Jon Rahm needed just 62 to get around the North Course and leads by a shot.
Those of you playing the PGATOUR Fantasy Game should make sure again that your lineup is NORTH HEAVY in Round 2.
Read why below:
Emergency 9
Here are nine tidbits from the opening round of the Farmers Insurance Open that gamers can use tomorrow, this weekend or down the road. The South Course at Torrey Pines is the annual host. The 156 pros in the field will play a round on the South Course and North Course to determine who plays the weekend.
Armada
Jon Rahm set the course record at the “new” North Course with 62 as he ran roughshod in the benign conditions. He cruised out in 29 before finding his only bogey on the inward front nine. Two eagles never hurt and neither does playing the Par-5 holes in 5-under. He mentioned his consistent driving after the round; I’ll mention he hit 15 of 18 GIR.
Fantasy Island
These were the top-10 selected golfers in the PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf game. If you’re wondering why you’re not doing well, here’s why:
| Rank | Player | Place | % Ownership |
| 1 | Tony Finau | T41 | 57.64 |
| 2 | Jason Day | T15 | 54.49 |
| 3 | Tiger Woods | T53 | 54.02 |
| 4 | Marc Leishman | T27 | 40.41 |
| 5 | Xander Schauffele | T41 | 37.16 |
| 6 | Justin Rose | T2 | 33.46 |
| 7 | Rickie Fowler | T118 | 33.29 |
| 8 | Rory McIlroy | T74 | 31.65 |
| 9 | Jon Rahm | 1st | 29.86 |
| 10 | Brandt Snedeker | T27 | 28.87 |
The weather and conditions will continue to be perfect throughout the rest of the weekend. It will be interesting to see the set up when we reach the weekend. The North Course was back to its easy ways as it played more than 2.5 shots under-par. Even the brutal South Course finished the day in red numbers.
No. 1 is No. 2
I’m a dad with two kids so I think it’s funny. Sue me. Justin Rose said after the round that he’s not a huge fan of having to post 25-under and was looking forward to this week. I guess seven birdies and an eagle on the North course (-9; 63) was just the warm-up he needed before three straight on the South Course.
Doug In
Doug Ghim is playing just his 10th event on TOUR and Torrey Pines usually doesn’t have any sympathy for newbies not ranked in the OWGR top 25. Round 1 saw him circle NOYNE birdies and an eagle to offset two bogeys to share second with Rosey. Not bad for a guy who has two starts this season and none since Shriners.
Tiger Woods and Friends
A birdie at the last on the South Course saw the large cat post 70 in his first round of the new season. He was beaten by the other two players in his three-ball by a shot as Tony Finau and Xander Schauffele both posted 69. The massive crowds didn’t seem to bother either of them in Round 1. This is especially great news for Schauffele lovers as he’s never played the weekend in three previous starts.
South Course Leaderboard
Playing 2.23 strokes easier than the North, a great start here is worth a few more.
| Place | Player | Score |
| T6 | Brandon Hagy | 66 |
| T6 | Chris Stroud | 66 |
| T6 | Charles Howell III | 66 |
| T15 | Fabian Gomez | 67 |
| T15 | Ryan Palmer | 67 |
| T27 | Michael Thompson | 68 |
| T27 | John Huh | 68 |
| T27 | Jonas Blixt | 68 |
| T27 | Ben Silverman | 68 |
| T27 | Joel Dahmen | 68 |
Match or beat this number on the North tomorrow and anyone from this group will be in the conversation on the weekend.
Pan Pizzazz
At the conclusion of play in 2017 Pan was three shots behind champion Rahm tied for second with Howell. At the conclusion of play in Round 1 Pan is two shots behind Rahm and tied for second. He’s played nine rounds at this event and has posted exactly one higher than 71.
Spying on Spieth
Oh, hello! Didn’t expect to see you up here alone in fifth after 65 on the North Course! He posted 63 on the “old” North in 2014 and that was his only round under 71 in eight rounds (MC, T19 and MC) prior. Wanna guess which club in the bag was the difference today? Yep, led the field in putts per GIR and that was with missing a couple shorties. Noticed.
Study Hall
There were 9 bogey-free rounds. Only Howell’s came on the South Course. … C.T. Pan circled the most birdies with 10. … Jimmy Walker was the only player in the field not to circle a birdie. … Peter Malnati WD before his tee time on Thursday with a back injury. … Matthew Fitzpatrick leads after the first round of the Omega Dubai Desert Classic on the European Tour. … Rafael Campos won on the Web.com Tour at the Great Abaco Club as he navigated gale-force conditions to collect his first professional win.
