The PGA Tour is building in its intensity and the fields are getting stronger as the New Year moves on. This week, the action is at the famous Torrey Pines venue in California for the Farmers Open and a tournament that has been on the calendar since 1952.
Last weekend, we took a return on Canada’s Adam Hadwin who tied for second on Sunday so let’s see if we can continue a productive start to 2019 with our Farmers Open predictions.
The big news this week sees Tiger Woods (+1400 or 14/1 with Bovada) jump on the Tour for the first time this year and this is an event that the former World Number One has a liking for. However, Tiger gives way to a strong overseas contingent led by Spain’s Jon Rahm (+1000 favorite with the same firm).
Rahm won the Farmers Insurance Open in 2017 in an event that made his name on the circuit and he is in solid form coming into Thursday. The 24-year-old has four straight top 10 finishes which includes victory in the Hero World Challenge at the end of 2018 but there is plenty of competition from the chasers in the odds.
Justin Rose (+1400) produced a solid four days last week and he heads the chasing pack, alongside the defending champion Jason Day (+1400). The Australian has won the tournament twice in four years but should we ignore the fact that he missed the cut on his first defense in 2016?
Rory McIlroy follows as fourth favorite and then we come to Tiger Woods. Having made a successful return to the circuit in 2018, Woods is nicely rested and returning to a tournament that he has won on no fewer than seven previous occasions. The 43-year-old can’t be ruled out – it’s just a question of what shape he’s in after a long spell away from the course.
At the edge of the chasing pack is Marc Leishman (+2000), who was a runner up here back in 2010 and there will also be some interest in the in-form Xander Schauffele (+1800).
The first betting line that really interests us sits next to Tony Finau (+1800) who ended 2018 in the form of his life. The last two editions of the Farmers Insurance Open have produced top six finishes for Finau and his power game may well come into play here.
Rickie Fowler’s (+2500) appearance in the outside bunch is a measure of his dipping form and then we come to Patrick Cantlay (+2800), who was our betting pick for victory last week. Cantlay gave us a reasonable run for our money before finishing tied for ninth and he is one to watch again.
Moving further back, we come to another two-time winner of this event and a firm favorite of ours. Brandt Snedeker (40/1) won the Farmers Insurance Open in 2012 and 2016 and with two runner up slots to add, we feel he is primed for another single digit finish on Sunday.
There are some big names in this outside bunch so it is going to be a competitive four days. Some tempting players with higher prices here include Patrick Reed (40/1), Keegan Bradley (45/1), Jordan Spieth (28/1) and Cameron Champ (33/1).
Our Farmers Insurance Open Course & Betting Trends with Predictions & Picks Verdict
Torrey Pines in San Diego, California will be instantly recognizable to golf fans watching on TV this week. This is an unusual tournament in the sense that it is played on two courses – North and South – with each offering very different challenges.
In terms of mere measurements, both locations carry a par 72 and are relatively lengthy. The South Course is a monster at a shade under 7,700 yards so this is one event on the Tour where the distance hitters may hold an advantage.
There is a strong trend for repeat winners in recent years with Jason Day completing his own double in 2018. Brandt Snedeker and Phil Mickelson have also won the Farmers Insurance Open on more than one occasion this century while the overall record holder is Tiger Woods who claimed seven wins between 1999 and 2013.
We will dismiss the multiple champion trend however and opt for Tony Finau as our tournament winner. His long game will suit the venue and therefore we feel he just needs to carry over that impressive form shown at the end of 2018.
Finau to win is the pick and, for our other Farners Open predictions, the addition of these top 10 finish suggestions should hopefully lead to a profitable four days at Torrey Pines:
- Tony Finau to win at +1800 with Bovada or Intertops.
- Brandt Snedeker, Keegan Bradley and Jordan Spieth for top 10 finishes (with Bovada when these betting lines become available).
Matt Harris is a golf and soccer expert for USA Betting. His other area of specialist knowledge is cricket. He is well known in sports journalism and contributes articles to a plethora of big-name websites and media outlets. Titles that he writes or has written for include: Betfair, BetVictor, Unibet & Just Bookies.