, shooting back-to-back 65s on Saturday and Sunday and almost picking up his first PGA Tour win. That runner-up finish comes on the heels of excellent form in recent DP World Tour events, namely a T9 at the Joburg Open, a T17 at the South African Open Championship, and a solo-third finish at the Alfred Dunhill Championship to close out 2023. The 29-year-old South African will not fit the bomber narrative this week, but he looks to be a solid course fit otherwise. Over the last 36 rounds, Bezuidenhout ranks inside of the top 40 golfers in a number of key metrics, including approach play, around-the-green play, bogey avoidance, putting on Poa annua, and par 5 scoring. Fantasy managers should roster Bezuidenhout with confidence this week.Source: PGA Tour
2 months agoTyler Duncan has been a solid value play for fantasy managers as of late, but he is likely in for a tough week at the Farmers Insurance Open. The 34-year-old Purdue University alum has only missed the cut once in his last six starts, a stretch of golf that has included three top-20 finishes, all of which he was priced in the $6,000-range on DraftKings. Unfortunately, his skill set does not appear to line up well for Torrey Pines. Over his last 36 rounds, Duncan ranks 81st in driving distance, 123rd in approach play, and 111th in putting on Poa annua. He has also missed the cut in all four of his starts on this course. Fantasy managers should not be tempted by Duncan's recent form at the Farmers Insurance Open.Source: PGA Tour
2 months agoLuke List won at Torrey Pines two years ago in a playoff over Will Zalatoris. The American golfer did not do quite so well last year and did struggle early in 2023. He closed well but it does appear List is not having an easy start to 2024. Finishing 22nd and 66th in his first two tournaments does not inspire much confidence. Torrey Pines values good approaches and clutch putting. List does seem to putt above average in San Diego compared to his season average of 99th (-0.384 strokes gained) in putting. List is an up and down golfer (11 missed cuts in 2023) but when he is on, he can contend. Source: PGATour.com
2 months agoTaylor Montgomery did not have the best of weeks at The American Express (T61). However, hope springs eternal for the American golfer. Montgomery was in contention after two rounds last year at the Farmers Insurance Open. Then things went bust after back-to-back 75s. Can Montgomery put four rounds together in San Diego? With expected tranquil conditions from Thursday on, the fortunes for Montgomery rise a little. This week could be interesting for Montgomery.Source: PGATour.com
2 months agoKeegan Bradley enjoyed quite a resurgence last year with two victories. The American golfer nearly won last year at Torrey Pines. He lost in a playoff with Max Homa. However, that spurred Bradley on and he has not looked back. Bradley did not always have the best metrics but he wound up 20th in putting at 0.447 strokes gained. It will be interesting to see how the golfer fares in a comfortable surrounding. If Bradley gets off to a better start, he very well has a chance to win in San Diego. His 70-73 was a big reason why he had to battle uphill so hard. The Sony could be a nice springboard after all. Source: PGATour.com
2 months agoSepp Straka has seemingly improved every time he plays at Torrey Pines. Now last season saw the Austrian golfer not play at the Farmers Insurance Open. However, the year before he finished a solid 16th. Straka has two wins in his PGA Tour career. Also, he was a solid 12th at The Sentry earlier this month. Typically, Torrey Pines is not a birdie-laden course. However, expect improving conditions on Thursday into the weekend. That might boost Straka's fortunes a little and his putting.Source: PGATour.com