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The PGA Tour’s West Coast swing hits the midway level at this week’s Farmers Insurance coverage Open at Torrey Pines in La Jolla, California.
The event tees off Wednesday and wraps up Saturday to keep away from competing with the NFL’s convention championship video games on Sunday.
France’s Matthieu Pavon is the defending champion, and he’ll battle a discipline that features world No. 4 Hideki Matsuyama and No. 8 Ludvig Åberg.
This week’s event might be adopted by three of the tour’s greatest occasions: Pebble Seashore Professional-Am, WM Phoenix Open and the Genesis Invitational.
This is are a few of this week’s storylines on the Farmers Insurance coverage Open.
Genesis Invitational on the transfer
Due to the devastating fireplace in Pacific Palisades, California, the PGA Tour is relocating subsequent month’s Genesis Invitational, which was scheduled to be performed at Riviera Nation Membership outdoors Los Angeles from Feb. 13 to Feb. 16.
The PGA Tour was contemplating a number of new places however appears to be leaning towards returning to Torrey Pines, sources advised ESPN this week.
The Genesis Invitational, which is hosted by Tiger Woods, could be performed on the tougher South Course. This week’s Farmers Insurance coverage Open is being performed on the North and South Programs.
Woods received eight occasions on the South Course, together with the 2008 U.S. Open.
“Clearly with the fondness that [Woods] has for Torrey Pines, it looks like a straightforward match,” San Diego native Charley Hoffman mentioned. “However proper now each man on this discipline’s working to get into Genesis like myself if they are not in it. And clearly as a hometown child, I am wishing it comes right here.”
Riviera Nation Membership and Torrey Pines are about 123 miles aside. Infrastructure would already be in place to assist the Genesis Invitational, a signature occasion with a $20 million purse.
“I believe the platform right here in San Diego could be a really logical place to place it,” Hoffman mentioned. “However there’s so many logistics [involved in] shifting an occasion three or 4 weeks out. Lodges, volunteers, rebranding the location. There’s a lot the tour has to do. That is a tricky job, and I do know they’re up for it, however regardless of the place they go it will be a tricky job to get every little thing found out.”
Hoffman wasn’t the one PGA Tour participant who supported shifting the Genesis Invitational to Torrey Pines.
“No pushback from me,” Aberg mentioned. “Convey it right here, please.”
“If it comes right here I can perceive why they’ve come right here,” Jason Day mentioned. “Clearly, Tiger’s had an enormous quantity of success right here. It isn’t that removed from L.A., it is simply down the street. The infrastructure’s right here already. It simply depends upon if town desires to carry it and what that may appear like.”
No matter the place the Genesis Invitational finally ends up, Day mentioned it is vital for the tour to proceed to assist the folks that have been affected by the fires.
“Regardless that we’re speaking about one other event coming to San Diego, which is a superb factor for San Diego, there’s lots of people which can be out of a house that sometimes we are available and every little thing’s regular,” Day mentioned. “Proper now, there’s lots of people which can be struggling, so we will not neglect about that, too.”
Hoffman’s comeback
There have been occasions through the previous few seasons when Hoffman questioned if he’d nonetheless be capable to compete on the PGA Tour. Now 48 years outdated, he was taking part in towards a lot youthful gamers, and a nagging again harm did not assist issues both.
Final season, Hoffman had three top-10s in 24 begins. The excessive level got here on the WM Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale when he fell to Nick Taylor on the second gap of a playoff.
In 2022-23, Hoffman did not have a top-10 end and missed 18 cuts in 31 begins on tour.
“That is the primary offseason within the final most likely three to 4 years I have been capable of work and follow and play and work out,” Hoffman mentioned. “Prior to now it was like, ‘All proper, how do I get able to even tee it up on the PGA Tour?’ [My] again wasn’t any good.”
Hoffman’s laborious work paid off in final week’s American Categorical at PGA West in La Quinta, California. He had a share of the 36-hole lead and tied for fifth at 20 beneath, 5 strokes behind winner Sepp Straka.
“The reply to that query is 100% I wasn’t positive I’d ever be aggressive out right here once more,” Hoffman mentioned. “Clearly, final 12 months in Phoenix I used to be aggressive. The remainder of it wasn’t as much as my liking, however this 12 months clearly began off on the suitable foot, getting myself in rivalry.”
Hoffman assembled a workforce to assist get his again in higher form by weight lifting, chilly tubs and infrared saunas.
The San Diego native might be making his twenty seventh begin within the PGA Tour occasion at Torrey Pines. He first certified for the 1994 Buick Invitational of California as a 17-year outdated junior at Poway Excessive Faculty in Poway, California.
‘Full Swing’ is coming again
Netflix introduced the discharge date for season three of “Full Swing,” its actuality present that follows golfers on the PGA Tour. The third season will premiere on Feb. 25.
In response to a information launch Wednesday, the third season will give attention to world No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler’s document efficiency in 2024, Rory McIlroy’s life on and off the course, LIV Golf star Bryson DeChambeau’s resurgence, and Keegan Bradley’s comeback to surprising Ryder Cup captain.
The season may also characteristic Min Woo Lee and his sister Minjee’s quest to make the Paris Olympics, and Gary Woodland’s return to the tour after battling a mind tumor.
O-H-I-O
Jason Day was born and raised in Australia, however he moved to Westerville, Ohio, close to his spouse Ellie’s hometown, a number of years in the past. Naturally, he adopted Ohio State as his favourite school soccer workforce and counts Buckeyes coach Ryan Day amongst his associates.
Day was thrilled to observe Ohio State defeat Notre Dame 34-23 in Monday night time’s CFP Nationwide Championship introduced by AT&T in Atlanta. It was redemption for Ryan Day, who was criticized closely after the Buckeyes fell to rival Michigan for the fourth straight time within the regular-season finale.
“I have to admit I’ll say to all of the folks that have been calling for his head, I am like, ‘Come on,'” Day mentioned. “I do know that we have misplaced towards Michigan the final 4 seasons, and that is massive for Ohio folks — we will not lose towards Michigan. However I might take a championship over shedding to Michigan each single 12 months.”
The 2015 PGA Championship winner attended an Ohio State follow in October 2023. He additionally has relationships with former Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh, whom he performed with in a pro-am, and former Buckeyes coach City Meyer.
Mr. Day 🤝 Mr. Day pic.twitter.com/aURozx6VNI
— Ohio State Soccer (@OhioStateFB) October 10, 2023
However Day has earned respect for the Buckeyes coach with the identical final identify.
“It was good to have the ability to see his success,” mentioned Day, who tied for third, at 22 beneath, in final week’s American Categorical. “Clearly, since that Michigan recreation, the entire workforce, he is rallied the boys and so they’ve performed large. It was enjoyable to observe.
“It is superb to see what number of occasions you may get intestine punched after which stand up and rally the troops once more and hold going. That is inspiring to see as a result of if you happen to’ve ever been to Columbus, Ohio, Ohio State soccer is the factor there. It’s a faith. Lots of people assist it and I assist it.”
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