2026 Farmers Insurance Open preview: Predictions, expert picks for Brooks Koepka's return to PGA Tour
Koepka is back on the PGA Tour as 10 of the top 20 players in the Official World Golf Rankings tee it up in San Diego
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5 min read
The West Coast Swing is finding its stride as 147 players travel to one of the most scenic golf courses on the PGA Tour schedule. Both the North Course and the South Course will welcome golfers to Torrey Pines for the 2026 Farmers Insurance Open, where 10 of the top 20 players in the Official World Golf Rankings will compete for the third title of the young season.
Not included among those names inside the top 20 is perhaps the biggest of all this week: Brooks Koepka. Making his first start on the PGA Tour since the 2022 WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play, the 35-year-old returns to the league following four seasons with LIV Golf.
Able to return to the PGA Tour through the newly created Returning Member Program, Koepka is required to play a full PGA Tour schedule while also being on the outside looking in when it comes to signature events. As such, the five-time major champion will become a fixture in these full-field tournaments; he is not only making his PGA Tour return this week at Torrey Pines, he has already committed to next week's WM Phoenix Open and the Cognizant Classic.
Koepka's inclusion in the field also means two additional spots were added to round out threesomes.
While Koepka looks to ease back into a normal playing schedule, players like Xander Schauffele and Cameron Young will also be making their season debuts. The two went in opposite directions in 2025 as Schauffele missed being included in the Tour Championship field for the first time in his career, and Young nabbed his first career victory at the Wyndham Championship.
Both players starred for the U.S. team at the Ryder Cup and will look to roll their momentum into the new year alongside the likes of reigning champion Harris English, U.S. Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley and teammate J.J. Spaun, plus Europeans such as Justin Rose and Ludvig Åberg and Sony Open winner Chris Gotterup.
2026 Farmers Insurance Open schedule
Dates: Jan. 29 - Feb. 1
Location: Torrey Pines Golf Course (South Course) — San Diego, California
Par: 72 | Yardage: 7,765 | Architect: William Bell
Purse: $9,600,000
2026 Farmers Insurance Open field, odds
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook
- Xander Schauffele (15-1)
- Ludvig Åberg (17-1): The young Swede acquitted himself nicely at Torrey Pines last season as he led the Farmers Insurance Open for most of the tournament before becoming ill over the weekend. He exacted revenge a couple of weeks later by winning the Genesis Invitational on the same golf course. Åberg was forced to withdraw from the American Express last week due to illness, but he appears up to the challenge to return to competition at a golf course where he knows his game will translate.
- Cameron Young: (18-1): Many expect a big season from Young, but outside of a run at the Genesis Invitational a handful of seasons back, the West Coast Swing has never been too kind to him. He comes into this year as a PGA Tour winner, a Ryder Cup darling and off the best putting season of his career. Young is back to hitting his comfortable shot shape and has the power to play well at Torrey Pines, which features some of the thickest rough and thinnest fairways players face all season.
- Patrick Cantlay (23-1)
- Si Woo Kim (24-1): Kim may be the best ball striker in the world among players not named Scottie Scheffler. The 54-hole leader at the American Express, the four-time PGA Tour winner fell flat in the middle of his round and was ultimately upended by the world No. 1. Still, the result counted for his second straight quality outing to open up his campaign, and he seeks to move his game to a bigger, brawnier test that is Torrey Pines. He has two top 25 finishes in his last three appearances but has not finished inside the top 10 in eight career starts.
- J.J. Spaun (25-1)
- Chris Gotterup (29-1): He continues to show that, when the wind starts blowing, and a hair of creativity and shot shaping are required, he can stand tall. Gotterup claimed the third win of his PGA Tour career in as many seasons at the Sony Open, and he should be licking his lips at trying his hand at Torrey Pines, where he finished inside the top 25 during his lone prior trip. In possession of plenty of power and finesse, the right-hander has the goods to keep the momentum rolling on the mainland.
- Hideki Matsuyama (29-1): He has made nine straight cuts at Torrey Pines and arrives off a T13 at the Sony Open where he sizzled with his iron play and struggled with his putter -- Matsuyama's typical game. Putting from inside 15 feet and inside 5 feet are among the most difficult on the PGA Tour this week, so that could level the playing field ever so slightly and play into his hands. His iron play remains elite, and scramblers have fared well at this tournament, which is another feather in Matsuyama's cap.
- Maverick McNealy (31-1)
- Jason Day (31-1)
- Harris English (31-1)
2026 Farmers Insurance Open picks
| Winner (15-1): The fall was huge for someone like Schauffele as he was among the bright spots for the U.S. Ryder Cup team and claimed the Baycurrent Classic in Japan. He missed this tournament last season due to injury, so he will be champing at the bit to return to a comfortable golf course where the San Diego native has played hundreds of rounds. While his falloff in 2025 was noticeable, Schauffele struggled primarily on the greens after consistently being one of the best putters on the PGA Tour. He will return to that level of competence this year starting this week. | |
| Contender (45-1): If he keeps knocking on the door like this, it is bound to fall over. In two starts in 2026, Gerard has finished behind only Gotterup and Scheffler, the first two winners of the season. He continues to show his proficiency from tee to green, especially with his iron play, as he putter continues to play catch-up. Gerard's game may be tailored more to the difficult tests on the PGA Tour schedule, like Torrey Pines, where he finished T15 in his lone appearance. | |
| Sleeper (90-1): It has been a long year or so for Theegala, but he is now finally healthy and looking the part. The lovable right-hander notched a top 10 finish at the American Express -- his first since the 2024 Procore Championship -- and has made all four cuts in his Farmers Insurance Open career. The putter has carried most of the weight through two starts this season, but the driver is coming around in a way that should provide optimism for those in his camp. | |
Who will win the 2026 Farmers Insurance Open, and which longshots will stun the golfing world? Visit SportsLine now to see the projected leaderboard, all from the model that's nailed 16 golf majors heading into the weekend, and find out.
