2025 PGA Tour West Coast Swing

2025 Farmers Insurance Open, $9.3 Million, January 22-25, 2025 Torrey Pines Golf Course, Torrey Pines, California. Harris English battles the elements and all get a victory finally at Torrey Pines

Teeing off Wednesday morning at 8:50 am on both Torrey Pines’ North and the South spectacular seaside championship layouts, players were greeted with classic California sunshine yielding some great scores on both courses. Sweden’s young Ryder Cup hero Ludvig Aberg fired an eye catching 63 on the North to lead the Farmers Open opening day – his first PGA Tour  18 hole lead. Lanto Griffin and  Aldrich Potgieter were two shots back and kept abreast on Thursday.

Thursday dawned sunny but gusty winds kicked up; play was halted in the afternoon – balls being blown off the greens.* At suspension, the North Course was playing more than five shots tougher than in Round 1. The South Course was playing more than three strokes higher. Sadly, with the wind delays many players returned Friday early to finish Round 2. Aberg was on the South and managed to share the lead going into the third round. France’s Matthieu Pavon defending his first ever US PGA Tour victory shot 73,80 missed the cut with poor ball-striking, play. The cut was 1-over; the third round commenced at 9:30 in relatively calm conditions on the South Course.

Moving day unfolded with 70 players battling the South course’s testing layout of firm fast greens and sticky, wet deep rough strangling errant tee shots. Harris English vaulted into the lead at -9, Andrew Novak -8 grabbed second,  Potgieter -7 was followed by Joel Dahmen -5. English asserted, “sometimes you’ve just got to be aggressive to get some good momentum for tomorrow. It’s going to be a grind, tough.” 

Saturday was variable with cold gusty winds adding to the test over the demanding South. Sam Stevens chased hard; he started six shots behind English and six holes ahead of him. Stevens moved up valiantly into second (68)  a shot behind English. Novak grabbed the lead for a period but then erred sadly finishing third (74).

English stayed ahead by one for his fifth PGA Tour W in spite of Torrey Pines’ testing South Course and tricky weather.  The Farmers was English’s first PGA Tour win since 2021, he settled down, closing with 12 pars for a one-stroke victory. “I just know how hard it is to win. It’s just so much fun. You’ve got to soak it in when you do it,”   smiled English.  English’s history at Torrey Pines is impressive;  he lost the 2015 Farmers Open to Jason Day in a four-way play-off, then at 2021’s US Open here he finished third. He is  in good position with this W for PGA Signature Event 2025’s Genesis Invitational which will be played at Torrey Pines South in several weeks due to the devastation of the Pacific Palisades fires around Riviera Country Club.

2025 ATT Pebble Beach Pro-Am, $20 Million, January 30 -February 2, 2025

Alluring, challenging Pebble Beach Links enchanted the best with  McIlroy’s great golf triumphing!

A brisk morning greeted the top PGA Tour 80 pro’s with their 80 partners Thursday morning teeing it up for the first round at Pebble Beach Links and Spyglass Hill  of the ATT Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Saturday and Sunday of this Signature PGA Tour event. the pro’s play the last 36 holes without amateur partners at Pebble Beach Links vying for the $3.6 Million for the winner Sunday. Wyndham Clark was  defending Champion after his 54- hole 2024 victory.

World No.1 Scottie Scheffler returns to play following injury sustained cooking at Christmas. Rory McIlroy World No. 3  tees it up along with top globally ranked 4th Colin Morikawa, 5th Hideki Matsuyama of the top five. Plus 45 of the  top 50 world ranked players who qualified for this Signature event. Ever popular former ATT Pebble Beach Winner Jordan Spieth returned to play following wrist surgery, Justin Rose 2023 ATT Champion is also in the field.

A PGA Signature Event the majority of the amateurs were from business rather than Hollywood TV, entertainment fields as during other ATT-Pro Ams here prior to becoming a Signature Event. However, several famed US athletes  teed it up and a few named entertainers plus several women too, including the Honorable Condoleezza Rice again this year.

Covering clouds plus spotty sunshine added to the amazing golf by both pro’s and amateurs…Russell Henley led with -8 pursued at -7 by Viktor Hovland, Justin Rose, Sepp Straka, Rasmus Hojgaard, Cam Davis and first time qualifier Jake Knapp. Hovland won the US Amateur title at Pebble Beach Links. Spyglass Hill played more difficult than Pebble Beach Links by nearly two strokes on the first day. Greens were rolling well, rough was up and dense, punishing making fairways essential for scoring. Spectacular were Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry’s holes-in-one! McIlroy’s wedge sank on the fly at Spyglass Hills’ par-3 15^th, 130 yds downhill sent a resounding roar.  Lowry hit a wedge on Pebble Beach Links’ iconic 7th, 107 yds  holing it from the left for his third hole-in-one on the PGA Tour shortly after McIlroy.

Grey, cloudy cold weather awaited Friday with wind kicking up before noon to add to the testing conditions. Austria’s Sepp Straka was on fire at Pebble Beach grabbing the lead. Later fans raved at Scottie Scheffler’s drive on 18^th to the beach; he played out to 180 yds and finished with a par to crowds delight -7. Hovland struggled but kept close as did Rose.

Saturday was grim, chilly, foggy. Rain, clouds, fog arrived creating very difficult play for all at Pebble Beach. Straka having shot 65  Friday lost some ground but had a hot finish Saturday to stay in Sunday’s final pairing  at -16 with Shane Lowry -15 and McIlroy -15 who had superb 65’s in horrendous conditions. Andrew Novak, Tom Kim, Rose stayed in the hunt.

Cloudy wet weather greeted all with the wind adding to the rain  playing havoc gusting from mid-morning til dark. Greens were very soft, receptive  which helped all; green speeds varied with the rain. McIlroy and Lowry vaulted up the leaderboard capturing the lead with 65’s to lead at -15.

“Wind on holes 4 to10, we were very exposed, difficult to judge and to play,” Tom Kim cited after shooting a 68 Saturday; he was tied fourth with  Rose, Cam Davis.

Straka winner of the 2025 American Express 15 days ago  smiled Saturday,  “Some changes in my putting have been great. I had to  stick it out and battle back today on the back. It really helped my confidence then having the walk up 18 I could feel better. Tomorrow I’m playing with my European Ryder Cup buddies…McIlroy and Lowry.”

Sunday brought fans with the sun. Breezy, brisk but clear and testing for all. The crowded leader board was impressive and the crowds loved it. The Irish battle – McIlroy and Lowry – was thrilling with Straka fought actively too in the final group. Rose challenged briefly. McIlroy’s length and superb play was impressive as was  the hole in one Thursday, but his great -7 65 Saturday in horrendous weather was epic.

Sunday’s closing 66 overpowered, deflated his opponents at the 10th with a birdie, on the par-3 12th a 7-iron inside 10 feet for birdie. The par-5 14^th hole – one of the PGA Tour’s most difficult par-5’s – McIlroy fired a 339-yard drive then powered a 229 yard second shot to a mere 27 feet for eagle! Shutting out challengers with this superb Sunday afternoon on one of the world’s finest layouts had fans mesmerized with his spectacular play for a -21…Congratulations from all awaited for his 27^th career W! 

“It was nice to have the time to stand there,  just honestly look at one of the most beautiful holes in golf and enjoy it, enjoy that stroll up 18 and not feel like there was too much pressure,” said McIlroy; he was more concerned where his buddy Lowry would finish; Lowry was solo second ahead of Rose and Glover. McIlroy was pleased too as this W at Pebble Beach Links considered one of global golf’s most prestigious layouts like Augusta National, St. Andrews’ Old Course, America’s Oakmont, Shinnecock, and Pinehurst.

McIlroy stated, “I had a big fat zero on all these layouts before today’s finish.” Rory is primed, at his peak it seems…“Anything that I feel is thrown my way in the game, I feel like I’m prepared to handle it.”

Game on 2025… excitement awaits.

Photo : South course aerial Compliments – Farmers Insurance Open