Farmers Insurance Open

Farmers Insurance Open
Tournament information
Location La Jolla, California
Established 1952 (1927)
Course(s) Torrey Pines Golf Course
Par 72 (both courses)
Length 7,569 yards (South)
6,874 yards (North)
Tour(s) PGA Tour
Format Stroke play
Prize fund $5,800,000
Month played January
Tournament record score
Aggregate 266 George Burns (1987)
266 Tiger Woods (1999)
To par -22 George Burns (1987)
-22 Tiger Woods (1999)
Current champion
Bubba Watson

The Farmers Insurance Open is a PGA Tour professional golf tournament played in the San Diego, California area in the early part of the Tour season, known as the "West Coast Swing." The tournament was noted for having singer-actor Andy Williams as a celebrity host from 1968 to 1988. The tournament originated as the San Diego Open and used that name in its title through 1985. Shearson Lehman Brothers were title sponsors from 1985 to 1992. Buick was the main tournament sponsor from 1992 to 2009. Farmers Insurance Group is the main sponsor as of 2010.[1] It is organized by the The Century Club of San Diego.

Contents

Course history

From 1952–53, the tournament was played at San Diego Country Club in Chula Vista, California before spending 1954 at Rancho Santa Fe Golf Club in Rancho Santa Fe, California. In 1955 the event moved to Mission Valley Country Club in San Diego, California, and after the 1956 event was played at Singing Hills Country Club in El Cajon, California, the event returned to Mission Valley CC until 1961. In 1962, Mission Valley CC changed its name to Stardust Country Club (and now is known as Riverwalk Golf Club) and the event stayed there from 1962–63; after spending 1964 at Rancho Bernardo Country Club (now Rancho Bernardo Inn) in San Diego, California, it returned to Stardust CC until 1967.

In 1968, the event began its relationship with Torrey Pines Golf Course in La Jolla, California, where it has been played ever since. In the current tournament set-up, players will split the first 36 holes between the North and South Courses, then play the final 36 holes on the South Course. In 2008, Torrey Pines-South hosted the U.S. Open.[2]

Winners

Year Player Country Score To par 1st Prize ($) Purse ($)
Farmers Insurance Open
2011 Bubba Watson  United States 272 -16 1,044,000 5,800,000
2010 Ben Crane  United States 275 -13 954,000 5,300,000
Buick Invitational
2009 Nick Watney  United States 277 -11 954,000 5,300,000
2008 Tiger Woods  United States 269 -19 936,000 5,200,000
2007 Tiger Woods  United States 273 -15 936,000 5,200,000
2006 Tiger Woods  United States 278 -10 918,000 5,100,000
2005 Tiger Woods  United States 272 -16 864,000 4,800,000
2004 John Daly  United States 278 -10 864,000 4,800,000
2003 Tiger Woods  United States 272 -16 810,000 4,500,000
2002 José María Olazábal  Spain 275 -13 648,000 3,600,000
2001 Phil Mickelson  United States 269 -19 630,000 3,500,000
2000 Phil Mickelson  United States 270 -18 540,000 3,000,000
1999 Tiger Woods  United States 266 -22 486,000 2,700,000
1998 Scott Simpson  United States 204* -12 378,000 2,100,000
1997 Mark O'Meara  United States 275 -13 270,000 1,500,000
1996 Davis Love  United States 269 -19 216,000 1,200,000
Buick Invitational of California
1995 Peter Jacobsen  United States 269 -19 216,000 1,200,000
1994 Craig Stadler  United States 268 -20 198,000 1,100,000
1993 Phil Mickelson  United States 278 -10 180,000 1,000,000
1992 Steve Pate  United States 200* -16 180,000 1,000,000
Shearson Lehman Brothers Open
1991 Jay Don Blake  United States 268 -20 180,000 1,000,000
Shearson Lehman Hutton Open
1990 Dan Forsman  United States 275 -13 162,000 900,000
1989 Greg Twiggs  United States 271 -17 126,000 700,000
Shearson Lehman Hutton Andy Williams Open
1988 Steve Pate  United States 269 -19 117,000 650,000
Shearson Lehman Brothers Andy Williams Open
1987 George Burns  United States 266 -22 90,000 500,000
1986 Bob Tway  United States 204* -12 81,000 450,000
Isuzu-Andy Williams San Diego Open
1985 Woody Blackburn  United States 269 -19 72,000 400,000
1984 Gary Koch  United States 272 -16 72,000 400,000
1983 Gary Hallberg  United States 271 -17 54,000 300,000
Wickes-Andy Williams San Diego Open
1982 Johnny Miller  United States 270 -18 54,000 300,000
1981 Bruce Lietzke  United States 278 -10 45,000 250,000
Andy Williams-San Diego Open Invitational
1980 Tom Watson  United States 275 -13 45,000 250,000
1979 Fuzzy Zoeller  United States 282 -6 45,000 250,000
1978 Jay Haas  United States 278 -10 40,000 200,000
1977 Tom Watson  United States 269 -19 36,000 180,000
1976 J. C. Snead  United States 272 -16 36,000 180,000
1975 J. C. Snead  United States 279 -9 34,000 170,000
1974 Bobby Nichols  United States 275 -13 34,000 170,000
1973 Bob Dickson  United States 278 -10 34,000 170,000
1972 Paul Harney  United States 275 -13 30,000 150,000
1971 George Archer  United States 272 -16 30,000 150,000
1970 Pete Brown  United States 275 -13 30,000 150,000
1969 Jack Nicklaus  United States 284 -4 30,000 150,000
1968 Tom Weiskopf  United States 273 -15 30,000 150,000
San Diego Open Invitational
1967 Bob Goalby  United States 269 -15 13,200 71,000
1966 Billy Casper  United States 268 -16 5,800 45,000
1965 Wes Ellis  United States 267 -17 4,850 39,000
1964 Art Wall, Jr.  United States 274 -6 4,300 30,000
1963 Gary Player  South Africa 270 -14 3,500 25,000
1962 Tommy Jacobs  United States 277 -7 3,500 25,000
1961 Arnold Palmer  United States 271 -13 2,800 22,500
1960 Mike Souchak  United States 269 -19 2,800 22,500
1959 Marty Furgol  United States 274 -14 2,800 20,000
1958 No tournament - moved from November to January
1957 Arnold Palmer  United States 271 -17 2,400 15,000
Convair-San Diego Open
1956 Bob Rosburg  United States 270 -18 2,400 15,000
1955 Tommy Bolt  United States 274 -14 2,400 15,000
San Diego Open
1954 Gene Littler (a)  United States 274 -14 2,400 15,000
1953 Tommy Bolt  United States 274 -14 2,000 10,000
1952 Ted Kroll  United States 276 -12 2,000 10,000
1930-51 No tournament
1929 Leo Diegel  United States 282 -2 750 2,500
1928 No tournament
1927 Leo Diegel  United States 214^ 1,000 2,500

Note: Green highlight indicates scoring records.
Sources[3][4][5]

Multiple winners

Seven players have won this tournament more than once through 2011.

Records and trivia

References

  1. ^ Farmers Insurance to sponsor San Diego Tour event
  2. ^ PGA Tour 2007 Official Guide - January 2007, pages 1-5, 3-10 thru 3-11, 11-5.
  3. ^ 2009 Buick Invitational Media Guide - Tournament History - at www.buickinvitational.com
  4. ^ Buick Invitational - Winners - at www.pgatour.com
  5. ^ Buick Invitational - Winners - at golfobserver.com

External links