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The Farmers Insurance Open is set to tee off in California on January 22. The Tournament takes place in San Diego at the Torrey Pines Golf Course, a 36-hole facility in the La Jolla Municipality. The Open is a special one for Tiger Woods, who has won the tournament more than anyone for a total of 7 victories, which includes 4 consecutive wins from 2005 to 2008.

The 2024 edition was special because Matthieu Pavon won his only PGA Tour victory at the Farmers Insurance Open beating Danish golfer Nicolai Hojgaard by a one-stroke margin. The French golfer would be hoping that the Tournament will favor him yet again, as the golf world readies itself for one of the toughest courses in the PGA Tour circuit.

The unforgiving Torrey Pines Golf Course

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To say that the Torrey Pines course is tough is a bit of an understatement. It features some of the toughest pars to make across its 36-hole facility. Let us dive into what makes this course exciting and difficult!

The South Course Hole #11 – Par 3

The only par 3 in the list, the multi-bunkered green poses a huge threat to the golfers teeing up here, despite the 221-yard distance. The wind also plays a huge role in the hole, making the distance seem longer than it is. The green itself funnels the balls to the side making it very difficult to have control over the distance to the precariously-positioned pin. The average score is a high 3.393.

The South Course Hole #12 – Par 4

Once a golfer finishes the 11 hole and heaves a sigh of relief, the next hole breathes down the neck. The 12 Hole at the Torey Pines South Golf Course is the stuff from legends. The Par 4 course, although is the longest in the course, does not look daunting visually. A good fairway allows a golfer to be aggressive with the driver. The 504 yardage requires at least two strokes to reach the green. Even for those who miss the fairway, reaching the uphill green is possible with chips. What is the real problem then?

What’s your perspective on:

With Scheffler and Schauffele out, who will rise to the challenge at Torrey Pines?

Have an interesting take?

The green is 35 yards long and there is a high chance that players get the pin only after three putts. The combination of a long, straight fairway and an unforgiving green makes this one of the tougher holes in the entirety of the PGA Tour. Making par here can be considered a godsend as the average score here is 4.401

Even Matthieu Pavon hit two bogeys in his Round 2 and Round 3 last year, before making par in the last round.

The North Course Hole #18 – Par 4

The North Course doesn’t offer the same difficulties as the South Course. The Course is pretty straightforward but just like every investigative movie, the ending is pretty shocking. The 18 Hole, which for all ends and purposes, forms the climax of the Course, is something that should ideally belong to the South Course, due to its difficulty.

The Par 4 hole has an average score of 4.366 which is just a small hint of the brutality it offers. The long straight fairway, which is around 486 yards long, is beautiful in itself but the difficulty of this hole comes from the two strategically placed sand bunkers on either side of the green.

The golfers who are going to take part in the Farmers Insurance Open will try to prepare well before embarking on one of the hardest courses in the tour. Let’s take a look at who all are going to feature at San Diego.

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Who is on the field for the 2025 edition?

The biggest names in golf will take the course in January 2022. The likes of Max Homa, Hideki Matsuyama, Collin Morikawa, Sahith Theegala, and Will Zalatoris will be looking to oust Olympian Matthieu Pavon from his crown. World No. 4 Ludvig Aberg is also expected to tee off at the Torrey Pines Golf Course.

There are some big names missing though. World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler is not going to take part in the Farmers Insurance Open as he is still recovering from his hand injury. World No.2 Xander Schauffele is also not going to tee off at San Diego for medical reasons. The top two names being out might take some shine off the tournament, but the Farmers Insurance Open still promises to be an enthralling experience.

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Who are you cheering for on this difficult course?

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With Scheffler and Schauffele out, who will rise to the challenge at Torrey Pines?