Farmers Insurance Open Recap: Leishman Wins Over Rahm

We wrote last week about Torrey Pines being the biggest behemoth on the PGA Tour schedule, almost 7,700 yards of sheer length, a huge advantage to the longest hitters in one of the few weeks of the year in which putting traditionally has not mattered much.

This time, putting mattered.

Marc Leishman came from four shots off the lead with an incredible display on the greens, shooting a 7-under 65 to win the Farmers Insurance Open Sunday by one stroke over Jon Rahm.

The big Aussie, who had come close before at Torrey Pines, birdied five of the first eight holes and rolled in more than 150 feet worth of putts on a day his driver deserted him. Leishman finished first in the field in strokes gained: putting for the day (and the week), while ranking 70th out of 79 golfers in strokes gained: off the tee.

"You're not going to win Tour events if you're not putting well, and I putted probably as good as I ever putted today," Leishman told reporters in La Jolla, Calif.

It goes to show that there always is more than one way to win a golf tournament, even on a course that's one average drive from 8,000 yards.

Leishman drilled a 41-footer for birdie on No. 1, added two more 14-footers for birdies and also delivered three huge par saves of 20, 12 and 8 feet on the back nine. He even made a final birdie on 18, sinking a six-footer that turned out to be the difference over a fast-closing Rahm.

Leishman had been runner-up twice before at Torrey Pines, a course he says reminds him of home with the poa annua greens. Coincidentally (or not), Sunday was Australia Day and another Aussie, Lucas Herbert, won the European Tour event in Dubai (more on him lower down). It was the second time in three weeks that a pair of Australians won on the same day. The first time it was Cameron Smith (the Sony) and Wade Ormsby (on the Asian Tour). Coincidentally (or not), it was Leishman and Smith who took the lead earlier this month in vowing to support their homeland in the face of the deadly and still-ongoing fires.

This was the fifth PGA Tour win for Leishman and his first since the 2018 CIMB Classic. It moved him back into the top-20 in the world (20th) for the first time in almost a year.

MONDAY BACKSPIN

Jon Rahm
We're not sure what was worse for Rahm, playing the first three holes in 3-over par to cough up the lead or not knowing he needed an eagle on 18 to tie Leishman. Rahm birdied 18 to complete an incredible closing stretch of 5-under over the final six holes. But he hadn't realized Leishman birdied 18, and he thought his own birdie had gotten him into a playoff. His caddie broke the news to him on the green. While Rahm needs to know the score, it might've been a good idea for his caddie to speak up beforehand. Regardless, it was still a great week for Rahm, who can actually ascend to No. 1 in the world with a win next week at Phoenix if Brooks Koepka finishes worse than fourth in Saudi Arabia.

Rory McIlroy
McIlroy himself could've supplanted Koepka atop the rankings with a win at Torrey Pines. He had a chance, beginning the day in the final group with Rahm and Ryan Palmer, but he bogeyed three of the first four holes and that was that. Still, McIlroy rebounded to finish with a 3-under 69 to tie for third, three strokes back. McIlroy is expected to be idle until he, Koepka, Rahm and many of the world's best gather at Riviera in three weeks.

Tiger Woods
Woods' quest to break the all-time record with an 83rd career PGA Tour win will continue. He began the day five strokes back, bogeyed the first hole and never mounted a challenge in tying for ninth. We'll next see Woods at his tournament at Riviera, but we shouldn't expect the record-breaker to come then, as he's never won there.

Jordan Spieth
This was not a week to expect Spieth to contend, what with all his driving issues the past few years. He would've had to have putted like Leishman did. But Spieth didn't even putt like he normally does. He wound up 60th in strokes gained: putting, predictably resulting in a tie for 55th. Again, Spieth was worse on the weekend, shooting 70-70-73-74. The result was especially damaging, as he's now outside the top-50 in the world. In order to qualify for the WGC-Mexico, Spieth will need to be back inside on Feb. 10 or 17.

Jason Day
Day isn't far behind Spieth in the OWGR. Unlike Spieth, he historically has done quite well at Torrey Pines and this week tied for 16th to stay at No. 44 in the world. Day also has not yet qualified for the first WGC event of the year.

Bubba Watson
On one hand you could say that on a course of this length, it's right in Watson's wheelhouse. But Watson really hasn't had a wheelhouse for some time, with only three worldwide top-10s in all of 2019. But he turned in a brilliant week of ball striking to tie for sixth, his best showing since a tie for fourth at the Valspar about 10 months ago. Watson ranked third in the field in strokes gained: off the tee and first in SG tee to green. Remarkably, he also was first in strokes gained: total, a claim almost always made by the tournament winner. The great week moved Watson to No. 55 OWGR and he, too, is still not in the Mexico field.

Tom Hoge
Hoge has played 142 career events on the PGA Tour and he is amid his finest stretch of golf. He finished solo fifth at Torrey Pines, giving him a third straight top-12 (T12 at the Sony, T6 at the Amex). Hoge also was runner-up at the season-opening Greenbrier back in September. Two years ago, he also finished top-12 in the both the Sony and Farmers and then did little the rest of the way. But Hoge's numbers are really impressive, ranking 19th in strokes gained: tee to green and, get this, 13th in SG total. We're not sure yet if we're buying Hoge stock just yet, but if you are, he's in this week's field in Phoenix, where he tied for 44th last year.

Rickie Fowler
Fowler missed the cut and now has fallen outside the top-25 in the world, to No. 26, after being in the top-10 a year ago at this time. It's still a long way from Spieth-ville, and Fowler did have top-10s in his two prior starts in 2020. But if he struggles next week in Phoenix at a course where he's won and finished second, well, that ain't good.

Xander Schauffele
Schauffele appeared to solve Torrey Pines last year with a tie for 25th after missing the cut in his first three visits. But he trunk-slammed again this time around. Really, nothing to worry about with his game; it's just a quirk that comes up almost annually.

Justin Rose
Rose was the defending champion but he missed a cut for the first time since the Masters. He also now hasn't won in a year. Rose definitely is not the same player he was just two years ago, but there he is, still ranked in the top-10 in the world at No. 8.

Phil Mickelson
Yeah, yeah, Mickelson is still hitting bombs. For 36 holes. He missed the cut, his 10th in his past 22 starts. He now heads to Saudi Arabia for some reason, instead of playing Phoenix, where he's started 30 times going back to 1989. Oh, and Mickelson is now down to No. 86 OWGR, way on the wrong side of Spieth-ville.

Lucas Herbert
The Aussie won the Omega Dubai Desert Classic for his first pro win anywhere. Herbert vaulted from the 200s OWGR to 79th, just off his career best of 73rd. He's still really young, having turned 24 just last month. He seems to do well only in tournaments sponsored by Omega. His two previous top-10s were a tie for eighth at the Omega European Masters in September and last year at Dubai.

Bryson DeChambeau
Who knows what's going on with this guy? DeChambeau is kinda/sorta capable of winning, as we saw him share the 54-hole lead in Dubai, where he was the defending champion. But he wound up being put on the clock by European Tour rules officials, bogeyed the final four holes and ended in a tie for eighth. At least it was better than his trunk-slam in Abu Dhabi the week before. DeChambeau now heads to Phoenix. Last year's Dubai tournament is his most recent win.