Jon Rahm heads a strong looking field at Torrey Pines. McIlroy, Woods, Day, Rose, Schauffele, Fowler and Spieth are some of the big names hoping to finish at the top of the pile.

The Courses at Torrey Pines

Torrey Pines consists of the South Course and the North Course. The mammoth 7,698 yard South Course, which was re-designed in 2001 , hosts 3 rounds in total with each entrant also playing 18 holes on the North Course on either Thursday or Friday. The South Course is a classical design that plays as the longest course on the PGA Tour. Penal rough, specialised fairways and complex green designs make scoring difficult. The North Course, is a relatively short Par-72 which continues to set up for low scoring which can prove pivotal in tournament play. To add to the complexity, the South Course features Poa Annua greens whereas the North features freshly installed pure Bentgrass greens.

Defending Champion

Jason Day is the Defending Champion, having won with a 9 under tournament Score. The same as when he won here in 2015. Rahm won in 2017 and Snedeker in 2016 and 2012. Day won here last year at a price of approximately 20/1, he was 14/1 in 2015. This tournament has a record in recent years of 50/1-60/1 on average as the winners price.Last year Days Driving average and putts per GIR helped him top the leaderboard.

How will it Pan Out?

The Leaderboard is usually bunched throughout this tournament. Expect a winner who knows how to pressure the other players by scoring at curcial times. He will also have to be able to deal with the pressure other players put on him. The South Course is particularly tough to score on. Players will have to grind for 3 of the 4 rounds and make sure they take advantage of the North Courses easier set up. The weather is expected to be good for this time of year. The ground is firm and High Winds are Not expected. In the last 5 years the Eventual winners placings after the 1st round tell a tale. 2018 – 113th, 2017 – 77th, 2016 – 90th, 2015 – 95th, 2014 – 63rd. So value can be had after the 1st round. Anyone within six shots is definitely in contention. For those who like to bet in-play or trade, it’s also worth noting that only Tiger Woods since 2008 has led (2008 & 2013) going into the final round and gone on to capture the title.

Our Selections

Right, so this is the tasty bit you all really want to read. The form charts show Cantlay, Leishman and Rahm looking good. With regular Top 10 and Top 5 finishes in their last tournaments. Woods, Rahm, Snedeker and C Howell have the best average scoring stats in this event. Snedeker, C Howell and Leishman have great placings from this event in previous years. Rose, Bradley and Finau have also had a Top 5 and Top 10 finish in the last 2 years of this event.

Rose – He can play around this course and will be raring to go.  His consistency and solid play should see him well in contention come Sunday.

Snedeker – I wasn’t going to select Brandt as he’s not pulling up any trees and I dont really like his style around the course.  His record here mean he’s  in with a shout.

Leishman – Golf tipsters seem to be including him week after week but he still comes up short. You can’t ignore his current form though, couple that with his previous performances here and he could just get over the line.

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