Other than picking a winner, there is very little more satisfying in golf betting than seeing a triple-figure tip contending on Sunday – and that is exactly what Francesco Molinari did for us in California. I am hoping I can be as, if not more successful with three great value picks at the Farmers Insurance Open this week – which is Wednesday to Saturday this week to avoid clashing with the NFL. But before I get to my golf betting tips…
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Farmers Insurance Open details
Venue: Torrey Pines, California, USA
Date: January 26-29, 2021
Course stats: Par 72; 7,698 yards (South course); Par 72; 7,258 yards (North course)
Course summary: As usual, the North and South courses will alternate for the opening two rounds, while both the third and final rounds will take place on the South. Ranking as one of the toughest on the PGA Tour, the South course has tight Kikuyu fairways and penal rough. In contrast, the North Course plays much shorter and often easier. One of the main differences between the two courses is the putting surface, with Poa Annua on the South and Bentgrass on the North. Accuracy on approach to the putting surfaces is a non-negotiable this week, so look out for the top ball strikers in the game to be toward the top of the leaderboard on Sunday.
Purse: $7.5 million
Defending champion: Patrick Reed (-14)
Farmers Insurance Open TV coverage
Wednesday: Sky Sports Golf from 5.30pm and Sky Sports Main Event from 10pm
Thursday: Sky Sports Golf from 5pm and Sky Sports Main Event from 6pm
Friday: Sky Sports Golf from 4pm and Sky Sports Main Event from 10.30pm
Saturday: Sky Sports Golf from 4pm and Sky Sports Main Event from 11pm
Farmers Insurance Open golf betting tips
Bazza’s Banker: Dustin Johnson – 2.5pt e/w @ 20/1 with Bet365
DJ arrives in California after a long winter break, so I am banking on him being well rested and ready to hit the ground running in 2022. While he doesn’t tend to play this event regularly, I am intrigued by a T19 finish at the US Open when it was last hosted at Torrey Pines. He also has some good form at correlating courses – with a T10 at the Palmetto, a T6 at the BMW Championship, and a T8 at the Genesis in 2021.
Johnson is a picker of the golf ball, and therefore suits the Kikuyu fairways at this venue perfectly. Riviera, another course that uses Kikuyu fairways, is also a happy stomping ground for Johnson – with a win and nine top-10s in his 13 career starts there. If Johnson arrives in peak condition after his break, he could make the field and the bookmakers look very silly.
The Each-Way Play: Patrick Reed – 1.5pt e/w @ 50/1 with Bet365
Quite frankly this a ludicrous price for the defending champion, and I am more than willing to snap it up. Reed has a phenomenal record in this event, with four consecutive top-23 finishes since 2018 including that gritty display that saw him win 12 months ago. Reed’s form in this event has actually improved year-on-year, and even his respectable effort in the 2021 US Open at Torrey gives us additional cause for optimism.
Reed’s season so far has been inconsistent, but a few shining lights such as the runner-up finish at the Bermuda Championship and the 3rd-place finish at the Hero World Challenge suggest he can switch it on when he finds an environment that suits.
Reed’s name regularly pops up on leaderboards across the correlating courses, and considering his price I think we could have a very interesting round four on Saturday.
The Long Shot: Max Homa – 1pt e/w @ 70/1 with Bet365
Homa is quickly becoming an appealing pick for California based events, especially after securing his second PGA Tour win in the state at the Fortinet Championship. As a California local, and a previous champion at the Genesis Invitational, I don’t see it being long before he contends for this title too.
Homa’s last two attempts in this event have seen him finish T18 and T9, while a missed cut at the US Open in 2021 can perhaps be explained by the tougher course layout. Homa has also previously won the Wells Fargo in 2018, at a course which correlates closely with Torrey Pines. With a big early price on offer, it could be worth getting on board early before the odds fall.
For more prices, visit Bet365.