Farmers Insurance Open DFS picks 2024: Why Max Homa is an auto-play at Torrey Pines

The PGA Tour heads to beautiful La Jolla, Calif., this week for the Farmers Insurance Open, an event hosted at Torrey Pines since 1968, and a venue we have come to associate with some of the most indelible golf moments of the past 25 years. Players will split their first two rounds between the North and South courses, and those who make the cut will play both their weekend rounds on the South Course, the much more difficult of the two.

Torrey Pines Golf Course: South

Public Torrey Pines Golf Course: South La Jolla, CA 3.8 217 Panelists

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. Explore our full review Public Torrey Pines Golf Course: North La Jolla, CA 3.6 131 Panelists

Redesigned by Tom Weiskopf in 2018, Torrey Pines’ North course became friendly for the average golfer. The number of bunkers were reduced from 60 to 42 and made easier to play out of. And the average green size was increased from 4,500 square feet to 6,000. Lastly, Weiskopf added one of his signatures: a short, drivable par 4 (the seventh)—making the companion course to the championship South course a little more fun. Explore our full review

While the Farmers has found itself in a precarious schedule spot ahead of two more signature events in the next three weeks, many of the best players in the world will still be making the trip to the iconic layout. Max Homa returns to defend his title, and he will be joined by the likes of Patrick Cantlay, Collin Morikawa, Xander Schauffele, Sungjae Im, Sahith Theegala, Will Zalatoris, Tony Finau, and two-time winner Jason Day.

Torrey Pines is sure to provide an interesting juxtaposition from the easy scoring conditions we saw to open the season, as it consistently ranks as one of the most difficult tracks on tour. Let’s dive into the pricing.

More from Golf Digest

Let’s not overthink this one. It’s no surprise that Max Homa, Southern California native and defending Farmers Insurance Open champion, is a slam dunk anytime he’s on the West Coast. The 33-year-old has now recorded four wins in California alone, and there is certainly something to be said for his comfort on Poa greens. Poa is a “confidence surface,” and it can drive players who are used to smooth bentgrass and grainy Bermuda nuts. Homa has been the No. 1 Poa putter in this field over the past three years, and he is also one of the best overall approach players in the field. I’d expect the seven-time PGA Tour winner to build upon his tremendous track record in the Golden State.

Fade: Patrick Cantlay ($10,500):

Orlando Ramirez

It’s challenging to pick a fade in the succinct $10,000 range this week, as all options check a number of boxes for me statistically and possess strong California ties. With that being said, Patrick Cantlay’s final round at The American Express left such a poor taste in my mouth, and it’s hard to justify paying such an exorbitant price this week. Of the $10,000-plus players, Cantlay has the least experience at Torrey Pines, and we have not seen him here since the 2021 U.S. Open. Experience matters here, and Schauffele, Homa and Morikawa are all better versed in the unique test of Torrey Pines.

$9,000 range Play: Tony Finau ($9,300):

Sean M. Haffey

Tony Finau has become a frustrating proposition for DFS golf players. We are all aware of his limitless talent, yet the floor remains low due to the incredible volatility of his putter. With that being said, Torrey Pines is a golf course that emphasizes Finau’s elite driving and long iron play, and his track record here should come as no surprise. In eight appearances at the Farmers Insurance Open, the six-time PGA Tour winner has recorded seven top-25s, which includes five top-10s and a ninth-place finish last year, where he gained over seven strokes ball-striking. Between his success at Riviera and Torrey Pines, Finau is an easy plug and play at difficult Southern California tracks until he proves otherwise.

Fade: Eric Cole ($9,000):

Eric Cole is an easy player to love in easy scoring conditions and at golf courses that de-value elite driving, but we have a much different task on our hands this week. While Cole is an elite wedge player and putter, his driver is the weakest aspect of his game. Cole is not particularly long or accurate. Due to the extremely narrow fairways and thick rough, possessing either elite distance or elite accuracy is paramount at Torrey Pines. Cole has neither, which could spell disaster for him this week. Hitting long irons out of Kikuyu rough is far from an enjoyable endeavor.

More from Golf Digest Gambling Strategy 10 players who will win you money in 2024 $8,000 range Play: Harris English ($8,800):

Michael Reaves

Harris English isn’t typically the first name that comes to mind when I think of long and difficult golf courses, but the four-time PGA Tour winner has an incredibly sneaky track record at these style of tests. The 2020 U.S. Open at Winged Foot is a wonderful reference point in terms of the strategic challenge that we should be looking for this week. Both Torrey and Winged Foot feature extremely narrow fairways, thick rough, and devilishly challenging greens, albeit for different reasons. English is the only player in this field to finish top five at both the 2021 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines and 2020 U.S. Open at Winged Foot. Coming off back-back top-15 finishes to start the year in Hawaii, English’s game is beginning to trend at the perfect time.

Fade: Adrian Meronk ($8,200):

I’m a big fan of Adrian Meronk’s skill-set, but not at this price. Meronk’s only experience at Torrey Pines is a missed cut at the 2021 U.S. Open, and we have not seen him play golf in America since the U.S. Open. While the Polish Hammer continues to play some impressive golf across the pond, I’m going to need to need to see a little more before I spend up for him here.

More from Golf Digest Podcasts Min Woo Lee on Adam Scott’s sick private jet and his new roommate in the U.S. $7,000 range Play: Michael Kim ($7,300):

Michael Kim has been a mainstay in this column over the first few weeks of the season, and I’m already on record that it’s only a matter of time before we come to know the San Diego native for more than just his social media presence. Kim is coming off an impressive sixth-place finish last week at The American Express, and as a graduate of Torrey Pines high school, he now returns to his home-town track playing some of the best golf of his career.

More from Golf Digest PGA Tour Michael Kim finds his niche as unexpected social media star Fade: Ben Griffin ($7,700):

Michael Reaves

It is no surprise that Ben Griffin excels on short, easy Bermuda-grass courses that emphasize wedge play, but he will up against a much different challenge this week at Torrey Pines. One of the shorter players in this field, Griffin is one of the only players at this price point to rank outside of the top-100 in long iron play and driving distance. Griffin will face a tremendous amount of pressure on his putter to keep up this week, generally a losing strategy at this style of golf course.

Flier: Nick Hardy ($7,000):

If I was distilling success at Torrey Pines into three crucial checkpoints, I would mention long and accurate driving, elite middle to long iron play, and putting inside 15 feet/experience on Poa greens. At $7,000, Nick Hardy somehow checks all three boxes. That’s right, Hardy is one of only two players in this field to rank top-20 in driving distance, long iron proximity, and putting inside 15 feet. Coming off a 42nd-place finish at the Sony Open where he gained strokes in all four major categories, Hardy is my favorite value play on the entire board.

$6,000 range Play: Joseph Bramlett ($6,800):

Michael Reaves

As one of the longest drivers on tour, Joseph Bramlett possesses the proto-typical skill-set for Torrey Pines. Think Luke List in 2021: bomber off the tee, awesome long iron player, sneaky solid short game. Famous last words, but if we could only just get the putter to cooperate, Bramlett could return great value this week.

Listen to Golf Digest’s weekly podcast, “The Loop” (above) where we interview the industry’s leading experts (and sometimes tour pros) to help you make your bets and pick your fantasy lineups. And be sure to subscribe to “The Loop” wherever you get your podcasts!

Andy Lack is a PGA Tour writer and podcaster from New York City who now resides in Los Angeles. He hosts Inside Golf, a twice weekly podcast focused on the PGA Tour, betting, daily fantasy, golf course architecture, and interviews, as part of the BlueWire podcast network. As well as contributing to Golf Digest, Andy is also a data analyst and writer for Run Pure Sports, where he covers PGA Tour betting and daily fantasy. He came to Golf Digest’s betting panel after previously writing for RickRunGood.com, the Score and GolfWRX. In his free time, Andy can likely be found on a golf course. Follow him on Twitter: @adplacksports