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Farmers Insurance Open Each-Way Tips: Finau can flourish again

Dave Tindall
25 January 2022
4:00 min read

Course horse Tony Finau can get another win

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The PGA Tour stays in California and Dave Tindall has three-each way tips for the action at Torrey Pines which starts on Wednesday...

"The man from Utah is a standing dish at Torrey. He first rocked up here in 2015, posting tied 25th, and it remains his worst finish at the Farmers! After tied 18th in 2016 he landed the each-way cash in four of the next five years with a run of 4-6-13-6-2."

Main Bet: Tony Finau each-way @ 26.025/1

After three PGA events in 2022 that have been won with a combined 80-under (Cameron Smith -34 at the Sentry, Hideki Matsuyama -23 at the Sony Open, Hudson Swafford -23 at The American Express), it's time for a course where a par may just mean something.

The Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines has been won with -6 in 2016, -9 in 2014 (Scott Stallings) and -9 in 2015 (Jason Day).

True, Patrick Reed fired -14 last time but that was a five-shot victory so he was the only player to reach double digits under par.

Of course, Torrey Pines South also staged the 2021 US Open where Jon Rahm birdied the final two holes to triumph with 6-under.

Rahm is the favourite to win again and capture his third victory at the spectacular Californian seaside venue.

His first came as a 50/1 shot in 2017 when he was an emerging talent but he's just 7/1 this time. Not that it's a bad price by any means.

Repeat winners are a theme in this event. Tiger Woods won an amazing seven times and also threw in a US Open on one leg for his eighth Torrey triumph. In more recent times, Brandt Snedeker and Jason Day have become two-time champions.

Marc Leishman, the victor in 2020, had previously twice finished runner-up so Torrey Pines rates extremely highly in terms of past course form being an excellent pointer.

With that in mind, my first pick is Tony Finau at 25/1.

The man from Utah is a standing dish at Torrey. He first rocked up here in 2015, posting tied 25th, and it remains his worst finish at the Farmers!

After tied 18th in 2016 he landed the each-way cash in four of the next five years with a run of 4-6-13-6-2.

The only blemish is a missed cut at the US Open in 2021 but form in that June event in much firmer and faster conditions and this one doesn't correlate very well at all unless you're called Tiger Woods or Jon Rahm.

Asked to explain his success, Finau said: "The South sets up nicely for me with my length. I think length is a big advantage on the South specifically, so I've been able to put some good rounds together there.

"You know, it looks pretty good to me. A lot of the holes you can hit a fade and I'm a fader of the ball, I like hitting the fade off the tee."

That mention of length is a reminder that Torrey Pines South (used for one of the first two rounds and both weekend laps) measures in at 7,700 yards and features Poa Annua greens. The North Course, played just once, is 7,258 yards and has Bentgrass putting surfaces.

Also, a reminder that it's a Wednesday start here to avoid an NFL clash.

Perhaps for the last few years there was a feeling that backing Finau at 25/1 was an attempt to pinch some each-way cash.

But after he finally got that second win at The Northern Trust last August, you'd be far more confident cheering him on down the stretch if he gets bang in contention.

Finau has yet to pull up any trees this season but 19th (R4 65) at the Tournament of Champions and tied 40th in The American Express (67-69 on the weekend) should set him up nicely and he's far better on tougher courses.

This is a week he's been waiting for.

Next Best: Marc Leishman each-way @ 36.035/1

I'll add in another tournament specialist for my second pick and plump for Marc Leishman at the joint-industry best 35/1.

The Aussie has a superb run of results at Torrey Pines dating back to 2009 when he finished tied 26th on debut.

Leishman was runner-up the following year, ninth in 2011, runner-up again in 2014, top 20 once more in 2017 and eighth in 2018.

That meant he was well backed for the 2020 edition and that one he won after closing with a superb 65 on Torrey Pines South.

A tied 18th when defending gave him a seventh top 20 so no wonder he loves the place.

Leishman said a few years ago: "I love that golf course. It's one of my favorites in the world. I spoke about it before, it's in my top five in the world.

"I guess when you enjoy playing a course, it's easy to play well. Well, not easy to play well, have more chance at playing well.

"It's the same grass as I grew up on. I grew up on poa greens and kikuyu fairways so that's probably got something to do with it. Along the ocean, it's a great spot, enjoy the views."

There's no faking it here and the first three home in 2018 were ranked 1st, 2nd and 3rd in the All-Around stats.

Leishman was fifth for AA when he won while Rahm topped that category when landing the US Open at Torrey last June.

A check of the current All-Around stats shows Leishman in 12th spot so his game looks in ideal shape for another big week here.

He already has two top fives, a top 10 and a top 20 in his six starts in the new wraparound season and finishing 10-36 in the two Hawaii events will have sharpened him up.

Compatriot Jason Day is a two-time winner at Torrey Pines and there's a good chance Leishman can join him as a double champion.

Final Bet: Talor Gooch each-way @ 51.050/1

There's a strong case to just hurl the whole staking plan at Jon Rahm as the Spaniard will be hard to beat but that's not really the remit of this preview.

Justin Rose might go well at 55s and Ryan Palmer is an each-way option at 50s after finishing second here in both 2018 and 2021.

I looked at Luke List at 80/1 but he's since been clipped to 66s and that looks too short for a player still seeking his first win.

Xander Schauffele, a San Diego local, has now shaken off his baffling poor run at Torrey Pines and after four missed cuts out of five, he's now finished runner-up in the 2021 Farmers and tied seventh in the 2021 US Open.

He could be dangerous at 16s.

Lanto Griffin has some excellent form after backing up a pair of early-season top sevens at the Shriners and Zozo with third in The American Express.

At this event he was 12th on debut in 2018 and tied seventh last year.

Having backed Talor Gooch three times in 2022 but with no return I should know better by now.

But, having put him at prices around 33/1, I just can't turn down the 50/1 here.

This is his fifth time in the event and he's a perfect 4-for-4 in cuts made. That includes a third place in 2019 when he fired all four rounds in the 60s.

Interviewed back then, Gooch said it was a huge confidence booster to break 70 in all four rounds at the venue where Tiger had won the US Open in 2008.

He was also tied 12th going into the last day in 2018 before a poor closer while tied 12th and tied 10th in the last two Genesis Invitationals at Riviera point to prowess on the West Coast and Poa Annua greens.

Why the big drift in price? It must be partly down to his missed cut at The American Express but I'm certainly not concerned about that given that he shot 68s in rounds two and three.

On the stats, Gooch is fifth for All-Around this season and ninth for Strokes Gained: Approach, reflecting how he rates iron play as his biggest strength.

Keep the faith and give Gooch one more chance!

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