The $8.7 million Farmers Insurance Open begins Wednesday at Torrey Pines Golf Course with Jon Rahm seeking to be the first player to win in three consecutive tournaments on the PGA Tour since Dustin Johnson in 2017.
"It is on my mind obviously," Rahm said Tuesday. "I've been reminded of it many, many times and even more knowing where we're coming, a place where I've played so good at. I still need to go out there and shoot a very low score to win. So my mind is on day to day, moment to moment."
Rahm won the Sentry Tournament of Champions, which concluded Jan. 8 in Kapalua, Hawaii, shooting a 27-under-par 265 to win by two strokes over Collin Morikawa, and The American Express, which concluded Sunday in La Quinta, shooting a 27-under-par 265 to win by one stroke over rookie Davis Thompson.
Rahm has four wins in his last six starts in official events on the PGA Tour and DP World Tour and has finished tied for fourth or better in all six.
Two of Rahm's nine victories on the PGA Tour have come at Torrey Pines. He earned his first win at the 2017 Farmers Insurance Open and won his first career major title at the 2021 U.S. Open.
Since the Farmers Insurance Open moved to Torrey Pines in 1968, Rahm has the second-lowest scoring average of any player who has played a minimum of 10 rounds, 69.29 strokes in 24 rounds, .01 behind Tiger Woods' 69.28 in 68 rounds.
Rahm's victory at The American Express lifted him one spot to third in the Official World Golf Ranking and is the highest-ranked player in the field of 156. Xander Schauffele, a San Diego State and Scripps Ranch High School graduate, is the second-highest ranked at No. 6.
Five of the top 10 players in the Official World Golf Ranking have entered the tournament as have 13 of the top 50.
Rahm is the 9-2 pre-tournament favorite according to BetMGM, an official betting operator of the PGA Tour. Schauffele is the second choice at 11-1.
Schauffele tied for third in The American Express, two strokes off the lead, including a final-round 10-under-62, matching South African Erik van Rooyen for Sunday's low score. Schauffele made his first career albatross — going 3-under-par on a hole — when he sank his second shot on the par-5 fifth hole with a 4-iron from 226 yards.
The tournament was Schauffele's first since withdrawing from the Tournament of Champions midway through the second round Jan. 6 because of a back injury he described Tuesday as "muscular."
"It was just a tight spot there," Schauffele said. "My team was really quick to diagnose it, assess the scans and MRIs, get the right eyes on it. It's kind of weird when people tell you you're good to go and you kind of just have to say all right, I'm good to go."
Schauffele tied for second in the 2021 Farmers Insurance Open and for 34th last year after missing the cut in four of his first five appearances in the tournament. He tied for seventh at the 2021 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines.
"I've played a lot here, haven't played great I'd say," Schauffele said. "I've had a high finish here, played well at the U.S. Open, but for the most part still kind of figuring it out."
There are two other players in the field who went to high school or college in San Diego County — J.J. Spaun (San Diego State) and Charley Hoffman (Poway High School).
Rahm is among 10 winners of majors in the field, along with Keegan Bradley, Jason Day, Jason Dufner, Hideki Matsuyama, Morikawa, Justin Rose, Justin Thomas, Jimmy Walker and Gary Woodland.
Reigning champion Luke List is among seven previous Farmers Insurance Open winners in the field along with Rahm, Day, Rose and Nick Watney.
List entered last year's final round trailing by five strokes and shot a 6-under 66 to force a playoff Will Zalatoris, which he on the first hole with a birdie.
List has made 27 starts on the PGA Tour since his victory and has not recorded a top-10 finish.
For the second consecutive year, the tournament will begin on Wednesday, one day earlier than usual, and conclude Saturday to avoid a conflict with Sunday's telecasts of the NFL conference championship games, American television's most-watched programming outside of Super Bowl Sunday.
The field will be reduced to the top 65 players and ties following conclusion of the second round. The first two rounds are played on both the North and South courses. The final two rounds will be played on the South Course.
The winner will receive $1.566 million.
Grounds tickets are $80 Wednesday and Thursday and $90 Friday and Saturday.
All active duty military members, along with retired members, reservists and veterans are eligible for discounts of up to 18% on the price of tickets Wednesday and Thursday after logging on to GovX.com to verify military service and receiving a unique promo code.
Fans 60 and older will receive a 20% discount on regular grounds tickets Wednesday and Thursday by selecting senior when purchasing tickets. Identification may be requested at the gates.
Children 15 and under receive complimentary admission each day of the tournament when accompanied by a ticketed adult. Each ticketed adult may bring one child.
The tournament will be televised on Golf Channel from noon-4 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, noon-2 p.m. Friday and 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Saturday and on CBS from 2-5 p.m. Friday and 1:30-5 p.m. Saturday.
Additional coverage will be streamed on the ESPN+ service from 9 a.m.- 4 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday and 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday and Saturday
