PGA Tour heads to Torrey Pines, LPGA Tour stays in Florida
Max Homa watches his shot miss the cup on the second green during the final round of The Sentry golf event, Sunday, Jan. 7, 2024, at Kapalua Plantation Course in Kapalua, Hawaii. Credit: AP/Matt York
PGA TOUR
FARMERS INSURANCE OPEN
Site: San Diego.
Courses: Torrey Pines GC. South (Yardage: 7,765. Par: 72) and North (Yardage: 7,258. Par: 72).
Prize money: $9 million. Winner's share: $1.62 million.
Television: Wednesday-Thursday, 3-7 p.m. (Golf Channel); Friday, 3-5 p.m. (Golf Channel), 5-8 p.m. (CBS); Saturday, 2-4 p.m. (Golf Channel), 4-8 p.m. (CBS).
Defending champion: Max Homa.
FedEx Cup leader: Chris Kirk.
Last week: Nick Dunlap, an amateur, won The American Express.
Notes: U.S. Amateur champion Nick Dunlap withdrew to go home to Alabama and contemplate his future after becoming the first amateur in 33 years to win on the PGA Tour. ... The tournament starts on Wednesday and ends on Saturday to avoid being shown opposite the NFL conference championship games. ... The field features three of the top 10 players in the world in Xander Schauffele, Patrick Cantlay and defending champion Max Homa. Cantlay has not played the tournament since 2019. ... Eric Cole, Tom Hoge and Seamus Power are among six players at Torrey Pines who are playing for the fourth time in four weeks. ... This is the final week for the leading five players on the “swing” list to earn a spot at Pebble Beach next week with its $20 million purse. ... Adrian Meronk of Poland is making his debut as a PGA Tour member, having finished in the top 10 in Europe last year. Meronk was runner-up last week in Dubai. ... Former U.S. Open champion Gary Woodland is making his second start in three weeks since returning from brain surgery in September. He missed the cut in the Sony Open.
Next week: AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
Online: https://www.pgatour.com/
___
LPGA TOUR
LPGA DRIVE ON CHAMPIONSHIP
Site: Bradenton, Florida.
Course: Bradenton CC. Yardage: 6,557. Par: 71.
Prize money: $1.75 million. Winner's share: $262,500.
Television: Thursday-Friday, noon to 3 p.m. (Golf Channel); Saturday, 4-5 p.m. (Golf Channel), 6-8 p.m. (Golf Channel-tape delay); Sunday, 2-5 p.m. (Golf Channel).
Defending champion: Celine Boutier.
Race to CME Globe leader: Lydia Ko.
Last week: Lydia Ko won the Hilton Grand Vacation Tournament of Champions.
Notes: This is the sixth edition of the “Drive On” tournaments that began in 2020 as the LPGA Tour was coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic pause. ... The tournament was held last year in Arizona. ... Nelly Korda lives in Bradenton. ... Lydia Ko now has 20 career victories on the LPGA Tour after her victory last week at Lake Nona. She is one point — one regular tour victory — away from qualifying for the LPGA Hall of Fame. ... Celine Boutier is making her season debut. Her appearance gives the LPGA Tour all the major champions from last year. ... Ko is the seventh woman to reach 20 LPGA wins before turning 27. The most recent was Lorena Ochoa. ... The field for the Drive On Championship is 120 players. ... Lexi Thompson is in the field as she tries to end nearly five years since her last LPGA victory. ... The Drive On is one of only six LPGA events with a purse under $2 million. ... The LPGA Tour is off for a month after the tournament before resuming with the first Asian swing in Thailand.
Next tournament: Honda LPGA Thailand on Feb. 22-25.
Online: https://www.lpga.com/
___
EUROPEAN TOUR
RAS AL KHAIMAH CHAMPIONSHIP
Site: Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates.
Course: Al Hamra GC. Yardage: 7,410. Par: 72.
Prize money: $2.5 million. Winner's share: $416,667.
Television: Thursday-Friday, 3-8 a.m. (Golf Channel); Saturday, 3:30-8 a.m. (Golf Channel); Sunday, 3-8 a.m. (Golf Channel).
Defending champion: Daniel Gavins.
Race to Dubai leader: Rory McIlroy.
Last week: Rory McIlroy won the Hero Dubai Desert Classic.
Notes: This is the third of five straight tournaments in the Middle East to begin the year on the European tour. The field features only two of the top 75 in the world ranking, led by Thriston Lawrence of South Africa. ... Three-time major champion Padraig Harrington is in the field. He missed the cut last week in the Dubai Desert Classic. ... Sung Kang, Jonas Blixt, Matthias Schwab and Dylan Frittelli are playing on exemptions awarded to PGA Tour players who finished between No. 126 and 200 in the FedEx Cup last year. ... Keita Nakajima makes his first start of the year. The former No. 1 amateur has status on the Korn Ferry Tour but has elected to use his exemption from winning the Japan Golf Tour money title. David Micheluzzi of Australia is using a similar exemption. ... Bernd Wiesberger is in the field, having been relegated out of the LIV Golf League.
Next week: Bahrain Championship.
Online: https://www.europeantour.com/dpworld-tour/
___
KORN FERRY TOUR
THE BAHAMAS GREAT ABACO CLASSIC
Site: Great Abaco, Bahamas.
Course: The Abaco Club on Winding Bay. Yardage: 7,141. Par: 72.
Prize money: $1 million. Winner's share: $180,000.
Television: None.
Previous winner: Ben Silverman.
Points leader: Jeremy Paul.
Last week: Jeremy Paul won the Bahamas Great Exuma Classic.
Next week: Panama Championship.
Online: https://www.pgatour.com/korn-ferry-tour/
___
OTHER TOURS
Sunshine Tour: Mediclinic Invitational, Maccauvlei GC, Vereeniging, South Africa. Defending champion: Stefan Wears-Taylor. Online: https://sunshinetour.com/
PGA Tour of Australasia: Webex Players Series, Rosebud CC, Mornington Peninsula, Australia. Defending champion: James Marchesani. Online: https://pga.org.au/
