Steve Palmer's Farmers Insurance Open first-round preview, best bets, free tips

When to watch

Sky Sports Golf, 5pm Thursday

Best bets

Hideki Matsuyama to win threeball
2pts 23-20 Betfred

Cameron Davis to win threeball
2pts 19-20 bet365

Add these selections to your betslip with bet365

Preview

The first two rounds of the Farmers Insurance Open are played over two different courses and it remains to be seen whether the draw will have any impact on the tournament.

Half the field are at Torrey Pines South for round one and half are at Torrey Pines North - and the weather forecast is for two contrasting days.

Sunshine is expected throughout Thursday, but rain is forecast for Friday, which may be particularly heavy in the morning.

Torrey Pines South is the longest track on the PGA Tour, so players who avoid tackling that layout on a soggy Friday may be favoured.

Eight of the last ten Farmers champions played the South in round one - so that statistic could be bolstered this week.

Jon Rahm, Rory McIlroy, Brooks Koepka, Tony Finau, Marc Leishman, Harris English, Hideki Matsuyama and Matt Wolff all play the South in round one. Those at the easier North should set the early pace, before Rahm and Co get the opportunity to charge up the leaderboard on Friday.

Pick of the first-round threeball options could be Hideki Matsuyama, who faces Carlos Ortiz and Tyler Duncan on the South (6.40pm UK and Ireland time), and Cameron Davis, who is alongside Beau Hossler and Xinjun Zhang on the North (5pm).

Matsuyama, third in the 2019 Farmers, is a greens-in-regulation machine who is well suited to the stiff long-game examination of the South. His underrated chipping ability also comes in handy around the small Torrey dancefloors.

Davis, third in The American Express on Sunday, should make merry on the easy North in round one. Hossler, who has missed his last four cuts, and Zhang, who has missed six of his last seven cuts, are both woefully out of form.

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