Photo courtesy of Sandiego.org
One of my favorite times of the year is the nine-event, West Coast Swing of the PGA Tour.
It is the time some of the most beautiful courses on tour are given center stage. Torrey Pines, Riveria, Pebble Beach, and TPC Scottsdale are most of my favorite courses to watch the best in the world attack a number of the best courses I have played.
The aesthetics are flawless, the golf challenging, and in some cases, it’s a major party (Waste Management Open).
Right now, we are two rounds into the Farmers Insurance Open played on both the North and South Courses at Torrey Pines in La Jolla.
I had the fortune to play both courses, as well as stay at the Lodge it was amazing. The fact the South Course has hosted the U.S. Open twice, including Tiger Woods amazing win in 2008, adds to the luster of the course.
This year there is something behind the scenes being talked about – how much longer will Farmers be the title sponsor?
The insurance company has been struggling financially and there is plenty of talk that after the 2026 tournament when their sponsorship deal expires, Farmers will not renew.
Wells Fargo is taking its name off the tournament at Quail Hollow following this year’s tournament.
Farmers also ended its relationship with Rickie Fowler, and Fowler was not seen wearing his traditional Farmers logo when playing in Hawaii. The popular golfer is also not playing this week in the tournament, something he has done every year of the tournament since Farmers has sponsored the event.
The Farmers is also playing a Wednesday-Friday, 72-hole event, opting not to compete with the NFL Conference Championships this Sunday.
It will be a wonderful tournament to watch, and I made sure to watch the first two rounds on replay after I got home from work.
I will do the same tonight and then settle in on Saturday for the final round!
It’s a great time of year to watch golf as we get ready for the majors!
By Dennis Miller