Farmers Insurance Open

Farmers Insurance Open

Tournament information
Location	La Jolla, California, U.S.
Established	1952, 64 years ago[1]
Course(s)	Torrey Pines Golf Course
Par	72 - (both courses)
Length	7,698 yd (7,039 m) - South 7,052 yd (6,448 m) - North
Organized by	Century Club of San Diego
Tour(s)	PGA Tour
Format	Stroke play
Prize fund	$6.5 million
Month played	February
Tournament record score
Aggregate	266 George Burns (1987) 266 Tiger Woods (1999)
To par	−22 George Burns (1987) −22 Tiger Woods (1999)
Current champion
Brandt Snedeker

Torrey Pines GC

Location in the United States

Torrey Pines GC

Location in California

The Farmers Insurance Open is a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour, played in the San Diego, California area in the early part of the season, known as the "West Coast Swing."

The tournament was noted for having singer-actor Andy Williams as a celebrity host from 1968 to 1988. It originated as the San Diego Open in 1952 and used that name in its title through 1985. Title sponsors were added in 1981, first with Wickes for two years, then three with Isuzu. Shearson Lehman Brothers became the title sponsors in 1986, replaced by Buick in 1992 and Farmers Insurance in 2010.^[2] The event is organized by The Century Club of San Diego.

Although the San Diego Open began in 1952, the PGA Tour recognizes two earlier events of the same name: Leo Diegel won both events, in 1927 and 1929.^[3]

Course history

The tournament was played at San Diego Country Club in Chula Vista in 1952 and 1953, then moved in 1954 to Rancho Santa Fe Golf Club in Rancho Santa Fe, which had hosted the Crosby Pro-Am prior to World War II. The event was played at Mission Valley Country Club in San Diego in 1955 for one year, then went to Singing Hills Country Club in El Cajon in 1956. The tournament returned to Mission Valley C.C. in 1957 where it stayed through 1963. Mission Valley changed its name to Stardust Country Club in 1962 (and now is known as Riverwalk Golf Club). After one year in 1964 at Rancho Bernardo Country Club (now Rancho Bernardo Inn) in San Diego, it returned to Stardust C.C. for three years, through 1967.

In 1968, the event began its present relationship with Torrey Pines Golf Course in La Jolla, a 36-hole public facility owned by the City of San Diego. In the current tournament set-up, players split the first 36 holes between the North and South Courses, then play the final 36 holes on the South Course. In 2008, the South Course hosted the U.S. Open, won by Tiger Woods in a playoff.^[4]

Winners

Year	Player	Country	Score	To par	Margin of victory	Runner(s)-up	1st prize ($)	Purse ($)
Farmers Insurance Open
2016^1	Brandt Snedeker (2)	United States	282	−6	1 stroke	K. J. Choi	1,170,000	6,500,000
2015	Jason Day	Australia	279	−9	Playoff	Harris English J. B. Holmes Scott Stallings	1,134,000	6,300,000
2014	Scott Stallings	United States	279	−9	1 stroke	K. J. Choi Jason Day Graham DeLaet Marc Leishman Pat Perez	1,098,000	6,100,000
2013	Tiger Woods (7)	United States	274	−14	4 strokes	Brandt Snedeker Josh Teater	1,098,000	6,100,000
2012	Brandt Snedeker	United States	272	−16	Playoff	Kyle Stanley	1,080,000	6,000,000
2011	Bubba Watson	United States	272	−16	1 stroke	Phil Mickelson	1,044,000	5,800,000
2010	Ben Crane	United States	275	−13	1 stroke	Marc Leishman Michael Sim Brandt Snedeker	954,000	5,300,000
Buick Invitational
2009	Nick Watney	United States	277	−11	1 stroke	John Rollins	954,000	5,300,000
2008	Tiger Woods (6)	United States	269	−19	8 strokes	Ryuji Imada	936,000	5,200,000
2007	Tiger Woods (5)	United States	273	−15	2 strokes	Charles Howell III	936,000	5,200,000
2006	Tiger Woods (4)	United States	278	−10	Playoff	Nathan Green José María Olazábal	918,000	5,100,000
2005	Tiger Woods (3)	United States	272	−16	3 strokes	Luke Donald Charles Howell III Tom Lehman	864,000	4,800,000
2004	John Daly	United States	278	−10	Playoff	Luke Donald Chris Riley	864,000	4,800,000
2003	Tiger Woods (2)	United States	272	−16	4 strokes	Carl Pettersson	810,000	4,500,000
2002	José María Olazábal	Spain	275	−13	1 stroke	J. L. Lewis Mark O'Meara	648,000	3,600,000
2001	Phil Mickelson (3)	United States	269	−19	Playoff	Frank Lickliter Davis Love III	630,000	3,500,000
2000	Phil Mickelson (2)	United States	270	−18	4 strokes	Shigeki Maruyama Tiger Woods	540,000	3,000,000
1999	Tiger Woods	United States	266	−22	2 strokes	Billy Ray Brown	486,000	2,700,000
1998	Scott Simpson	United States	204*	−12	Playoff	Skip Kendall	378,000	2,100,000
1997	Mark O'Meara	United States	275	−13	2 strokes	Donnie Hammond Mike Hulbert Lee Janzen David Ogrin Jesper Parnevik Craig Stadler Duffy Waldorf	270,000	1,500,000
1996	Davis Love III	United States	269	−19	2 strokes	Phil Mickelson	216,000	1,200,000
Buick Invitational of California
1995	Peter Jacobsen	United States	269	−19	4 strokes	Mark Calcavecchia Mike Hulbert Hal Sutton Kirk Triplett	216,000	1,200,000
1994	Craig Stadler	United States	268	−20	1 stroke	Steve Lowery	198,000	1,100,000
1993	Phil Mickelson	United States	278	−10	4 strokes	Dave Rummells	180,000	1,000,000
1992	Steve Pate (2)	United States	200*	−16	1 stroke	Chip Beck	180,000	1,000,000
Shearson Lehman Brothers Open
1991	Jay Don Blake	United States	268	−20	2 strokes	Bill Sander	180,000	1,000,000
Shearson Lehman Hutton Open
1990	Dan Forsman	United States	275	−13	2 strokes	Tommy Armour III	162,000	900,000
1989	Greg Twiggs	United States	271	−17	2 strokes	Steve Elkington Brad Faxon Mark O'Meara Mark Wiebe	126,000	700,000
Shearson Lehman Hutton Andy Williams Open
1988	Steve Pate	United States	269	−19	1 stroke	Jay Haas	117,000	650,000
Shearson Lehman Brothers Andy Williams Open
1987	George Burns	United States	266	−22	4 strokes	J. C. Snead Bobby Wadkins	90,000	500,000
1986	Bob Tway	United States	204*	−12	Playoff	Bernhard Langer	81,000	450,000
Isuzu-Andy Williams San Diego Open
1985	Woody Blackburn	United States	269	−19	Playoff	Ron Streck	72,000	400,000
1984	Gary Koch	United States	272	−16	Playoff	Gary Hallberg	72,000	400,000
1983	Gary Hallberg	United States	271	−17	1 stroke	Tom Kite	54,000	300,000
Wickes-Andy Williams San Diego Open
1982	Johnny Miller	United States	270	−18	1 stroke	Jack Nicklaus	54,000	300,000
1981	Bruce Lietzke	United States	278	−10	Playoff	Raymond Floyd Tom Jenkins	45,000	250,000
Andy Williams-San Diego Open Invitational
1980	Tom Watson (2)	United States	275	−13	Playoff	D. A. Weibring	45,000	250,000
1979	Fuzzy Zoeller	United States	282	−6	5 strokes	Billy Kratzert Wayne Levi Artie McNickle Tom Watson	45,000	250,000
1978	Jay Haas	United States	278	−10	3 strokes	Andy Bean Gene Littler John Schroeder	40,000	200,000
1977	Tom Watson	United States	269	−19	5 strokes	Larry Nelson John Schroeder	36,000	180,000
1976	J. C. Snead (2)	United States	272	−16	1 stroke	Don Bies	36,000	180,000
1975	J. C. Snead	United States	279	−9	Playoff	Raymond Floyd Bobby Nichols	34,000	170,000
1974	Bobby Nichols	United States	275	−13	1 stroke	Rod Curl Gene Littler	34,000	170,000
1973	Bob Dickson	United States	278	−10	1 stroke	Billy Casper Bruce Crampton Grier Jones Phil Rodgers	34,000	170,000
1972	Paul Harney	United States	275	−13	1 stroke	Hale Irwin	30,000	150,000
1971	George Archer	United States	272	−16	3 strokes	Dave Eichelberger	30,000	150,000
1970	Pete Brown	United States	275	−13	Playoff	Tony Jacklin	30,000	150,000
1969	Jack Nicklaus	United States	284	−4	1 stroke	Gene Littler	30,000	150,000
1968	Tom Weiskopf	United States	273	−15	1 stroke	Al Geiberger	30,000	150,000
San Diego Open Invitational
1967	Bob Goalby	United States	269	−15	1 stroke	Gay Brewer	13,200	71,000
1966	Billy Casper	United States	268	−16	4 strokes	Tommy Aaron Tom Weiskopf	5,800	45,000
1965	Wes Ellis	United States	267	−17	Playoff	Billy Casper	4,850	39,000
1964	Art Wall, Jr.	United States	274	−6	2 strokes	Tony Lema Bob Rosburg	4,300	30,000
1963	Gary Player	South Africa	270	−14	1 stroke	Tony Lema	3,500	25,000
1962	Tommy Jacobs	United States	277	−7	Playoff	Johnny Pott	3,500	25,000
1961	Arnold Palmer (2)	United States	271	−13	1 stroke	Al Balding	2,800	22,500
1960	Mike Souchak	United States	269	−19	1 stroke	Johnny Pott	2,800	22,500
1959	Marty Furgol	United States	274	−14	1 stroke	Joe Campbell Billy Casper Dave Ragan Mike Souchak Bo Wininger	2,800	20,000
1958	No tournament - moved from November to January
1957	Arnold Palmer	United States	271	−17	1 stroke	Al Balding	2,400	15,000
Convair-San Diego Open
1956	Bob Rosburg	United States	270	−18	2 strokes	Dick Mayer	2,400	15,000
1955	Tommy Bolt (2)	United States	274	−14	2 strokes	Johnny Palmer	2,400	15,000
San Diego Open
1954	Gene Littler (a)	United States	274	−14	4 strokes	E. J. Harrison	2,400	15,000
1953	Tommy Bolt	United States	274	−14	3 strokes	Doug Ford	2,000	10,000
1952	Ted Kroll	United States	276	−12	3 strokes	Jimmy Demaret	2,000	10,000

¹ Some players finished on Monday as a result of inclement weather. Snedeker had finished on Sunday.

• (a) - amateur
• * rain-shortened to 54 holes
• ^ scheduled 54 holes

Note: Green highlight indicates scoring records.
Sources^[3][5]

Multiple winners

Through 2016, eight players have won this tournament more than once:

• 7 wins
  • Tiger Woods: 1999, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2013
• 3 wins
  • Phil Mickelson: 1993, 2000, 2001
• 2 wins
  • Tommy Bolt: 1953, 1955
  • Arnold Palmer: 1957, 1961
  • Steve Pate: 1988, 1992
  • J. C. Snead: 1975, 1976
  • Brandt Snedeker: 2012, 2016
  • Tom Watson: 1977, 1980

Records and trivia

• Tournament course record:
  • Torrey Pines, North Course - 61, Mark Brooks, 1990, and Brandt Snedeker, 2007;
  • Torrey Pines, South Course - 62, Tiger Woods, 1999
• Tiger Woods is the only seven-time winner of the tournament, and Phil Mickelson the only other to win more than twice.
• Hall of Famer and San Diego native Gene Littler is the only amateur winner, achieving the feat in 1954, and awarded a five-piece tea set.^[6] Subsequently as a professional, Littler was a runner-up three times (1969, 1974, 1978).
• A memorable year in the tournament's history was 1982, when Johnny Miller outdueled Jack Nicklaus to win by one stroke.^[7]
• Tiger Woods (2005–08) won four straight years, then won the 2008 U.S. Open on the South Course in June.
  • J. C. Snead (1975–76) and Phil Mickelson (2000–01) won in consecutive years.
• Heavyweight boxer Joe Louis was invited to play in the San Diego Open in 1952 on a sponsor's exemption;
  • Louis became the first African American ever to play in this PGA Tour event.^[8]

References

1. Media Guide Book p. 20
2. "Farmers Insurance to sponsor San Diego Tour event". PGA Tour. January 18, 2010. Retrieved March 13, 2013.
3. Farmers Insurance Open - Winners - at www.pgatour.com
4. PGA Tour 2007 Official Guide - January 2007, pages 1-5, 3-10,11, 11-5.
5. 2009 Buick Invitational Media Guide - Tournament History - at www.buickinvitational.com
6. "Littler beats pros, wins San Diego". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Associated Press. January 25, 1954. p. 18. Retrieved January 29, 2013.
7. "Miller wins by 1 over on-rushing Nicklaus". Eugene Register-Guard. Associated Press. February 1, 1982. p. 3C. Retrieved January 29, 2013.
8. Myers, Bob (January 17, 1952). "Joe Louis among 132 starters in San Diego golf". The Day (New London, Connecticut). Associated Press. p. 22. Retrieved January 29, 2013.

External links

• Official website
• Coverage on the PGA Tour's official site

Coordinates: 32°54′11″N 117°14′42″W / 32.903°N 117.245°W