BlogFarmers Preview and Picks

The Buzz:

The big return to the PGA Tour is Dustin Johnson who hasn’t played in a tournament since the RBC Canadian Open.  According to Johnson it was his decision to take some time off to address personal problems.  Many will point out that he just happen to take 6 months and a couple of days off, about the same time that the PGA Tour could have put him down for drug use.  Rumors of Johnson using drugs have been rampant for over two years and although nothing has been said, you know that something was serious for him not playing this long.  Many fans really don’t care, while others feel that it’s wrong to be lied to, everyone except the PGA Tour feels that there should be some truth in reporting disciplinary action, every other sports is transparent so golf should be the same.  What really bothers many including myself is that they won’t say anything about Dustin Johnson that is a marquee player on tour but are fast in reporting Doug Barron’s one year suspense a couple of years ago and just last month was very quick in pointing out that Bhavik Patel violated the Tour’s PED policy and was given a one-year suspension.  Sorry you can’t have it both ways reporting on the violates of some and not all.

As for Johnson how will this effect his game?  Back in 2012 Johnson either had an injury or another possible altercation with the tour but he didn’t play for close to three months.  When he did return, he won in his second start back at the FedEx St. Jude Classic so maybe with this absence he will be fresh and come out strong.

Some other marquee guys who are not doing well are Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods.  Starting with Tiger, he seems to have a case of the chipping yips.  I never knew this was a problem and finding out now that many folks have them.  For Tiger he had a terrible week at the Phoenix Open, shooting 73-82 to finish dead last, a first for Woods.  Of the 18 greens Woods missed last week, he was only able to get it up and down five times which is a horrible number for those on the PGA Tour.  He first showed us the problem at his Hero Challenge tournament in December and many brushed it off because of lack of competition. But when the problem showed up again at Phoenix, many are now questioning Woods.  He admitted to not having much trust in the process that the mental aspect isn’t turning into the physical pattern as he isn’t getting the club in a better spot.  Woods must have thought it was a problem, instead of sticking around and attending the Super Bowl, he flew back home to Florida to work on his game and probably the chipping problem.  It will be interesting to see whether he could fix the problem, if it returns at the Farmers rumors will run rampant.  Woods also has another big problem; he has now dropped down to 56th in the World Rankings.  Since winning the Disney in 1996, Tiger has only been out of top-50 of the rankings just seven weeks in 2011 (lowest was 58th).  Unless he gets back into the Top-50 in the next four weeks he will miss the WGC Cadillac Championship – the first time he will miss qualification for a WGC event.  Right now, he is playing this week and at Honda, the last qualifying event.  Some are speculating that Tiger may add the Northern Trust to his schedule.  This event in L.A. was a regular spot for Woods as he played in 11 Northern Trust, but after withdrawing in 2006 with a cold hasn’t been back.  Many feel he needs the reps but Tiger will do whatever he deems best.

One last player that isn’t doing very well is Phil Mickelson.  He hasn’t won since the 2013 British Open and with a pair of runner-up finished in 2014 at Abu Dhabi and the PGA Championship had a rough year.  The oddity in the way he’s playing  has roots in the way he has played earlier on the west coast swing.  17 different years he has won at least once on the West Coast swing and in those years that he didn’t win found himself in contention numerous times.  But the strange thing was last year he played terribly in his three west coast starts, and this year finished T24th at Humana and missed the cut in Phoenix.  Is this spelling that maybe Phil’s career is winding down?  In past years he would have a full schedule, playing five of the eight west coast stops.  But, last year and this, he is only playing in three giving him less of a chance.  Still it’s hard to see Phil miss cuts at the WM Phoenix Open, an event and course he has done well on.  Don’t look for Phil to get it back this year.  He use to rule at the Farmer’s, but with the changes to the course for the 2008 U.S. Open, Phil has told media of a dislike for the South Course at Torrey.  He did finish 2nd in 2011, but his results since the changes in the mid-2000s has been bleak.

Course information:

• Played at the two courses at Torrey Pines in La Jolla, California
• South Course (Home Course) – Par:  72 / Yardage: 7,698
• North Course – Par: 72 / Yardage 7,052
• In 2014 the South course was the 4th hardest course on the PGA Tour playing to a 73.797 average.  The North Course was the 44th hardest course, playing to an average of 70.242

Both courses were designed by Billy Bell Jr. and opened in 1957.  In the 80s both courses were revamped with all new greens with the work done by the city.

The south course opened first on June 19th, with Paul Runyan, Ralph Duldahl, Olin Dutra and a local pro, Don Gollett the first to play it.  Five months later the North Course opened.  Hard to believe that since the courses opened over 57 years ago, over 13 million rounds have been played on both courses.

The two courses were the brainchild of Leo Calland, then director of San Diego’s park and recreation department. He pushed hard to change an old World War II camp into a golf course.  When he got permission, Bell came in and covered over the blacktop and could use the excess concrete to achieve rolling fairways on what was a flat site.  The lure of both courses after they opened was the views of the ocean on every hole.  Both courses sit atop of bluffs overlooking the Pacific and these views were seen a couple years later nationally when Challenge Golf filmed one of there matches with Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, Sam Snead and Doug Sanders.

A decade later, the San Diego Open was looking around for a home.  Since the tournament was first played in 1952 it never really found a home.  It was played on several different courses but in 1968 it would embark on a big change.  It decided to copy several west coast tournaments by getting a headline celebrity to host the event getting Andy Williams who at the time was one of the biggest stars on television with a weekly show.  They also needed financial support and asked for the city for the use of Torrey Pines free of charge.  It was a match made in heaven.  The course proved very popular not only with the pros but the TV audience that watched it.

Since then Torrey Pines has been the home of the tournament, although every year rumblings is heard that it is may be replaced with a TPC course. Those rumblings ended with the economic downturn in 2008.

After the 2001 Buick the South course went through an extensive revamping process.  With the chance of getting the 2008 U.S. Open, $3.3 million was spent with Rees Jones adding a lot of length to the course.  Now, the course can stretch to 7,700 yards although the PGA Tour plays it below that figure.  Though Jones didn’t change the routing of the course he did change redo all the bunkers and changed four holes moving greens on the third, fourth, fourteen, and fifteen holes.  With all the changes, it brought some bite back to a course which 20 years ago was considered very difficult by the touring professionals.  Average scores were up almost two shots compared to past years and the winning score of 275 was along with two other years the highest winning score in 20 years.  The revamp proved such a big success with the players, media and fans that the USGA gave the 2008 U.S. Open to Torrey Pines.

The North Course is two shots easier than the South but in some people’s minds the North is more scenic.  There’s a reason the par-3 sixth is still the most photographed hole at Torrey, and the red sandstone cliffs on the northern edge provide as much beauty as anything else.  Now, the course was supposed to undergo renovations, but those plans never materialized. <p>

Golf’s DL injury report

• Hunter Mahan was originally in the Farmers and withdrew over the weekend.  Nothing to do with injury, his wife Kandi is expecting their second child in the coming days and Hunter has taken the time off to be with her.
• Tim Clark withdrew from the Humana resulting from a tender left elbow, we haven’t heard anything so have to assume that there is a problem there.

Here are some of the secrets of what it takes to play well at the Farmers Insurance Open:

Key stat for the winner:

The South course can be stretched to over 7,600 yards but don’t look for that length although some tees will be back.  Driving will play an important role this week.  Look for those that do well in total driving stat, the one that combines both distance and accuracy together.  In the past couple of years, the course has prided itself with heavy U.S. Open rough which makes it tough to hit your shot into the green if you miss the fairway.  In 2014 the course proved hard from the rough as it was the hardest course on proximity to the hole as players in the rough averaged getting it 51 feet to the hole

Here are some more key stats to look to for this week:

• The course was revamped and toughened a decade ago and now has a “U.S. Open feel” to it.  In past years this course had the reputation as the course that major winners are victorious on as between 1992 and 2008 all the champions also had major victories except for one, Peter Jacobsen in 1995.  Nick Watney broke things up in 2009, Ben Crane in 2010, and Bubba Watson wasn’t a major winner when he won in 2011.  Brandt Snedeker kept the streak alive in 2012 but it was broken last year when Tiger returned to the winners circle. One record still in tack, don’t look at a newcomer winning, the last rookie champion was in 1991 with Jay Don Blake.  Along with 1989 champion Greg Twiggs, Blake and Twiggs are the only Farmers champions to win just once on the PGA Tour.  Even more remarkable the only player to win the Farmers in his first start was Ted Kroll; the winner of the first Farmers in 1952 so don’t look for any rookie winners.
• One great stat that got ruined last year.  Scott Stallings played twice before winning, missing the cut both times.  But before he became a winner just look at the winners since 2000.  All of them did well in previous Farmers starts.  We know about Tiger’s record, but look at the other non-Tiger winners going back to 2000:
• 2012 winner Brandt Snedeker –  finished T2nd in 2010 & 3rd in 2007
• 2011 winner Bubba Watson –  finished T4th in 2007
• 2010 winner Ben Crane –  finished T7th in 2009
• 2009 winner Nick Watney –  finished T9th in 2007
• 2004 winner John Daly –  finished 4th in 2003
• 2002 winner Jose Maria Olazabal –  finished T13th in 2001, first time he played in event
• 2001 winner Phil Mickelson –  finished Won in 2000
• 2000 winner Phil Mickelson –  finished 2nd in 1996, 3rd in 1994, and won in 1993
• The point is, it may be smart to look at guys like Jason Day, Graham DeLaet, Rickie Fowler, Bill Haas and Jimmy Walker as good prospects for this week.
• Greens that will be classified as “bumpy” may play a role in determining the champion.  Now people who have played it in the last couple of days say they are perfect, but anything could happen.  Although the South greens were redone in 2001, Poa Annua have crept back into almost 95% of the greens.  With that if it tends to get foggy in the morning, the greens will be inconsistent and drive players a bit crazy.  Again, patience will be the key here.
• Look at the list of champions shows that scramblers have done very well in this event.  Look for the player who can get it up and down to win.  In 2014 it ranked 8th toughest on tour and has been in the top-ten five of the last six years.
• One round is played on Torrey North, a course that is 695 yards shorter than the South.  Last year it played three and a half shots easier than the home South course.  To win, player needs to play great in his round on the North.  Since 1983, no champion has ever been over par on the North course and except for four years, they have shot in the 60s with 20 of the 32 shooting 67 or under.  So look for the champion to go low on the North Course
• Before Scott Stallings, Ben Crane, Bubba Watson, and Brandt Snedeker won this was a great bit of Farmer’s trivia.  Before Crane’s 2009 victory 15 of the previous winners had “California ties”  going a step further, 25 of 61 winners have either been born, raised, gone to school or live in California,  You may wonder why this stat is important?  Poa Annua is a grass found mostly in California that gives those that play and know the grass a special advantage, so that’s why it’s important.
• The good news is that the weather will be perfect with zero chance of rain.  Now for the folks of Southern California which is suffering the worst drought in the history of the region, which is bad.  For those in the tournament it’s great news as everyday will have overcast skies in the morning, because of the marine layer, but look for temperatures to be an average of 75 degrees which is par for La Jolla.