The Genesis Invitational

Torrey Pines Golf Course (South Course)



    Fantasy Advice

    Farmers Insurance Open DFS picks 2025: Why this week lines up perfectly for Ludvig Aberg

    January 20, 2025
    Tracy Wilcox
    KAPALUA, MAUI, HAWAII - JANUARY 03: Ludvig Åberg of Sweden laughs at the first tee during the second round of The Sentry at The Plantation Course at Kapalua on January 3, 2025 in Kapalua, Maui, Hawaii. (Photo by Tracy Wilcox/PGA TOUR via Getty Images)

    The California Swing with the Farmers Insurance Open, an annual PGA Tour stop since the 1950s. Players will attempt to navigate the narrow fairways, thick rough and small Poa greens of Torrey Pines, one of the premier municipal golf courses in America and also the host of two U.S. Open championships. Many of the PGA Tour’s best will rotate Thursday and Friday on the North and South courses, and those who make the cut will play both weekend rounds at the South course, the far more challenging of the two. Torrey Pines South annually ranks as one of the three longest courses on the schedule, and it is one of the most exaggerated driving and long iron tests that players will face all year.

    Torrey Pines Golf Course: South
    Public
    Torrey Pines Golf Course: South
    La Jolla, CA
    Torrey Pines sits on one of the prettiest golf course sites in America, atop coastal bluffs north of San Diego with eye-dazzling views of the Pacific. Rees Jones’ remodeling of the South Course in the early 2000s not only made the course competitive for the 2008 U.S. Open (won by Tiger Woods in a playoff over Rocco Mediate), it also brought several coastal canyons into play for everyday play, especially on the par-3 third and par-4 14th. An annual PGA Tour stop, Torrey Pines received another boost by Jones prior to hosting its second U.S. Open in 2021, this one won by Jon Rahm.
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    While the absence of San Diego native Xander Schauffele will be felt this week, Ludvig Aberg, Hideki Matsuyama, Sahith Theegala, Tony Finau, Will Zalatoris, Sungjae Im and former Farmers Insurance Open champions Jason Day and Max Homa headline a strong field this week. With a lot of Torrey Pines to look forward to in the next couple of weeks, let’s dive into the DraftKings slate.

    $9,000 and above range

    Play: Ludvig Aberg, $10,800

    Ever since Ludvig Aberg burst onto the scene, I have felt that he would be a future Torrey Pines champion in the same vein as other powerful drivers such as Jon Rahm and Jason Day before him. Aberg did not disappoint with a ninth-place at this event last year on debut, and I’m expecting even better in his follow-up.

    Fade: Max Greyserman, $9,700

    2192433832

    Maddie Meyer

    Now priced as one of the tournament favorites, this is the time to sell Max Greyserman. Despite a top-five finish last week, Greyserman now travels to a far longer and difficult golf course that will play an undue amount of pressure on his long irons. Until the Duke grad builds a resume on some of these more challenging courses, I’ll be looking in another direction.

    $8,000 range

    Play: Taylor Pendrith, $8,800

    2179649510

    Orlando Ramirez

    Torrey Pines is an ideal golf course for Taylor Pendrith’s skill-set, and his power off the tee and elite putting from five to 15 feet should pay dividends here. It should not come as a surprise that Pendrith finished ninth at this event last year, and I’m expecting another strong performance out of the Canadian in San Diego.

    Fade: Harry Hall, $8,000

    Harry Hall has had a strong opening start to the season, but Torrey Pines is a much different test than the easier courses where the Englishman has been succeeding. Hall has missed the cut in all three appearances at Torrey Pines, and I worry his off-the-tee play will be a significant liability at one of the more challenging driving courses on the PGA Tour.

    $7,000 range

    Play: Thomas Detry, $7,900

    2183817523

    Kate McShane

    Thomas Detry fits the prototypical skill-set I am looking for this week. He hits the ball a mile off the tee, possesses distinct upside with his long irons and is a great putter from five to 15 feet. Detry presents an excellent leverage opportunity in this range from many of the more popular options.

    Fade: Austin Eckroat, $7,700

    I’m not sold on Austin Eckroat’s course fit at Torrey Pines, and I worry that his short game could get him into trouble this week. Eckroat is one of the worst around-the-green players on the PGA Tour, and with firmer conditions this year, I would expect Torrey Pines to feature one of the lower greens in regulation percentage on tour, placing an undue amount of pressure on Eckroat’s approach play, which has not been anything to write home about of late.

    Flier: Gary Woodland, $7,200

    2193583282

    Sarah Stier

    Gary Woodland always has my attention on long and difficult golf courses, and he’s coming off a 16th place finish at the Sony Open where he gained strokes in all four major categories. It appears his game is trending in the right direction. Woodland’s experience on Poa greens, power off the tee, and top-tier long ability makes him one of my favorite values on the slate.

    $6,000 range

    Play: Joseph Bramlett, $6,900

    2189872854

    Scott Taetsch

    Similar to Woodland, Joseph Bramlett is always a player worth a shout on long and difficult golf courses. Given his power off the tee and long iron play, it should not come as a surprise that he has recorded top-25 finishes in three of his past four appearances. Bramlett will be extra motivated this week to take advantage of his limited playing opportunities on the PGA Tour and should be chomping at the bit for the chance to return to Torrey Pines.

    Andy Lack is a PGA Tour writer and podcaster from New York City who now resides in Los Angeles. Andy is the founder and CEO of Inside Sports Network, a website devoted to the predictive quality of advanced analytics and golf course architecture. He came to Golf Digest’s betting panel after previously writing for Run Pure Sports, RickRunGood.com, the Score and GolfWRX. In his free time, Andy can likely be found on a golf course. Follow him on Twitter: @adplacksports