Farmers Insurance Open Tips and Preview

The Farmers Insurance Open sees Tiger Woods make his first appearance of the year and there will be plenty of focus on him too given he is seven-time winner of the Torrey Pines event.

The last of Woods’ wins was in 2013, but bookmakers are taking no chances with Woods, who they make the $12 third favourite with only Rory McIlroy and 2017 champion Jon Rahm at shorter prices.

Justin Rose is the defending champion having recorded a two-shot victory over Adam Scott 12 months ago and he warmed up for his first PGA Tour event of the season with a solid week at the Singapore Open last weekend as he finished runner-up to Matt Kuchar.

At $19, I’d much rather be backing Rose than Woods, considering the Englishman’s own record in recent times. Rose was fourth in 2017, eighth the following year and went on to claim victory last year and looks a decent each-way proposition at his current odds given the form he showed first up for the year in Singapore.

At bigger odds, the one who appeals is Marc Leishman. The Australian is a two-time runner-up in the event in 2010 and 2014 and earned a top-10 finish when eighth at Torrey Pines two years ago.

Leishman went winless last year, but his first appearance of 2020 showed plenty of promise when 28th in the Sony Open in Hawaii. That should have blown away the cobwebs and at $51.