Farmers Insurance Open 2026: Dave Tindall's each-way picks from 22/1 to 100/1

• 22/123.00 Jason Day is a two-time winner here and was second last week

• 75/176.00 Andrew Novak loves this tough test and took third last year

• 100/1101.00 Billy Horschel is worth a play in the 12 places market

• For the latest Betfair golf odds click here

• Click here for more golf tips for upcoming tournaments

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Introduction to the Farmers Insurance Open

Torrey Pines South - the venue where Tiger Woods won eight times. Seven of those came in this week's event, the Farmers Insurance Open, the other was the US Open he famously won on one leg.

Tiger was a monster in the majors, winning 15 of them, and the fact that this venue gave him more success than any other is a big clue.

Look at the list of past winners and you'll find it sprinkled with major champions. Jason Day has won this event twice, Jon Rahm won the Farmers and the US Open at Torrey while Justin Rose and Patrick Reed have also triumphed.

Last year's winner Harris English went on to finish runner-up in two majors later in 2025.

While the event occasionally throws up a random winner - Matthieu Pavon anyone? - sticking with players proven in the ultimate test of golf, majors, is a good strategy.

As usual, the California tournament is played on the easier North, a par 72 measuring 7,258 yards, for one pre-cut round and the tougher South, also a stock par 72 but weighing in at a mighty 7,765 yards, for the other three. Tiger somehow carded a 62 there in 1999.

Woods, of course, was one of the best iron players the game has ever seen so it's no surprise that Strokes Gained: Approach is a key stat in this event.

The last four winners ranked highly in SGA: English 4th, Pavon 3rd, Max Homa 1st, Luke List 4th.

The last five winners, that adds in Reed in 2021, all ranked in the top 10 for SG: Putting.

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Bet 1: Jason Day @ 22/123.00

This time last week, I wouldn't have expected to have Jason Day as a headline pick but then came his joint-second place finish in The American Express.

The most notable aspect of that and something which bodes well for this week is that the Aussie did by far his best work on the toughest of the three layouts - the Pete Dye Stadium Course.

The average score at the Stadium was 70.76 during the first three rounds - around three shots harder than La Quinta and the Nicklaus Tournament.

Day's two rounds there? 63 on day one and 64 on day four. If you want another way of framing it, on The American Express's toughest track, Day outshot four-shot winner Scottie Scheffler by seven strokes!

He said later: "It's a good start. My 100th top 10 of my career. So that was a milestone that I was very interested in, like very excited to get to. Yeah, very pleased that I got off to a good start this week.

"It's always nice to be able to come to the desert and get things rolling in the right direction. So I'm playing Torrey next week, probably just drive over tomorrow and then get some good prep Tuesday, Wednesday, and get into the tournament again. But I'm very pleased with how the game is looking."

Day ranked 1st for both SG: Putting and Around The Green at The American Express. He was 3rd Tee To Green and 18th for Approach. 

As well as his two wins at Torrey Pines (2015 and 2018), he has a second, a third (2022), a fifth, a seventh (2023) and a ninth.

Day, the 2015 US PGA winner, has racked up 18 top 10s in majors (11 were top fives) and can show his class again by claiming a Torrey Pines hat-trick. 

It's tempting to take the 28s for five places but I'll back him at 22s with eight. 

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Bet 2: Andrew Novak @ 75/176.00

Due to the fires in Los Angeles last year, two events were staged at Torrey Pines in 2025. 

Andrew Novak played both, finishing third (Farmers) and 13th (Genesis Invitational).

He was 7th for SG: Approach in this one and showed his prowess on Poa Annua greens by ranking in the top 12 for SG: Putting in both events.

Also 13th at Pebble (11th SGP), Novak then went on a brilliant run in April, finishing third at the Texas Open, second in The RBC Heritage and winning the Zurich Classic pairs event with Ben Griffin.

The 30-year-old later finished sixth at St Jude and seventh in the RSM Classic.

He's down the betting here after making no obvious impact in The American Express. But while missing the cut, there was nothing wrong with his opening two rounds of 64 and 68.

In fact, that was his fifth straight MC at La Quinta and his 54-hole total was his best there by four strokes. It beat his 2025 tally by a massive 14 shots and he followed that by coming here and finishing third.

After that top three at Torrey last year, he said: "I played great on a very tough golf course. I mean, you couldn't really fake it around this place. I like a tough golf course. 

"I have always liked this place. I feel like you have to think your way around the course and I like that."

On a test far more suited than last week, getting 75/176.00 with eight places is good business.

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Bet 3: Billy Horschel @ 100/1101.00

Some simple logic: Billy Horschel has three top 11 finishes (8th, 8th and 11th) in his last eight starts in the Farmers so is worth a punt at 100/1101.00 in the 12 places market. 

Horschel was also ninth at Pebble Beach last year but two starts after his fourth place at the Valspar in mid-March, his season was ruined by a hip injury.

He eventually returned in September to play in three events before the year was out and, in the last of them, posted 11th at the Bank of Utah Championship.

I also like the progress he's made this season.

Horschel made the cut at the Sony Open but finished down in 74th and recorded negative Approach figures.

But at last week's American Express, he closed with a 66 at the tough Stadium Course to finish 27th and ranked 12th for Approach and 4th Around The Green.

He also shone in his first TGL start of 2026, something Chris Gotterup did before winning the Sony. Although that event can be considered something of a knockabout, playing well in it is no bad thing.

Horschel, when fit, finished second (Open) and eighth (US PGA) in two of the 2024 majors. He's also an eight-time winner on the PGA Tour. 

Finally, he has incentive too. Horschel is 58th in the world so needs to play his way into the top 50 to earn starts at the US Masters, US Open and Signature events.

Getting three figures for a top 12 finish definitely appeals.

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