Daily Fantasy Golf Course Primer: Farmers Insurance Open
Fresh off a rotation-based event a week ago at the CareerBuilder, we're heading to Torrey Pines to do the same. Well, I'm not. Hopefully you are. That'd be a nice way to spend the weekend. Or you're in the field, so then I'm not sure why you'd be reading this.
Anyway, the Farmers Insurance Open features two courses, the North and South courses at Torrey Pines GC.
Here's what you should know about them.
Course and Tournament Info
The golfers -- 150 of them this week -- will alternate between the North and South course for the first two rounds before a cut of the top 70 and ties.
With all golfers needing to play both courses before the cut, it shouldn't matter where they start, but the past seven winners have started on the South course.
We'll gloss briefly over the North course because it's just a quarter of the tournament for those who finish. Plus, this par 72 plays a whole lot easier than the other one.
| Year | Difficulty Rank | Course | Par | Yds | Avg Score | Avg O/U Par |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 32 | Torrey Pines (North) | 72 | 7,258 | 71.277 | -0.723 |
| 2016 | 38 | Torrey Pines (North) | 72 | 7,052 | 70.929 | -1.071 |
| 2015 | 46 | Torrey Pines (North) | 72 | 7,052 | 70.232 | -1.768 |
| 2014 | 44 | Torrey Pines (North) | 72 | 7,052 | 70.242 | -1.758 |
| 2013 | 35 | Torrey Pines (North) | 72 | 7,052 | 70.667 | -1.333 |
| 2012 | 47 | Torrey Pines (North) | 72 | 7,067 | 69.551 | -2.449 |
| 2011 | 38 | Torrey Pines (North) | 72 | 7,067 | 70.987 | -1.013 |
| 2010 | 44 | Torrey Pines (North) | 72 | 6,986 | 70.199 | -1.801 |
| 2009 | 28 | Torrey Pines (North) | 72 | 6,915 | 71.804 | -0.196 |
| 2008 | 34 | Torrey Pines (North) | 72 | 6,874 | 71.542 | -0.458 |
It's the South course -- the host of the 2008 US Open -- that deserves more attention.
| Year | Difficulty Rank | Course | Par | Yds | Avg Score | Avg O/U Par |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 14 | Torrey Pines GC (South) | 72 | 7,698 | 72.766 | 0.766 |
| 2016 | 2 | Torrey Pines GC (South) | 72 | 7,698 | 74.498 | 2.498 |
| 2015 | 6 | Torrey Pines GC (South) | 72 | 7,698 | 73.518 | 1.518 |
| 2014 | 4 | Torrey Pines GC (South) | 72 | 7,698 | 73.797 | 1.797 |
| 2013 | 16 | Torrey Pines GC (South) | 72 | 7,698 | 72.655 | 0.655 |
| 2012 | 21 | Torrey Pines GC (South) | 72 | 7,698 | 72.364 | 0.364 |
| 2011 | 11 | Torrey Pines GC (South) | 72 | 7,698 | 72.792 | 0.792 |
| 2010 | 16 | Torrey Pines GC (South) | 72 | 7,698 | 72.524 | 0.524 |
| 2009 | 5 | Torrey Pines GC (South) | 72 | 7,628 | 74.010 | 2.010 |
| 2008 | 10 | Torrey Pines GC (South) | 72 | 7,569 | 73.801 | 1.801 |
Woof. Torrey Pines South has been a top-six course in difficulty relative to par in three of the past four years. And it runs nearly 7,700 yards.
How do those who contend year after year do just that? Let's scope the key stats.
Key Stats
Here are the most vital stats to focus on for this week, based on historical data.
| Key Stats for the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines |
|---|
| Strokes Gained: Approach |
| Strokes Gained: Around the Green |
| Par 5 Scoring |
| Proximity |
| Driving Distance |
Both strokes gained: approach and around the green have been vital for this set of courses in recent history. Strokes gained: tee to green have, too, but these stand out much more than play off the tee for this week. Just keep in mind that strokes gained stats for this season alone will be sparse.
With both courses sitting as par 72s, par 5 scoring matters, and proximity pops as a key stat this week, too.
And with the South course running so long, distance matters, but not as much as you may think. It's worth peppering into your research, but it's not enough to launch it from the tee box this week. Second and third shots, per the stats, matter more.
Course History Studs
We have to start with Tiger Woods, who won here five out of six years from 2003 to 2008 and again in 2013.
Charles Howell III is 15 for 15 on cuts here since 2003, with 10 top 25s and 7 top 10s, including a 2nd last year. Phil Mickelson has finished top 25 in 7 of 14 tries since 2003.
Brandt Snedeker, 2016's winner, bookended a victory with a 19th in 2015 and a 9th in 2017. He has eight top 25s at Torrey Pines.
Tony Finau has a short history here but has improved on his finishes each time out: 24th in 2015, 28th in 2016, and 4th in 2017. Similarly, Robert Streb has three straight top 20s here (9th, 18th, 19th).
With such a deep field and such a storied course, there's a lot of course form to dig into. For a deeper look at course history among players in the field, check out FantasyGolfMetrics.com.
