Farmers Insurance Open 2026 preview, picks & analysis

There is only one story in town this week as Brooks Koepka returns to the PGA Tour at the Farmers Insurance Open at the magnificent Torrey Pines.

The tour has bent over backwards to accommodate Koepka and while it is good to see a player of his stature back where he surely belongs there is likely to be plenty of simmering resentment among some of his fellow players. Indeed, Wyndham Clark has already said as much.

Koepka himself has said: "I’ve got a lot of work to do with some of the players. There’s definitely guys who are happy, and definitely guys who will be angry. But it (his departure) hurt a lot of people. If anyone is upset, I need to rebuild those relationships.

"There’s probably a mixed bag of, ‘We’re happy you’re back, welcome home’ to ‘You shouldn’t be here.’ I understand everybody’s point of view. I was going to be sitting out possibly a year, and I’m extremely thankful the tour gave me this opportunity."

He will have been delighted to hear Jordan Spieth say he is looking forward to the return of his former Ryder Cup teammate. Spieth said: "I don’t think he needs to play Monday pro-ams or walk along the range and shake everyone’s and say, ‘I’m sorry.’ He just comes back and plays really good golf. That’s good for everybody."

Koepka will be desperate to hit his opening tee shot. Before the tournament gets under way he is going to have to face the media and they will not be giving him an easy time. But this is a five-time major champion who is well used to fending off any bombs that journalists may throw in his direction.

He will know that he now needs to let his clubs do the talking. Everything he does at Torrey Pines is going to come under close scrutiny. Koepka being the sort of individual he is, the American will have been working his socks off in recent weeks and it would come as no surprise to me to see him near the top of the leaderboard. No matter what happens in San Diego, I fully expect to see him winning before long.

There are two players I will be keeping a close eye on this week - Ludvig Aberg and Will Zalatoris. For Zalatoris this really could be a make-or-break season. He underwent what he hopes will be career-saving back surgery in 2025 and has already played on the DP World Tour this season, finishing 49th at the Nedbank Challenge. Before being hit by injury, Zalatoris climbed to seventh in the world rankings. To give you an idea of the task he now faces, his ranking has tumbled to 218th. He finished in a credible T-18th on his PGA Tour comeback at the American Express. If he were a tennis player, his ranking would have been protected and there is surely a case for golf doing something similar. Zalatoris has an astonishing record in the majors but as things stand he will be sitting out all four in 2026 unless he can rediscover his best form - and soon.

Aberg is, without the shadow of a doubt, one of the best ball strikers in the game. But just two PGA Tour victories is definitely a poor return for a golfer who possesses such natural talent. He caused a sensation when he first turned professional, winning the European Masters in September 2023 after coming close in the Czech Masters. It was enough to earn him a Ryder Cup wildcard. 

He then added the Genesis Invitational in February last year. That event was also staged at Torrey Pines. Many thought that would open the floodgates but it hasn’t really happened for him. He finished second in his Masters debut in 2024 and was in position for another big finish at Augusta last year until a final-hole meltdown saw him end up in seventh place. Otherwise, his major record is pretty disappointing.

This is also a big year for Xander Schauffele. He won two majors in 2024 but last season was one to forget for the American as he battled with injury. He is one of the hardest workers on tour, however, and it would be no surprise to see him win again soon.

Last year, Harris English held off a final-round charge from Sam Stevens to claim his first PGA Tour title since 2021 with a one-shot win at Torrey Pines.

Tournament Winners:

It was won in 2016 by Brandt Snedeker, in 2017 by Jon Rahm, in 2018 by Jason Day, in 2019 by Justin Rose, in 2020 by Marc Leishman, in 2021 by Patrick Reed, in 2022 by Luke List, in 2023 by Max Homa, in 2024 by Matthieu Pavon and last year by Harris English.

Form Guide:

Incredibly, Ludvig Aberg is embarking on what is only his third full season on the PGA Tour. He is a wonderful ball striker who also possesses a fabulous temperament but he needs to win more often than he does - and this would be perfect week to start.

The Courses:

The Farmers Insurance Open is played over two courses at Torrey Pines, the North and the South. The South is a monster at 7,765 yards and features a wonderful closing par five that calls for a second shot played over water. It has seen many dramatic finishes over the years, never more so than in 2017 when Rahm won his maiden PGA Tour title by holing an outrageous putt on the 18th green. The North course measures 7,258 yards. Both layouts are par 72.

Prize Money:

The total prize fund is around $9m with the champion pocketing in the region of $1.7m and 500 FedEx Cup points.

How to Watch:

Thursday, January 29, Friday, January 30, Sky Sports Golf, 5pm; Saturday, January 31, 6pm; Sunday, February 1, 3.30pm.

To Win:

Ludvig Aberg. Due another big win

Each Way:

Will Zalatoris. Finally fully fit again

Each Way:

Xander Schauffele. Fabulous temperament

Five to Follow:

Ludvig Aberg. Surely a future world number one

Will Zalatoris. Big season for the American

Xander Schauffele. Two-time major winner hoping for a better 2026

Hideki Matsuyama. Won the Hero World Challenge in December

Alex Noren. Hugely underrated

Five Outsiders to Watch:

John Parry. Made a promising start to his PGA Tour career

Dan Brown. Englishman is living the dream

Marco Penge. Has all the tools to succeed in America

Neil Shipley. Tremendous prospect

Gordon Sargent. Was a world-class amateur